A few hours before the opening of the Dakar 2 summit « Feeding Africa: food sovereignty and resilience », a press briefing marking the launch of the meeting was held at the Ministerial Sphere of Diamniadio. Aly NgouilleNdiaye, who returned to the expectations of the meeting, said that Senegal wants to have, through this summit, 1600 billion CFA francs for the financing of its National Food Sovereignty Strategy.
At the Dakar 2 summit, which is to hold from January 25 to 27 at the Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (Cicad) in Diamniadio on the theme « Feeding Africa: food sovereignty and resilience », Senegal hopes to mobilise funding to the tune of 1,600 billion CFA francs. Aly Ngouille Ndiaye, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Equipment and Food Sovereignty (Maersa), made this known yesterday, during a press briefing to mark the launch of the summit co-organisedby Senegal and the African Development Bank (AfDB). “Senegal’s budget, as part of the food sovereignty strategy, is 5,000 billion CFA francs for the next 5 years. We are going to propose a third of this budget, which amounts to 1600 billion francs, to the AfDB and its partners during the summit”, explained the Maersa. “At the summit, some forty African countries will defend their national food sovereignty pacts before the AfDB,” noted Mr. Ndiaye, wanting to be optimistic for the Senegalese file which has adopted a new Food Sovereignty Strategy. « Senegal intends to change paradigms in the agricultural field, in the broad sense of the term, » he said.
Beth Dunford, vice president for agriculture, social and human development at the AfDB, argued that the summit will revolve around concrete sessions to find solutions to issues of food insecurity on the continent. « Meetings will be held to find agreements, and at the level of the AfDB, our approach will be guided by the results of these sessions, » she insisted.The Vice-President recalled that since the launch of the « Feed Africa » strategy, the multinational development financial institution and its partners have injected 7 billion US dollars, or about 4224 billion CFA francs and received 74 million farmers, in 6 years. “We must increase our finance so that the value chains can behave better. We are counting on political support to move forward from Dakar 2,” said Beth Dunford.
Alioune Ngouille Ndiaye, flanked during the meeting by his counterparts, Aly Saleh Diop and Pape Sagna Mbaye, respectively in charge of the departments of Livestock and Fisheries, returned to the objectives targeted through the summit. “Dakar 2 is therefore an action-oriented continental event, engaging African Heads of State and Government to mobilise resources from governments, technical and financial partners, the private sector and local communities to harness the agricultural potential and food of Africa, » made clear the Maersa, announcing the presence at the meeting of about twenty African Heads of State and Government.
“Eminent experts in various fields including agriculture, livestock, fishing, cooperation, finance will be here,” said Mr.Ndiaye, without forgetting, of course, the president of the AfDB (co-organising partner) as well as the Director General of FAO and countries such as Ireland and Serbia. The previous edition of the “Feed Africa” summit was held in 2015 in the Senegalese capital.
By Alioune Badara NDIAYE / abndiaye@lequotidien.sn
- Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH