In spite of the involvement of African countries in the establishment of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) to promote agriculture and reduce poverty, only 11 countries have signed the CAADP Compacts.
The countries mostly members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are Burundi, Benin, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Togo and Rwanda.
The pact is in line with the African Union heads of state and government decision at their July Sirte Summit on “Investing in Agriculture for Economic Growth and Food Security’’.
According to African Union Commission’s (AUC) Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Mrs Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, many other countries were in the process of signing.
She told APA in Abuja that CAADP was aimed at accelerating agriculture development in Africa through the devotion of 10 percent of national budgets to agriculture and the pursuit of 6 percent yearly growth in the agriculture sector to eradicate poverty and hunger.
Tumusiime said ECOWAS would sign its regional compact back-to-back with “this meeting’’.
According to her, the AU Commission and NEPAD have made progress in articulating broader mechanisms for ensuring effective pillar institutions’ support to country round table process.
Tumusiime was speaking on the sidelines of the 5th Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Partnership platform which opened in Abuja with more than 50 African countries and donor agencies in attendance.
The meeting comes at the heels of the forthcoming three-day World Summit on Food Security scheduled in Rome 16-18 November where Africa hopes to table recommendations of the Abuja CAADP meeting for the world’s attention.
Source African Press Agency
