Abuja: The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has reaffirmed its commitment to revolutionising African agriculture, signing a significant agreement with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to fund the second phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) programme. This initiative, a cornerstone of the AfDB’s Feed Africa Strategy, aims to bolster food security by empowering smallholder farmers with cutting-edge agricultural technologies.
The ambitious TAAT programme seeks to double crop, livestock, and fish production across the continent, extending access to advanced farming techniques to over 40 million farmers. At the signing ceremony in Abuja, Dr Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Director-General for Nigeria, underscored the bank’s dedication to agricultural transformation, emphasising the importance of strategic partnerships, particularly with the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
“Transforming African agriculture to the magnitude and scale that is targeted in the Feed Africa Strategy also requires addressing complementary bottlenecks in agricultural supply chains, seed and fertiliser policies, and regulatory failures,” Dr Kamara stated. He highlighted the program’s regional approach, focusing on climate-resilient innovations to combat pests and diseases that threaten food production.
Building on the success of Phase I, which received $40 million in funding, Phase II has been granted an additional $27 million, with IITA leading implementation alongside CGIAR Centres and National Agricultural Research Institutions. Notably, a €5 million grant from Germany, channelled through the Transition Support Facility, will further amplify the programme’s impact.
Dr Simeon Ehui, Director-General of IITA and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, hailed the agreement as a pivotal moment in the collective effort to transform African agriculture. He praised the AfDB’s unwavering commitment and acknowledged the proven impact of TAAT in boosting productivity and improving livelihoods.
The TAAT programme is poised to play a crucial role in enabling African nations to achieve food self-sufficiency, providing smallholder farmers with access to high-yield seeds, advanced irrigation systems, and modern farming techniques. This investment signals a renewed focus on sustainable agricultural practices, vital for securing the continent’s future food supply.
