FAO Regional Office for Africa reiterates the will to partner with AfDB in enhancing shared growth and prosperity in Africa

Tribute to Donald Kaberuka’s actions for the African continent and welcoming President-Elect Akinwumi Adesina of Nigeria

Young farmers of Rwanda (Photo: @ FAO/Ny You)

29 May 2015, Accra, Ghana -- The FAO Regional Office for Africa joins the just concluded AfDB’s 50th Annual Meetings in paying tribute to outgoing President of the African Development Bank Group, Donald Kaberuka.

FAO and AfDB have been keen on sharing ways the two agencies can renew their partnership and find new technical areas where they can support each other's efforts in the coming years.

Last year, on the sidelines of FAO’s 28th Regional Conference for Africa in Tunis, when FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva met with the Bank President Donald Kaberuka, the points raised underscored the importance of managing land issues in view of large investments taking place in Africa; adequate water and marine resources management; addressing the needs of the pastoralist sector; and seeds improvements to all African countries, with special emphasis on the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa.

The existing cooperation between the two partners provides an expanded framework of cooperation and facilitates collaboration between the parties hereto in providing assistance to Regional Member Countries in investment-related activities and in other areas of cooperation in the agricultural sector having regard to the respective objectives and functions of the parties.

‘I trust that the Vision Statement by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, newly elected President of the African Development Bank will build on the tremendous progress achieved so far in promoting sustainable economic growth and reducing poverty in Africa’, said Mr. Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa.

‘ I would like to reconfirm our interest and commitment to work with the AfDB, Member Governments and other Partners in shared contributions to the transformation of African Agriculture and improvement in welfare, livelihoods and food security of African population’, he added.