WORLD BANK GIVES ZAMBIA $2.3BN

By Paul Shalala-
The World Bank has provided 2.3 billion dollars to build resilience in food systems in Eastern and Southern African countries.

African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment JOSEFA SACKO says the investment by the Bretton Woods institution will help Eastern and Southern African countries fight climate change and produce enough food for their citizens.

Speaking during the official opening of the Africa Agricultural Policy Leadership Dialogue in Lusaka, Ms. SACKO said the investment will help countries start feeding themselves.

She said the war in Ukraine and the Coronavirus pandemic have left Africa vulnerable to external shocks on food security and there is need for countries to build resilience

Meanwhile, the World Bank has called on African countries to add value to agriculture products before they are exported.

World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa VICTORIA KWAKWA said most agriculture products leave the continent in raw form and this deprives people jobs.

Speaking during the ongoing Africa Agricultural Policy Leadership Dialogue in Lusaka, Ms. KWAKWA said Africa has the potential to feed itself and export to the world.

And President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA said there is need for governments and the private sector in Africa to work together and mobilize resources to operationalize and benefit from the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.

President HICHILEMA said Public-Private Partnership is the way to go and it will help in coming up with policies that will help the agriculture sector grow under the free trade area.

In a speech read for him by Finance Minister SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE during the official opening of the Africa Agricultural Policy Leadership Dialogue in Lusaka, President HICHILEMA said there is need to transition to more greener agricultural practices.

And Agriculture Minister REUBEN MTOLO noted the need for raising of productivity across Africa if food security is to be met.

The two day meeting has attracted two Vice Presidents from the World Bank, 28 Ministers of Finance and Agriculture from Africa and industry experts.

The post WORLD BANK GIVES ZAMBIA $2.3BN appeared first on .

WP2Social Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com