Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, 26 June 2014: African leaders attending the 23rd Assembly of AU Heads of State and Government in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea have been unanimous on the strategies needed to step up agricultural transformation to promote the continent’s development.

Championing the call was African Union Commission Chairperson, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma who spelt out strategic directions including increased public-private investment and partnership; embarking on irrigation projects, increased access to land and agricultural inputs, and applied science and technology to modernize farming as critical orientations to transform agriculture.

Remaining focused on the AU 2014 annual theme of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Dlamini Zuma reiterated the call for agriculture to be made attractive to the continent’s youth, especially through specialized training in agriculture and agro-processing in what she described as the “skills revolution”.

To enable agricultural transformation to flourish, the environment must be conducive: “We need conditions of peace and stability, and for our people not to be under threat from armed gangs, terrorists and human and arms traffickers and from poachers,” the Chairperson said. She called on stakeholders to work toward peace and stability to “create conditions for our people to return home without fear, to plow their fields and to rebuild their lives.”

Addressing the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, H.E Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, Chairperson of the African Union, and President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania said, “as we commemorate the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP)’s 10th Year Anniversary, we appreciate comprehensive dialogue which paves the way to developmental efforts and contributes to the eradication of hunger by 2015.’’
He noted that while Africa had achieved numerous positive results in terms of economic growth, there was still need to fast-track economic growth, industrial development and investment and tackle the challenges impeding the acceleration of CAADP implementation.
President Aziz commended efforts such as the Africa 50 Fund and the Africa Agenda 2063, working towards the betterment of the continent. In addition, President Aziz, called for more concerted efforts regarding the operations of the “African Mechanism for Peace and Security” noting that terrorism and extremism are threats to African economies.
Also speaking at the opening ceremony, H.E Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, reiterated the call for an absolute transformation of agriculture, a sector which, accounts for one third of Africa’s GDP and employs about 60 percent of the labour force.

President Mbasogo further called for the intensification of investments into priority sectors that would translate into an improved agricultural structure, that would include among others, advanced research and industrialization. He called for the strengthening of the Peace and Security Council and condemned the recent acts of terrorism and conflicts that have rocked some countries.

EAT/JEE/CJ/WZM
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