The President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) Adinwari Adasina has predicted that African countries are projected to spend over one billion five hundred million United States dollars (US$1.5B) to import food by 2025 and urged for strategic solutions and assured the Bank is committed assistance to find solution to these challenges.
In Marrakesh, Morocco recently, the President of Sierra Leone Dr. Julius Maada Bio whilst speaking on these predicted challenges urged donor nations and banks to assist in raising eight hundred million United States dollar (US$800M) to boost the “Feed Salone” initiative aimed at developing the agricultural sector to achieve food sufficiency which will create an enabling environment for Sierra Leone to export its products for commercial purposes.
During that event, President Bio held a closed door talks with the AfDB President which was seen as a step forward to boost the financial support for the implementation of the project.
AfDB reports of a US$8 billion investment in agricultural development over the past seven years which benefited over 250 million people in the African continent. The Bank has also spent US$1.5 billion on emergency food productions, supporting 36 African countries. The AFDB and partners have also launched US$3 billion alliance for special Agro Industrial processing zones in 11 countries.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Henry Musa Kaikai who, before his appointment was technical adviser to the ministry, from 2018-2022, the government loaned US$ 10 million to farmers and gained US$ 200 million. He said already US$140 million is already saved. This means, the government has an estimated income of US$ 340 million stored for commencement.
Agricultural expert says taking into consideration Sierra Leone’s nearly eight million inhabitants 740,000 farmers have registered with the Association.
Experts say from the support manifested by the AfDB for the Feed Salone” project coupled with others yet to come on board, Sierra Leone’s “Feed Salone” project stands to be achieved if only government could lay great emphasis on the disbursement of funds and the rigid monitoring that may follow.