Uganda’s Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja officially opened the African Union Extraordinary Assembly of Ministers of Agriculture, urging African leaders to prioritize self-reliance, innovation, and climate resilience in agriculture. The assembly marked a pivotal moment with the adoption of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035, now called the Kampala CAADP Agenda.
In her address, Nabbanja highlighted Africa’s potential to become self-sufficient in food production, leveraging its vast natural resources and 65% of the world’s remaining uncultivated arable land. She criticized the continent’s reliance on food imports, which reached $100 billion in 2021, calling it “a shame for a continent so richly blessed.”
“Why should a continent so richly blessed with natural resources depend on others to feed itself? We must take decisive action to change this narrative,” she stated.
The Kampala CAADP Agenda is the third ten-year strategy designed to achieve the goals of the 2003 Maputo Declaration and Agenda 2063. Nabbanja underscored the need for urgent reforms, citing the 2023 biennial review, which revealed Africa’s slow progress in meeting its agricultural targets.
To transform the sector, the Prime Minister proposed key measures:
- Policy Reforms to enhance food security and nutrition.
- Investment in Research for improved seeds and livestock.
- Mechanization and Irrigation to mitigate climate change impacts.
- Elimination of Trade Barriers to strengthen regional trade.
- Value Addition to agricultural products to boost export revenue.
“We must take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area and stop exporting raw materials. Why not export finished and branded products from Africa?” she challenged.
The Prime Minister called for collaboration across national, regional, and continental levels to implement the Kampala CAADP Agenda effectively.
“Let us work together in a complementary way to deliver the Africa we want,” she concluded.
The assembly aims to deliver actionable strategies for reducing food imports, building climate-resilient systems, and unlocking Africa’s agricultural potential. Outcomes will be presented to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government for final approval.
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