…as Third biennial review training ends in Abidjan

By Jimoh Babatunde

A five day training of regional experts to support post third Biennial Review (BR) organized by the African Union ended Friday in Abidjan, Cotr D’Ivoire.

The Biennial agricultural review process involves the tracking, monitoring and reporting on implementation progress in-line with Malabo Declaration of 2014.

The Malabo Declaration among other things aims to foster alignment, harmonization and coordination among multi-sectorial efforts and multi-institutional platforms for peer-review, mutual learning and mutual accountability.

 It further strengthens national and regional institutional capacities for knowledge and data generation and management that support evidence-based planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation at all levels (national, sub-regional and continental) for the expected growth and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP) transformation.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the event that had eighty-five participants in attendance, the Head of Division, Agriculture and Food Security, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture , African Union, Dr. Simplice Fonkou, urged participants to use knowledge from the training to help strengthen regional and national institutional capacities for the expected growth and Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development (CAADP) transformation.

He said within CAADP implementation, “it is anticipated that national investments into policy practices will deepen national ownership of the agriculture and food policy agenda that will yield greater political and budgetary commitments and interest by public and private sector. “

He added that CAADP remains a priority for the Africa continent and that it should be coordinated from the country level for food sustainability.

Dr. Fontou added that based on the 3rd Biennial Review Report just released that there is need to accelerate the implementation of CAADP and for this to happen “we need to mainstream the Malabo commitment in our National Agricultural Investment and this can only be done if all stakeholders are involved in the process.”

While appreciating that it has been five days of learning, he said they want to see the results of the Biennial Review Report used to create awareness and used as advocacy tool to guide countries to integrate the Malabo Declaration into their Agricultural Investment plans.

Those that attended the training were drawn from the African Union Commission, African Union Development Agency – NEPAD, African Union – Inter-African Bureau on Animal Resources and Regional Economic Community staff.

Other participants include AK2063, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, International Food Policy Research Institute, Food and Agriculture Organization, BR Task Force leaders, technical working group leaders, regional technical experts, media, non-state actors and many others.