By Kebba Ansu Manneh
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs of The Gambia, Mambury Njie, disclosed that the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) spent over ninety three million dollars towards the cost of ten projects, in almost four decades, spanning from 1982 to date when the agency was established in the country.
The finance minister made the disclosure at the validation of the IFAD Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOP) at a local hotel in Banjul on Thursday, 29 November 2018, where he also disclosed that over one hundred and twenty-three million dollars ($123m) has been mobilized by The Gambia Government through co-financing with partners in a bit to alleviating poverty and enhancing food security.
As a long-time agricultural development partner of The Gambia, IFAD focuses on remote areas of the country with women, youth, rural and community-based infrastructure as priority areas.
“Since 1982, IFAD has financed 10 projects worth US 93 million and mobilized US123 million in co-financing with other development partners. This has undoubtedly contributed to poverty alleviation and drive towards food security,” Minister Njie revealed.
According to the Finance Minister, the Country Strategic Opportunities Program being validated is in line with The Gambia Government’s National Development Plan (NDP), adding that agriculture remains a key priority in the NDP which government allocated approximately 20 percent of budgetary allocation.
The finance minister indicated that the six years Country Strategic Opportunities Program (COSOP) will span from 2019-2024.
On her part as the IFAD country director in The Gambia, Ms. Haoua Sienta said, “the IFAD-supported program over the next six year will contribute in reducing rural poverty and enabling smallholders in poor priority areas to benefit from the rural transformation process.”
According to Ms. Haoua Sienta, IFAD looks forward to deepening its partnership with the Government of The Gambia, with a view to expanding and building on their areas of priority in rural communities especially women and youth, adding that women and youths cannot be left behind as far as agricultural development is concerned.
Lamin N. Dibba, the Minister of Agriculture, said the latest project is timely and coincides with The Gambia Government’s effort to accelerate the implementation of the National Development Plan [NDP], especially strategic priority on modernizing agriculture and fisheries for sustained economic growth, food and nutritional security and poverty reduction.
Minister Dibba disclosed that the UN Agencies in The Gambia are making interventions in the areas of sustainable and smart agriculture, youth and women especially the marginalized in rural areas. According to Minister Dibba, The Gambia Government will capitalize on the comparative advantage of such agencies.