Agriculture funding in Africa remains grossly inadequate – Eric Opoku

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has expressed concern over the failure of many African governments to fulfil their commitment to allocate at least 10 per cent of their annual national budgets to agriculture and rural development as a means of accelerating economic transformation across the continent. Speaking at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values on Thursday, June 4, Eric Opoku noted that some African countries dedicate less than one per cent of their national budgets to the agricultural sector, describing the situation as grossly inadequate to effectively combat poverty and drive sustainable development. “Through the Maputo Declaration of 2003, I reaffirmed them under the Kampala Declaration. Under these frameworks, our governments pledged to allocate at least 10 per cent of their national budget to agriculture and rural development as a means of unlocking the continent’s vast agricultural potential and accelerating economic transformation. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story. “Evidence across the continent suggests that many countries are yet to fulfil this commitment. In some countries, agriculture receives less than one per cent of their national budget. “Others allocate only two or three per cent, while some provide as little as 0.6 per cent. Such levels of investment are grossly inadequate for a sector that employs the majority of Africa’s workforce,” he said. He urged his colleague MPs to hold the executive accountable and ensure that their promises made to African citizens are translated into concrete budgetary commitments and measurable outcomes. “Parliaments have a constitutional responsibility to exercise oversight over public expenditure and government policy implementation. They must hold the executive accountable and ensure that their promises made to African citizens are translated into concrete budgetary commitments and measurable outcomes. “Parliamentarians must demand answers when agricultural allocations fall below agreed continental targets. They must scrutinise budgets, monitor implementation, and insist that agriculture receives the attention and resources necessary to drive national development,” he said.