by Ncaba Ntshakala
Prime Minister Russell Dlamini has jetted out on a diplomatic mission to represent His Majesty King Mswati III and the Kingdom of Eswatini at critical international engagements.
His first stop is the Republic of Botswana, where he will meet with President Duma Gideon Boko and the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane, to discuss regional matters of mutual interest.
After the Botswana visit, the Prime Minister will proceed to Kampala, Uganda, to participate in the Extraordinary Summit on the Post-Malabo Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
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Organized by the African Union Commission, the summit, scheduled from January 9 to 11, is hosted by the Ugandan government in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for African Development (AUDA-NEPAD).
The summit marks a pivotal moment in Africa’s agricultural transformation journey, as leaders address the challenges and opportunities in building resilient agri-food systems.
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), established in 2003, has been a cornerstone for improving food security, reducing poverty, generating employment, and driving economic growth while safeguarding environmental sustainability.
The program’s ambitious goals include achieving a 6% annual growth rate in the agricultural sector and ensuring that African Union member states allocate at least 10% of their budgets to agriculture.
The 2014 Malabo CAADP Declaration reaffirmed these commitments, setting targets to eradicate hunger, reduce malnutrition, triple intra-African trade, and enhance resilience in livelihoods and production systems by 2025.
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Despite these efforts, a recent review by the African Union Assembly revealed that the continent is not on track to meet the Malabo CAADP goals.
This has prompted the development of a post-Malabo agenda, which will be the central focus of the Kampala summit.
Leaders will consider the draft Ten-Year CAADP Strategy and Action Plan, along with the proposed Kampala Declaration, aimed at advancing inclusive agri-food system transformations for sustainable economic growth and shared prosperity.