Regional Directorate Urban Agriculture (ReDUA)

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DOA) Cape Point, Bakau

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE

Phone (+ 220)9906740/7592330) email:

sagniaba@yahoo.com/shebajerreh@gmail.com

Report on the process of the National Resilience Priorities formulation in

the Gambia

Presented By: Sheriffo Bojang, Honourable Deputy Minister of Agriculture

Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of The Gambia.

ON The Occasion of the Food Crisis Prevention Meeting

On Behalf of the Hon. of Minister of Agriculture, the Gambia.

At 32nd

Annual The Food Crisis Prevention Network meeting At Abuja,

Nigeria

From 12th

to 16th

December, 2016

Chairperson, President, ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissioners, President SWAC/OECD,

Executive Secretary, CILSS, ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Environment

and Water Resources, UMEOA commissioner in charge of Agriculture, mining and

commissioners of ECOWAS, UEMOA,and European Union , respectful Ministers of

Agriculture, Minister in-charge of Agriculture and Environment and CILSS Coordinatng

minister, representative of UN agencies, national and international Non-Governmental

Organizations here present, organizing committee SWAC/OECD , distinguish guests ladies

and gentlemen.

During a high level consultative meeting held in Brussels on the 18th June 2012 on food

insecurity in the Sahel, political decision makers of Sahelian and West African countries as

well as their partners from the international community unanimously agreed upon the chronic

and structural nature of factors underlying food and nutrition crises which affect the resilience

of most vulnerable households and families in the Sahel and West Africa.

Chairperson,The Global Alliance for Resilience (AGIR) in the Sahel and West African was

launched on the 6th December 2012 in Ouagadougou through the adoption of a common

declaration namely the “Ouagadougou Declaration’’.

The Gambia like other countries in West Africa started the process together but had a set

back until in April, 2015 when the country began to live up to expectation, thanks to

effective supervision of the AGIR technical Unit of CILSS.

From then on the country recorded the following achievements:-

Establishment of Stakeholders Dialogue Forum/Platform in May, 2015.

Participation in the Methodological training for the conduct of Country Inclusive

Dialogue

Inauguration of the Stakeholder Dialogue Forum /Multi Stakeholders Platfom

Formulation of a road map

Conduct induction training on Policy Analyses organized by the focal point and

National Consultant for thematic leaders.

National Launching of Country Inclusive Dialogue for the Gambia.

Step down training for thematic leaders and members of thematic group.

Members of the Stakeholders Dialogue Forum were group into 4 working groups

base on specific objectives as follows;-

OBJECTIVE ONE (1) - Improve social protection

for the most vulnerable households and communities in order to secure

their livelihoods, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry

of health and Social Welfare , as lead institution.

OBJECTIVE TWO (2) - Strengthen the nutrition of vulnerable households,

National Nutrition Agency,

Office of the Vice President as lead Institution.

OBJECTIVE THREE (3) - Sustainably improve agricultural

and food production, the incomes of vulnerable households and their

access to food, Planning Service Unit, Ministry of Agriculture as lead institution

OBJECTIVE FOUR (4) Strengthen governance

in food and nutritional security,

National Disaster Management Agency,

Office of the President as lead Institution

The Ministry of Agriculture led mass sensitization and awareness by holding district, regional

and community levels which was shortly followed by the final validation of the draft National

Resilience Priorities on Saturday 20th August, 2016 upon adequately sharing and

receiving comments for a period for five (5) months. The total approximate budgets for the

implementation of the National Resilience Priorities are as follows:-

Approximate budget, Thirty five million three hundred and one thousand, one hundred and

six and twenty United States dollars (USD35, 301,106.20)

Funding already secured –Ten million five hundred and ninety thousand, three hundred and

thirty one and eighty United States dollars (USD 10,590,331.80) through ADB, IFAD,

World Bank funding in the Agriculture Land Development and watershed management

Project, Gambia Commercial of Agriculture Project(GCAV), Food and Agriculture Support

Development Project(FASDEP), Building Resilience Against Food And Nutrition Insecurity

In The Sahel(P2RS), Strengthening Climate Resilience of the National Agriculture Land and

Water Management Development Project.’Nema-chosso’

Funding gap:- Twenty four million seven hundred and ten thousand, seven hundred and

seventy four and forty United States dollars(USD24,710,774.40).

The report was submitted to the Government of the Gambia through The Focal Ministry and

indeed shared with the AGIR Coordinator , CILSS. September, 2016.

There were national workshops launching , inauguration of the Stakeholders Dialogue Forum/

National Steering Committee for AGIR thematic working session and National Validation.

Chairperson, I must thank all partners who contributed in getting us to this level, Special

commendation for the efforts of CILSS particularly the tremendous supervison and

monitoring role of AGIR technical unit under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Issa Martin

BIKIENGA.

Back home thanked to the Government of the Gambia for creating an enabling

environment, policies and strategies for rapid Agriculture transformation,

The development of National Resilience Priorities which culminates the restitution of follow

up to first Gambia National Investment Plan and the Agriculture and Resources Policies both

these national blue prints were key documents use as a reference materials for the formulation

of National Resilience Priorities for the Gambia. All major priorities were well captured

Before concluding Chairperson I wish to register satisfaction for the efforts by bi-lateral

partners FAO, UNDP, WFP , UNICEF.AAITG,and EU delegation to the Gambia for their

untiring support throughout the process. The FAO office premises had been the second office

of the AGIR focal point The Gambia.

With this few remarks chairperson

I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.