BUJUMBURA January 30th (ABP) – The President of the Republic of Burundi, Mr. Evariste Ndayishimiye, returned on Saturday, December 28, 2023, from Dakar in Senegal, where he took part in the work of the 2nd edition of the Dakar Summit on food in Africa.
In an interview with the press upon his arrival at Melchior Ndadaye International Airport, the Head of State said that “Africa must feed itself” is the theme chosen for that Summit. This theme, he noted, fits well with Burundi’s slogan which states that “Every mouth must have food and every pocket, money”.
The Head of State also indicated that during that summit, it was an opportunity to meet with the representatives of the various organizations which support Africa in terms of food, where they reiterated their commitment to fight hunger.
According to President Ndayishimiye, each Head of State also had the opportunity to present the current situation in his country while proposing possible solutions and immediate actions to be taken so that the famine is completely eradicated. According to him, it has been found that the African continent is fertile, and that if everyone works diligently, Africa would be the breadbasket of the whole world.
The President of the Republic indicated that he also had the opportunity to meet exclusively with representatives of organizations that support Burundi in the field of agricultural development, in particular that of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the representative of the World Bank (WB), that of IFAD but also and above all with other Heads of State who want to help Burundi in terms of agriculture.
With all those authorities, the Head of State indicated that he presented to them the master action plan that Burundi has set for agricultural development. To do this, two strategic places in agricultural matters called ‘agro-poles’ have been chosen, particularly in Cibitoke and Karusi provinces. He said that he has clearly demonstrated the challenges that the government of Burundi will face, in particular those related to climate change but also those related to the generalized shortage of chemical fertilizers due to the war in Ukraine. Following that bitter observation, it was noted that Africa currently has industries that produce chemical fertilizer, hence, they should be sufficiently equipped to no longer depend on elsewhere.
With the representative of the AfDB, he added, the discussions focused on the step already taken by Burundi, particularly in terms of development in general and in terms of human capital development in particular, and the challenges that Burundi faces. In terms of investment in human capital, the Head of State indicated that he has demonstrated that the government has already marked a step, especially by setting up the Youth Investment Bank (BIJE) and that of women. (BDF). Regarding development in general, the AfDB has agreed to finance the railway project to the tune of 3.6 billion US dollars. Regarding the challenges related to chemical fertilizers, that Bank has agreed to contribute by giving Burundi aid with chemical fertilizers, which will be used for a whole year. The President of the Republic also stressed that the AfDB has agreed to intervene in the investment of human capital by supporting the Youth Bank and the Women’s Bank.