The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has officially approved an $87 million grant to revitalize Sudan’s agricultural sector. This funding, released through the bank’s development fund, comes at a critical moment as the country faces severe challenges due to internal conflict, economic crisis, and climate volatility.
This grant serves as the primary funding source for an ambitious project titled “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security” (BOOST), which has a total cost of $100 million. The remaining $12.3 million will be covered through material and professional support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Women, and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CGIAR).
The BOOST project primarily focuses on key agricultural regions such as Blue Nile, Sennar, and Kassala. These regions are vital to the country’s food production and are currently hosting numerous citizens displaced from war zones.
The Bank’s focus on these areas is believed to help stabilize the production chain. The project’s primary activities include providing climate-resilient technologies where farmers will gain access to improved seeds and modern agricultural tools that withstand changing weather patterns.
Additionally, it involves infrastructure support, investing in local storage and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses. Economic capacity building is also a priority, with a significant budget allocated to women and youth, enabling them to launch agribusinesses supported by digital tools, vocational training, and access to finance.
The social impact of this project is expected to be significant, with more than 1.2 million people directly benefiting, including 232,000 farming households. By boosting domestic production, the plan aims to reduce Sudan’s high expenditure on food imports and create tens of thousands of jobs in rural areas.
David Mutusi Mutuku, the Bank’s representative in Sudan, stated”This investment means more than just food; it is about restoring people’s dignity and livelihoods. By helping farmers manage their lives and empowering youth to create their own businesses, we are laying the foundation for Sudan to stand on its own.”
The African Development Bank generated this funding from unutilized budgets of previously cancelled projects, allowing for a swift response to the country’s urgent humanitarian needs without bureaucratic delays.
