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Gulfood Green 2024

30 Apr 2024

$4 Trillion is New Annual Financial Target to Save Sustainable Development Goals, says African Development Bank’s Adesina

$4 Trillion is New Annual Financial Target to Save Sustainable Development Goals, says African Development Bank’s Adesina
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, April 29, 2024/APO Group/ -- 

Adesina delivers keynote address as Islamic Development Bank marks its 50th anniversary; Climate and health initiatives are of paramount importance. 

African Development Bank Group President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina has emphasized the critical need for significantly increased financing to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the Islamic Development Bank’s 50th anniversary celebrations in Riyadh, he highlighted a growing annual financial shortfall of $4 trillion, a gap that threatens to derail efforts to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

Adesina addressed a distinguished audience including high-level officials, financial leaders and private sector representatives gathered to mark the occasion. The session focused on assessing the financial strategies essential for advancing global development amidst a landscape marked by economic instability and escalating environmental challenges.

African Development Bank President said the current annual gap of $4 trillion, up from $2.5 trillion in 2015, has been propelled by recent global economic pressures and the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. He detailed the critical role of multilateral development banks in addressing these needs through increased collaboration and innovative financial solutions.

Strategic Response to Pressing Global Issues

Adesina also spotlighted the African Development Bank’s strategic High 5 program as a cornerstone for progress, as underscored by an independent analysis by the United Nations Development Program. The High 5s—namely; Light Up and Power Africa; Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and Improve the Quality of Life for the People of Africa—are not just ambitious goals but a strategic blueprint for the continent. Achieving these High 5s, he pointed out, would mean accomplishing nearly 90% of the Sustainable Development Goals for Africa.

In this regard, Adesina highlighted five core areas where immediate action and innovative funding are crucial: Climate change, food security, energy access, health security, and mobilizing more resources for SDGs.

Climate Change: The African Development Bank president Adesina described climate change as the most significant challenge to achieving the SDGs, detailing the devastation it brings to economies through droughts, floods, and cyclones. Africa is the worst affected region in the world, yet it receives the least in terms of climate financing. “Africa will need $277 billion per year to address climate change, yet it receives only $30 billion annually.” The African Development Bank, Adesina said, “has set a target to raise $25 billion for climate adaptation by 2025.”

Food Security: He also addressed the issue of volatile food prices exacerbated by geopolitical conflicts, supply disruptions and trade restrictive practices of some major food exporters. Adesina reiterated the African Development Bank’s commitment of $25 billion to support Africa become self-sufficient in food by 2030. He shared with the audience key successes in transforming agricultural productivity and food security across Africa. He mentioned the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, which has already delivered climate-resilient crop varieties of wheat, maize, and rice to 13 million farmers. Ethiopia, through the introduction of heat-tolerant wheat varieties provided by the TAAT program, has achieved self-sufficiency in wheat production within four years and has become a net exporter of wheat. He thanked the Islamic Development Bank for committing $7 billion during the Feed Africa summit held early last year by the African Development Bank, the African Union and the government of Senegal. The summit brought together 34 heads of state and government who developed country-led food and agricultural delivery compacts to achieve food security by 2030.

Energy Access: Highlighting the disparity in electricity access, where over 675 million people worldwide lack electricity with 80% of them in sub-Saharan Africa, he underscored the Bank’s efforts through the Desert-to-Power initiative. This project is developing 10,000 megawatts of solar power across the Sahel and will provide electricity access for 250 million people.

Health Security: With a significant gap in health services in Africa, Adesina advocated for increased investment in health infrastructure and local pharmaceutical capacities to prepare for future pandemics. He pointed to the current annual investment of $4.5 billion in health infrastructure as significantly insufficient when measured against the actual need of $25 billion. He emphasized the need for self-reliance in healthcare, particularly in preparation for future pandemics, citing the hard lessons that Africa learned from the Covid-19 pandemic. To counteract this, the African Development Bank Group has committed $3 billion towards quality health infrastructure and a further $3 billion for developing the pharmaceutical industry in Africa. This includes a substantial investment to facilitate the production of medicines and vaccines directly on the continent, bolstered by the creation of the Africa Pharmaceutical Technology Foundation, which aims to broaden access to vital technologies and intellectual property rights.

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