AfDB to Partner with BUK in Achieving Food Security Using Technology

• AfDB President Adesina commits to partnering with BUK’s Center for Dryland Agriculture to achieve food security through technology
• Adesina impressed with the center’s work, pledges support in disseminating technology, modeling weather patterns, and assisting farmers facing climate change

Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), has pledged commitment to partnering with the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) at Bayero University Kano (BUK) in various areas to achieve food security through cutting-edge technology.

Adesina committed this Saturday evening during his visit to the center after being conferred with a Doctorate in Business Administration.

After touring the facility, the AfDB President stated, “I was very impressed with the work being done by the University in all areas, particularly the rigour with which they approach their work. I am delighted to be here at this center; they are doing fantastic work.

“The importance of this center lies in the fact that we live in an era of climate change, with only three per cent of agriculture under irrigation. Therefore, farmers need to be assisted and have access to technologies that enable them to produce crops and be resilient in the face of climate change.

“I am impressed with the work I saw here. The African Development Bank will engage with them in several ways. First, we will work with them to become a key center for disseminating technology such as water-efficient maize and heat-tolerant wheat varieties to farmers on a large scale.

“Secondly, we will collaborate with them to become a center for modeling work to predict weather patterns and provide that information to farmers for better planting decisions. Additionally, the Bank will support them through the Africa Disaster Insurance Facility program, which assists farmers in countries facing climate change.

“The third important area is the Agric Pitch initiative, where people can develop their business ideas and receive $120,000. The main objective is to adapt to climate change. We will support them to do more and provide additional resources to winners.

“I will ensure that this center receives priority from the Global Center on Adaptation, on whose board I sit alongside the former UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, because you are doing exactly what we want to see – supporting farmers in the face of climate change.”