GoL Must Meet the AU 10% Funding Benchmark for the Ministry of Agriculture

In my doctoral dissertation, I argue and recommend that the African Union “(AU) should focus on agricultural productivity, value addition and provision of safe drinking water to address the extreme hunger, malnutrition, water , hunger, and poverty issues on the continent” (Kaydor, 2024, p.1). The Republic of Liberia, Africa’s first independent Republic, has about 5.2 million citizens (LISGIS, 2023), the country suffers from hunger and malnutrition after 177 years of independence. The Liberia Agriculture Census (2024) was recently conducted using digital technology for the first time. The census covered all Agriculture-related activities such as crop production, livestock rearing, forestry, poultry, and Aqua Culture (LIGIS, 2023). Quality data in the agricultural sector is vital for informing effective public policy making and accelerating efforts toward sustainable development within Liberia.

The agriculture sector is the primary livelihood of about 40 percent of Liberia’s population (World Bank, 2021). It accounts for about 36 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (World Bank, 2022). This sector not only provides income for a large portion of households engaged in rice, cassava, rubber, oil palm, cocoa, sugarcane production among others, but also it is a key to addressing the pressing food security and nutrition challenge in the country where nearly 40% of the population suffers from undernutrition or malnutrition as of 2022 (The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2023). The 50x2030 Initiative as it is named, seeks to close the Agricultural Data Gap and it is a multi-agency partnership amongst the World Bank, FAO, and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for data smart agriculture to strengthen national agricultural data systems in fifty countries by year 2030. The program assists countries to produce agricultural survey data necessary to monitor international, regional and or national data (Agenda 2063; CAAD, 2003). The GoL officially launched the 50x2030 Initiative in May 2023 in partnership with FAO, World Bank, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) among others.

The current Liberian Government led by H.E. President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has Agriculture as one of its national development priorities. The campaign mantra  that brought the government to power, The ARREST Agenda, has an “A” that stands for Agriculture at the beginning. In a country where about 40 percent of the population lives on agriculture, there is no doubt that the government needs to invest in the sector to be able to address the acute unemployment question and spur an inclusive economic growth in the country. Agricultural revolution needs to be taken seriously and quantum investment needs to be done in the sector led by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). However,  the 2024 budget for the Agriculture Sector in Liberia is US$8.83million that is 1.2%. This falls short of the requirement of the African/Union’s requirement as enshrined in the “Maputo Declaration” developed in 2003. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) servs as the framework for action for agricultural transformation across Africa since 2003. As an AU initiative, CAADP supports member states in increasing investment and productivity in the agricultural sector. The aim is to achieve agricultural growth rates of more than 6 per cent as a means of promoting food security and economic development.

The AU commits to Transforming African Agriculture by 2025. This timeline coincides with Liberia’s new budget cycle for 2025. The CAADP is an Agenda 2063 continental initiative that aims to help African countries eliminate hunger and reduce poverty by raising economic growth through agriculture-led development. Through the CAADP, African governments agreed to allocate at least 10% of national budgets to agriculture and rural development, and to achieve agricultural growth rates of at least 6% per annum. Underlying these investment commitments are targets for reducing poverty and malnutrition, increasing productivity and farm incomes, and improving the sustainability of agricultural production and use of natural resources. It also supports countries to enhance resilience to climate variability through development of disaster preparedness policies and strategies, early warning response systems and social safety nets.

Some national policymakers have argued that Liberia has several actors in the agricultural sector and that the AU requirement should not only apply to the MoA. Even with such argument, the Agriculture Sector is 1.2% of the original National budget (MFDP, 2024, P.XV). However, the AU requirement is specific. It applies to Agriculture Ministries on the continent. If the government wants to argue that donors are many in this sector, it must allocate at least 10% to the Agriculture Sector in the National Budget. Now that the GoL is about to begin the official formulation of its 2025 National Budget by the National Legislature in November after the submission of the draft at the end of October 2024 by MFPD, it is expected that the Boakai led Government will allocate not less than 10 percent of the national budget to the Ministry of Agriculture specifically as required by the African Union or simply allocate 10% of the budget to Agriculture Sector in general.

President Boakai, though is not an agriculturist, spent most part of his life and career in the agricultural sector. Therefore, It is no surprise that Agriculture became the first letter in his ARREST Agenda. While donors continue to heavily invest in this sector, the  government needs to match such support and harness same with national budgetary allocation. This investment in Agriculture could ensure food sufficiency in Liberia, a country with a suitable climate and soil for agriculture. Donors could scale down their support  at any time, but the Government needs to take full ownership of this sector. The 2024 National Agricultural Development Plan (NADP) developed by the MoA is a welcomed initiative, though it excludes other sectors like sugarcane. According to that Plan, Liberia needs not less than US$717. Million for the Ministry to meet government’s desired target in the agricultural sector over its six years governance period.

AS I SEE IT, the Government of Liberia  must allocate a minimum of 10 Per cent of its national budget to the Ministry of Agriculture and or the Agriculture Sector to meet the African Union requirement. There is no need for excuses as the time is now.

About the Author: Prof. Tom Kaydor, Jr. holds a PhD from the Department of Government and European Studies, the New University, Republic of Slovenia where he researched International Development and Diplomacy (with Security Aspects). His dissertation topic was ‘Reconceptualizing Africa’s Regional Integration for Peace and Sustainable Development.’ He earned his second master’s degree as a Master of Public Policy (MPP) specialized in Development Policy or Development Economics with Distinction from the Crawford School of Economics and Government (now the Crawford School of Public Policy), Australian National University, Canberra, Australia on 17 December 2014. He obtained his first master’s degree as Master of Arts (MA) in International Relations (Highest Distinction) in 2009 and Bachelor of Arts (BA) Magna Cum Laude in Political Science in 2003 from the University of Liberia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor at the IBB Graduate School of International Studies. He also holds a Diploma in Leading Economic Growth from the Kennedy Graduate School, Harvard University, USA; and he holds other diplomas and certificates in professional fields. Prof. Kaydor is equally an Adjunct Professor of Development Studies at the AME University Graduate School. Dr. Kaydor is an evidence-based researcher and a published author. One can reach him via (kaydorth@ul.edu.lr or +231777027180/+231555266613).