Agriculture Funding in Africa Remains Grossly Inadequate – Eric Opoku
The Minister says many African countries are failing to meet the 10% budget allocation target for agriculture under continental agreements
- Eric Opoku says many African countries are failing to meet the 10% budget allocation target for agriculture
- He warns that underfunding is undermining poverty reduction and economic transformation efforts
- He urges parliaments to strengthen oversight and ensure greater investment in the sector
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has raised concern over the persistent failure of many African governments to meet their commitment of allocating at least 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture and rural development.
Speaking at the 4th Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family, Sovereignty and Values on Thursday, June 4, he said the shortfall in investment continues to undermine efforts to transform Africa’s economy and reduce poverty.
He referenced the Maputo Declaration of 2003 and the subsequent Kampala Declaration, under which African governments pledged to prioritise agriculture as a key driver of development.
According to him, despite these commitments, implementation remains weak across the continent.
“Evidence across the continent suggests that many countries are yet to fulfil this commitment. In some countries, agriculture receives less than one per cent of their national budget. Others allocate only two or three per cent, while some provide as little as 0.6 per cent,” he noted.
Eric Opoku described such levels of funding as insufficient for a sector that employs a significant portion of Africa’s workforce and remains central to food security and economic growth.
He urged Members of Parliament across Africa to strengthen oversight of public spending and ensure governments translate policy commitments into real budgetary allocations and measurable outcomes.
“Parliaments have a constitutional responsibility to exercise oversight over public expenditure and government policy implementation,” he said.
He added that legislators must scrutinise national budgets more closely and demand accountability where agricultural funding falls below agreed continental benchmarks.
