KIGALI, July 20, 2024 – The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa [ COMESA ] and AKADEMIYA2063 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding [MoU] to support evidence-based policy and program design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation [M&E] aimed at transforming agri-food systems in the COMESA region.
AKADEMIYA2063 Executive Chairperson, Dr. Ousmane Badiane and COMESA Secretary General, Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe signed the MoU on behalf of their respective organizations.
Under the partnership, the two organisations will bolster their collaboration in support of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme [CAADP] by strengthening technical and institutional capacities of COMESA Member States for review, dialogue, M&E, and mutual learning.
COMESA and AKADEMIYA2063 will leverage data, innovative research, and tools to promote food security and nutrition, address the effects of climate change, and enhance market competitiveness and agricultural trade in the region.
“AKADEMIYA2063 is eager to partner with COMESA in supporting agri-food system transformation in eastern and southern Africa through data, analytics, and capacity strengthening,” said Dr. Ousmane Badiane, AKADEMIYA2063’s Executive Chairperson. “Signing of the MoU formalises our ongoing collaboration in support of the CAADP implementation agenda and will expand it to new heights as we work together to tackle emerging topics of strategic importance to the region.”
Kapwepwe noted that data-driven decision-making for agri-food systems transformation is crucial for the COMESA region, particularly in the face of climate change. She cited the frequent droughts and floods that have severely impacted agricultural production, food security, and livelihoods in the Member States.
“This partnership between COMESA and AKADEMIYA2063 will contribute to efficient and effective development and implementation of the Regional Food Balance Sheet, a platform to provide real-time and forward-looking data to inform evidence-based food security and trade policies as well as business and investment decisions that can spur regional trade and investment in agri-food systems,” said the Secretary General.
Key components of the partnership framework include promoting mutual accountability in the COMESA region by supporting agriculture Joint Sector Reviews at the country and regional levels and the continental CAADP Biennial Review. It will also strengthen technical and institutional capacities of COMESA Member States for evidence-based policy planning, implementation, and M&E. Further, the two organizations will organize joint events at the country and regional levels and conduct joint fundraising for research, capacity building, and outreach.
COMESA is a Regional Economic Community established in 1994. It brings together 21 African Member States with a population of 640 million people into a cooperative framework for sustainable economic growth and prosperity through regional integration.
On the other hand, AKADEMIYA2063 AKADEMIYA2063 is a pan-African non-profit research organisation with headquarters in Kigali, Rwanda and a regional office in Dakar, Senegal. AKADEMIYA2063’s overall mission is to create, across Africa state-of-the-art technical capacities to support the efforts by the Member States of the African Union to achieve the key goals of Agenda 2063 of transforming national economies to boost economic growth and prosperity.
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