Presentation by the Gambia at the meeting of the Senior Experts Group of the Global Alliance for Resilience (SEG-AGIR) 32nd RPCA annual meeting/32e réunion annuelle du RPCA 12-14 December 2016, Abuja, Nigeria

1. Regional Directorate Urban Agriculture (ReDUA)
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (DOA) Cape Point, Bakau
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
Phone (+ 220)9906740/7592330) email:
sagniaba@yahoo.com/shebajerreh@gmail.com
Report on the process of the National Resilience Priorities formulation in
the Gambia
Presented By: Sheriffo Bojang, Honourable Deputy Minister of Agriculture
Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of The Gambia.
ON The Occasion of the Food Crisis Prevention Meeting
On Behalf of the Hon. of Minister of Agriculture, the Gambia.
At 32nd
Annual The Food Crisis Prevention Network meeting At Abuja,
Nigeria
From 12th
to 16th
December, 2016

2. Chairperson, President, ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissioners, President SWAC/OECD,
Executive Secretary, CILSS, ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Agriculture, Environment
and Water Resources, UMEOA commissioner in charge of Agriculture, mining and
commissioners of ECOWAS, UEMOA,and European Union , respectful Ministers of
Agriculture, Minister in-charge of Agriculture and Environment and CILSS Coordinatng
minister, representative of UN agencies, national and international Non-Governmental
Organizations here present, organizing committee SWAC/OECD , distinguish guests ladies
and gentlemen.
During a high level consultative meeting held in Brussels on the 18th June 2012 on food
insecurity in the Sahel, political decision makers of Sahelian and West African countries as
well as their partners from the international community unanimously agreed upon the chronic
and structural nature of factors underlying food and nutrition crises which affect the resilience
of most vulnerable households and families in the Sahel and West Africa.
Chairperson,The Global Alliance for Resilience (AGIR) in the Sahel and West African was
launched on the 6th December 2012 in Ouagadougou through the adoption of a common
declaration namely the “Ouagadougou Declaration’’.
The Gambia like other countries in West Africa started the process together but had a set
back until in April, 2015 when the country began to live up to expectation, thanks to
effective supervision of the AGIR technical Unit of CILSS.
From then on the country recorded the following achievements:-
 Establishment of Stakeholders Dialogue Forum/Platform in May, 2015.
 Participation in the Methodological training for the conduct of Country Inclusive
Dialogue
 Inauguration of the Stakeholder Dialogue Forum /Multi Stakeholders Platfom
 Formulation of a road map
 Conduct induction training on Policy Analyses organized by the focal point and
National Consultant for thematic leaders.
 National Launching of Country Inclusive Dialogue for the Gambia.
 Step down training for thematic leaders and members of thematic group.
 Members of the Stakeholders Dialogue Forum were group into 4 working groups
base on specific objectives as follows;-

3. OBJECTIVE ONE (1) - Improve social protection
for the most vulnerable households and communities in order to secure
their livelihoods, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry
of health and Social Welfare , as lead institution.
OBJECTIVE TWO (2) - Strengthen the nutrition of vulnerable households,
National Nutrition Agency,
Office of the Vice President as lead Institution.
OBJECTIVE THREE (3) - Sustainably improve agricultural
and food production, the incomes of vulnerable households and their
access to food, Planning Service Unit, Ministry of Agriculture as lead institution
OBJECTIVE FOUR (4) Strengthen governance
in food and nutritional security,
National Disaster Management Agency,
Office of the President as lead Institution
The Ministry of Agriculture led mass sensitization and awareness by holding district, regional
and community levels which was shortly followed by the final validation of the draft National
Resilience Priorities on Saturday 20th August, 2016 upon adequately sharing and
receiving comments for a period for five (5) months. The total approximate budgets for the
implementation of the National Resilience Priorities are as follows:-
Approximate budget, Thirty five million three hundred and one thousand, one hundred and
six and twenty United States dollars (USD35, 301,106.20)
Funding already secured –Ten million five hundred and ninety thousand, three hundred and
thirty one and eighty United States dollars (USD 10,590,331.80) through ADB, IFAD,
World Bank funding in the Agriculture Land Development and watershed management
Project, Gambia Commercial of Agriculture Project(GCAV), Food and Agriculture Support
Development Project(FASDEP), Building Resilience Against Food And Nutrition Insecurity
In The Sahel(P2RS), Strengthening Climate Resilience of the National Agriculture Land and
Water Management Development Project.’Nema-chosso’

4. Funding gap:- Twenty four million seven hundred and ten thousand, seven hundred and
seventy four and forty United States dollars(USD24,710,774.40).
The report was submitted to the Government of the Gambia through The Focal Ministry and
indeed shared with the AGIR Coordinator , CILSS. September, 2016.
There were national workshops launching , inauguration of the Stakeholders Dialogue Forum/
National Steering Committee for AGIR thematic working session and National Validation.
Chairperson, I must thank all partners who contributed in getting us to this level, Special
commendation for the efforts of CILSS particularly the tremendous supervison and
monitoring role of AGIR technical unit under the dynamic leadership of Mr. Issa Martin
BIKIENGA.
Back home thanked to the Government of the Gambia for creating an enabling
environment, policies and strategies for rapid Agriculture transformation,
The development of National Resilience Priorities which culminates the restitution of follow
up to first Gambia National Investment Plan and the Agriculture and Resources Policies both
these national blue prints were key documents use as a reference materials for the formulation
of National Resilience Priorities for the Gambia. All major priorities were well captured
Before concluding Chairperson I wish to register satisfaction for the efforts by bi-lateral
partners FAO, UNDP, WFP , UNICEF.AAITG,and EU delegation to the Gambia for their
untiring support throughout the process. The FAO office premises had been the second office
of the AGIR focal point The Gambia.
With this few remarks chairperson
I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.