Invest more in agriculture, World Bank official

By John Semakula

World Bank expert has advised Uganda and other African countries to invest more in agriculture and manufacturing to eliminate persistent poverty on the continent.

Frank Byamugisha, a lead land specialist with the World Bank, said Africa has ignored agriculture in favour of natural resources, keeping the continent in extreme poverty. “Agriculture and manufacturing are labour-intensive and normally produce jobs but have not participated in the continent’s growth except in a few countries,” he said.

Byamugisha noted that the failure by the continent to prioritise agriculture has seen Africa register high growth rates in the last decade, which have failed to address poverty.

He noted that unlike the revenue from Agriculture that spreads to the poor, revenue from oil and minerals is usually spent on sectors that do not necessarily benefit the common man.

According to the World Bank, agriculture provides a livelihood to 70% of the population in Africa and that growth in the sector translates to a greater reduction in poverty than growth in other economic sectors.

Byamugisha’s remarks are contained in a keynote address he delivered at the International Federation of Surveyors working week in Nigeria.