Africa Agriculture Status Report 2018: Catalyzing government capacity to drive agricultural transformation
The Africa Agriculture Status Report of 2018 (PDF) by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) focusses on the role of state capacity and political will in achieving agricultural transformation in Africa. The role of the state in driving agricultural transformation is widely acknowledged across the world. However, progress has generally been slow despite the willingness to do what is right. One of the key findings of this report is that African countries understand what should be done to trigger transformation, but are faced with capacity constraints that limit their ability to design and implement a transformative agenda. Moreover, limited published information exists to guide countries and their partners on how to strengthen their capacity for implementation. Furthermore, the report clarifies that implementing an agricultural transformation would occur in many places, not only across different ministries and government agencies, but also at many points within private sector. The report also addresses how to strengthen government capacity to implement agricultural projects. It emphasizes mutual accountability, recognizing that holding all stakeholders including governments accountable to the progress of implementation and delivery is central to agriculture sector performance. The report finalizes with priority areas of implementation to strengthen government capacity to drive the agricultural transformation. Where a government is committed to agricultural transformation foreign aid should be much larger than to governments which are not committed – this provides incentive for commitment. Effective implementation of agricultural development and transformation plans requires a wide range of institutions, staffed with trained personnel. Initially, there must be a central agency devoted to overseeing implementation.