Currently, Africa is not on track to meet the Malabo Declaration goals, but climate-smart agriculture presents a promising solution for resilience and food security. A new briefing paper by AUDA-NEPAD, in partnership with AICCRA, offers practical tools and recommendations for African countries to develop the necessary technical policies and investment conditions for sustainable agricultural development in the face of climate change.
This ambitious joint initiative, christened ‘Her Resilience, Our Planet,’ resonates with urgency and immense potential. Empowering women and youth, sectors often marred by inequality and underrepresentation paints a vivid picture of a more inclusive agricultural landscape poised to defy climate change’s harsh realities.
Partnering with Care Tanzania, WWF, SAGCOT, and other key stakeholders to address the unique challenges facing smallholder farmers, especially the women and youth, the initiative isn’t a one-size-fits-all response to climate change. Instead, it’s a comprehensive, locally tailored pathway to resilience, sustainability, and economic empowerment.
The implications of this collaboration extend beyond reaping climatic rewards. The infusion of funds will enhance Tanzania’s agricultural productivity and trigger a positive spiral of economic growth, poverty reduction, and food security. The project’s relevance to SAGCOT's linkages with the Ruaha Basin amplifies its regional impact.
By pioneering this innovative agricultural paradigm, both nations signal a broader global aspiration towards sustainable development. The collaborative spirit at the heart of this partnership inspires international alliances against climate change’s mounting challenges. It signifies an international commitment to harnessing the power of innovation for the common good, transcending traditional boundaries in search of new solutions.
As part of Canada’s commitment to a low-carbon future, a loan fund has been established through the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) to support the African Renewable Energy Initiative’s (AREI) objectives. The IFC lends Canadian funds on concessional terms alongside its commercial resources to private sector renewable energy projects, including solar, hydro, and biomass. This financing strategy aims to enhance energy access across Africa and mitigate climate change by tapping into the private sector’s investment potential, thereby mobilizing additional public and private capital. The overarching goal of AREI is to achieve at least 300 GW of new renewable energy capacity in Africa by 2030.
To date, the totality of Canada's $110 million has been committed to a pipeline of eligible investment opportunities. Two deals have already been closed. The first deal is a senior loan of up to $25 million to scale up clean energy production capacity in Gabon, resulting in the construction of the Kinguele Aval hydropower plant. This 35 MW hydropower plant will bring low-cost, clean power generation capacity to Libreville, Gabon's capital. It is projected to generate 203 GWh of electricity annually, constituting about nine percent of the country's current total output, enough to serve 32,000 customers while saving more than 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
The second deal involves a $10 million loan as part of a larger package to finance the expansion of solar power generation in off-grid areas of Nigeria. This project, with Daybreak Power Solutions Limited, is expected to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by over 32,000 tons of carbon dioxide per annum and decrease local air pollution. Additionally, the project commits the borrower to advance gender equality considerations through its involvement with the Canadian-funded IFC program "Energy2Equal," aiming to close gender gaps and increase women's participation in the renewable energy sector, particularly in leadership roles and technical positions.
