[ad_1]
The World Bank this week signed an agreement with the Government of Ethiopia to grant the East African country 80 million dollars.
The agreement was signed between the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and the World Bank on September 23, 2020 with the aim of supporting the completion of the projects started during the second phase of the Agricultural Growth Program (AGP II). Grant funding supports the second phase of the Government’s flagship Agricultural Growth Program, which aims to empower small farmers by creating job opportunities, generating additional income, building a value chain to improve their livelihoods and nutritional status through market access, irrigation and other infrastructure.
During the signing in Addis Ababa, it is indicated that the grant will be used to finance the completion of the small-scale irrigation development and agricultural marketing and value chain development plans already initiated.
The Financing Agreement was signed by HE Ahmed Shide, Minister, Ministry of Finance and Mr. Ousmane Dione, World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan, on behalf of the Government of Ethiopia and the World Bank , respectively.
At the signing ceremony, HE Ahmed Shide declared that the World Bank has played an indispensable role in reducing poverty and improving the living standards of Ethiopians. He also added that the Bank supports increased agricultural productivity, improves market performance, and facilitates value addition and commercialization of smallholder projects.
Mr. Ousmane, World Bank Country Director for Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan and South Sudan, for his part said that the World Bank likes and believes to support the country’s agricultural development to allow the creation of employment opportunities, the generation of income and the construction of value chains as the drivers of development.
