Sudan signs $83m deal with African Development Bank to boost agriculture and food security
May 29, Brazzaville— Sudan’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning signed an $83 million agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group on Friday to strengthen the resilience of agricultural and food systems in the country, on the sidelines of the bank’s annual meetings in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The project, approved on 22 April, aims to increase food production and availability, and create employment opportunities in agribusiness for women and youth. It will be implemented in Blue Nile, Sennar, and Kassala states — key agricultural zones that also host large numbers of internally displaced people. More than 1.2 million people are expected to benefit, including over 232,000 farming households, with tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs projected.
Finance Minister Jibril Ibrahim met AfDB Group President Dr Sidi Ould Tah on the sidelines of the meetings, where the two sides discussed support for Sudan’s reconstruction efforts, agricultural sector development, and food security. Ibrahim briefed the AfDB president on the economic and social fallout of the war, including damage to infrastructure and productive sectors — particularly electricity, education, health, and water — and called for the bank’s continued support for reconstruction and economic recovery.
Ould Tah reaffirmed the AfDB’s commitment to supporting Sudan, and said the bank was exploring ways to strengthen agricultural sector support using resources already allocated to Sudan, while accelerating the implementation of existing projects — particularly a wheat production project being carried out in partnership with the World Food Programme.
The bank said its financing draws on the reallocation of unspent funds from previously cancelled operations, allowing resources to be redirected toward urgent national priorities. New projects funded through this mechanism include a Port Sudan water project and a solar-powered irrigation pumps scheme.
The AfDB had separately approved an $87 million grant in late April to support food security and rural livelihoods in Sudan. The broader BOOST project is valued at approximately $100 million, with the African Development Fund — the bank’s concessional financing arm — contributing $87 million, and FAO, WFP, UN Women, and CIMMYT providing an additional $12.3 million in in-kind support.
Farmers under the project will receive improved seeds and climate-smart agricultural technologies, alongside better access to storage, processing, and markets to reduce post-harvest losses and improve household incomes.