UNIS/OUS/005
18 January 2010
UNIDO Welcomes Nigeria's Readiness to Host
Conference on Agribusiness and Agro-Industries
VIENNA, 18 January (UN Information Service) - UNIDO Director-General, Kandeh K. Yumkella, welcomed today the decision by the Government of Nigeria to host a high-level conference this year aimed at promoting the development of agribusiness and agro-industries in Africa.
The event in the capital, Abuja, from 8 to 10 March 2010 will bring together African Heads of State, Heads of Government, Ministers and senior policy makers, as well as representatives of financial institutions.
"I am grateful to the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for offering to host this conference," said Yumkella.
"It is time now for Africa to generate growth, become competitive, and take charge of its own future. Agriculture is one of the ways ordinary Africans can deliver food to their tables and money to their pockets. Agribusiness and agro-industries can create wealth, new jobs on the continent and shrink poverty. Agriculture advancement can help producers and companies go beyond local markets and secure a niche in the globalized world, and sustainable growth."
Participants at the conference are expected to discuss and endorse specific commitments to enhance the role of agribusiness and agro-industries in promoting food security, employment generation and sustainable economic growth in Africa.
The event is being organized by UNIDO, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the UN Economic Commission for Africa, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, in cooperation with the Government of Nigeria, the African Union and the African Development Bank.
"The Abuja conference can help develop regional and national strategies to support agribusiness and agro-industrial development within the scope of agricultural and economic development frameworks and financing mechanisms," added Yumkella.
"Giving a boost to agriculture in Africa is key for reducing hunger on the continent and achieving the Millennium Development Goals, seriously threatened by the global financial crisis and soaring food prices."
To visit the Conference website, go to http://www.hlcd-3a.org/
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For more information, contact:
Mikhail
Evstafyev
UNIDO Advocacy and Media Specialist
Telephone: (+43-1) 26026-5021
Mobile: (+43-650) 391-5278
Email: m.evstafyev@unido.org
Press release on UNIDO website: http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=7881&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=432&cHash=a4aac8f319
