H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, Former Ethiopian Prime Ministe. Photo courtesy.
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), a pan-African institution has appointed Former Ethiopian Prime Minister H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn to the Board of Directors as part of its commintment in working with governments, public and private sector stakeholders and other partners to increase the incomes and improve the food security of millions of smallholder farmers across Africa.
H.E. Hailemariam served as the 2nd Executive Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 2012 to 2018 and is credited with sustaining the country’s rapid and double-digit economic growth during his tenure off the back of a thriving agricultural sector. He also served as the Chairperson of the African Uinon from 2013 to 2014 and was appointed AU’s champion of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), a continental leadership role in which he led by example and then called on other African leaders to make policies and strategies with the aim to end hunger on the continent by 2025.
Commenting on his appointment to the AGRA Board, H.E. Hailemariam states: “I am delighted to be joining AGRA, an organization that has a mandate to transform African agriculture by helping African farmers become successful and practice sustainable agriculture. I strongly believe that African countries and partners can accelerate the implementation of the AU Malabo Declaration to ensure that food is available, accessible and affordable.”
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Strive Masiyiwa, AGRA Board Chair, congratulated H.E. Hailemariam on his appointment noting that AGRA will benefit greatly from his extensive knowledge of how to build a thriving agricultural economy. Mr. Masiyiwa notes: “AGRA is extremely fortunate to have such an accomplished and renowned addition to our Board. H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn has helped transform agriculture in Ethiopia especially for smallholder farmers focusing on building skills and access to finance, as a way of driving the country towards a sustainable future. As AGRA supports government leaders to advance their national agricultural visions at scale, his experience as Prime Minister of Ethiopia championing the need for home-grown solutions to transform Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness will prove invaluable.”
H.E. Prime Minister Desalegn’s first engagement as an AGRA Board member was at the 2018 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), September 5-8 in Kigali, Rwanda, where he joined with H.E. President Paul Kagame and other continental and global leaders to put a spotlight on the type of leadership required to drive agricultural transformation. See the Kigali Communiqué for decisions and commitments from the Forum.
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The AGRA Board, chaired by Mr. Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman Econet Group, composes of leaders from Africa and the globe drawn from the public and the private sector with a passion for transforming the lives of the majority of Africans living in rural areas.
Other distinguished personalities that have recently joined the AGRA Board include Ms. Hixonia Nyasulu, distinguished South African businesswoman who is the current Executive Chair of Ayavuna Women’s Investments, a company whose objective is to acquire quality assets for the economic empowerment of women, and Ms. Cristina Duarte, former Minister of Finance, Planning and Public Administration, Cape Verde. See our website for the complete list of our Board members.
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