Undersecretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Dr. Fatima Mohamed Ahmed Rahma welcomed the visit of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Country Director for Sudan, David Motoku, affirming the importance of the visit at a time when Sudan is working to rehabilitate the agricultural sector and restore its role in supporting the national economy and achieving food security. She made the remarks during a meeting held by the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation with the AfDB Country Director for Sudan on Thursday, attended by a number of directors of the Ministry’s general directorates and units. The meeting was held at the office of the Ministry Undersecretary as part of Motoku’s visit to Sudan from August 11 to 13, 2026. Dr. Fatima commended the active role played by the AfDB in supporting and financing a number of development projects in Sudan, stressing the importance of continued cooperation between the two sides, particularly in light of the growing need to rehabilitate the agricultural sector’s productive and infrastructure capacities. The meeting discussed areas of joint cooperation and the AfDB’s role in financing development projects in Sudan, with a focus on the agricultural sector as one of the vital sectors during the recovery and reconstruction phase. The AfDB Country Director affirmed the Bank’s interest in financing and supporting agricultural sector projects in Sudan, noting that the total financing provided by the Bank to the agricultural sector has amounted to approximately US$275 million, reflecting the sector’s importance within the Bank’s development interventions in Sudan. The meeting also reviewed priority areas that could receive financing during the next phase and discussed mechanisms for coordination between the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation, the AfDB and relevant institutions to identify priorities and direct resources toward the projects with the greatest impact. The two sides stressed the importance of strengthening institutional coordination and preparing priority projects in an integrated manner to ensure their swift implementation and maximize the benefits of available financing, particularly in agricultural production, agricultural infrastructure, support for small-scale producers, productivity enhancement and food security. The visit of the AfDB Country Director comes amid Sudan’s efforts to rehabilitate the agricultural sector, restore its productive capacity, strengthen its contribution to the national economy, create employment opportunities and improve livelihoods.BH/BH