Frank Byamugisha urges #uganda to invest more in agric

World Bank expert has advised Uganda and other
African countries to invest more in agriculture
and manufacturing to eliminate persistent poverty
on the continent.
Frank Byamugisha, a lead land specialist with the
World Bank, said Africa has ignored agriculture in
favour of natural resources, keeping the continent
in extreme poverty. "Agriculture and
manufacturing are labour-intensive and normally
produce jobs but have not participated in the
continent's growth except in a few countries," he
said.
Byamugisha noted that the failure by the
continent to prioritise agriculture has seen Africa
register high growth rates in the last decade,
which have failed to address poverty.
He noted that unlike the revenue from Agriculture
that spreads to the poor, revenue from oil and
minerals is usually spent on sectors that do not
necessarily benefit the common man.
According to the World Bank, agriculture
provides a livelihood to 70% of the population in
Africa and that growth in the sector translates to a
greater reduction in poverty than growth in other
economic sectors.
Byamugisha's remarks are contained in a keynote
address he delivered at the International
Federation of Surveyors working week in Nigeria.