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mplementation of Agricultural Projects under the PA-PSGOUV: The African Development Bank (AfDB) Highlights Positive Impact on Beneficiaries’ Lives

mplementation of Agricultural Projects under the PA-PSGOUV: The African Development Bank (AfDB) Highlights Positive Impact on Beneficiaries’ Lives

The African Development Bank (AfDB), which funds the Government Social Program Support Project (PA-PSGOUV), has expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of agricultural projects that have positively impacted the lives of beneficiaries. This sentiment was conveyed by the AfDB's Vice President in charge of Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Dr. Beth Dunford, following her visit on Friday, January 24, 2025, to N'Douci, to see the semi-industrial cassava processing unit of the Sanata Group.

Dr. Beth Dunford led a large delegation, guided by the General Coordinator of the PSGOUV and PA-PSGOUV, Non Karna Coulibaly, who was accompanied by the Director of the Government Information and Communication Center (CICG), Awa Dosso. "I am very happy to see the results of the PA-PSGOUV. For example, we saw Mrs. Simone N'Guessan, who represents a cooperative of farmers growing cassava and delivering it to the Sanata Group. This woman has seen her income increase by 100%. This is a demonstrable impact. The project has a real effect on the lives of Ivorian farmers who now have better seeds, better materials for planting, and, most importantly, access to the market. Here we saw hundreds of women employed, able to do the work with a kind of mechanization to improve and add value to the cassava value chain and produce the beloved Attiéké of Côte d'Ivoire. It’s a large-scale impact, what we’ve seen here on behalf of the AfDB,” Dr. Dunford said with satisfaction.

During the visit, Dr. Beth Dunford and her delegation observed the expertise of all the actors involved in the value chain: the company that installed the factory, the 111 cassava producers linked to the Sanata Group, and the teams at the Sanata Group (peelers, cooks, dryers, and grinders). The AfDB Vice President emphasized that agriculture is a key driver of job creation and wealth. “I know this is a very large project, but what I’ve seen today is really focused on agriculture. Agriculture is important because it truly stimulates the economy. And above all, it provides employment opportunities for young people and women. This project really helps increase production capacity, marketing, and the ability to earn money,” she added.

Given the large-scale impact of the program, the AfDB representative noted that it holds great promise and could be expanded nationally. "That is why, last December, our Board of Governors approved the next phase of this project for $189 million to bring the PA-PSGOUV to phase 2 and reach more Ivorians, offering the same opportunity to transform agriculture and provide opportunities across the country," she said.

For Non Karna Coulibaly, the presence of such a high-level AfDB delegation is a clear sign that the project is progressing well and deserves to be continued. "The numbers are good because we’ve exceeded the 50% engagement rate. In this semi-industrial unit, we now have about twenty women who can meet certain needs that they couldn’t as stay-at-home mothers. Thanks to the AfDB and this semi-industrial unit for cassava processing into Attiéké, they now produce in one day what they used to produce in thirty days," he noted. He also highlighted that this project is a response to the fight against the high cost of living and a step toward the country’s food sovereignty and self-sufficiency.

According to Non Karna Coulibaly, the PA-PSGOUV, which is firmly focused on social development, is multisectoral in nature. On the water sector, it has funded the replacement of 2,200 human-powered pumps (PMH). In health, it has financed primary healthcare establishments. In the animal and fishery sectors, it has supported the establishment of poultry and fish farms. The second phase of the PSGOUV is also working on road maintenance, youth employment, and social protection.