23/07/2014 - NERICA, The New Rice for Africa
The African Development Bank's New Rice for Africa (NERICA) project received Development Impact Honors on Wednesday, July 23 from the US Treasury Department in an awards ceremony in Washington, DC.
The NERICA Dissemination Project increased domestic production and food security in seven West African countries, namely Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Mali and Sierra Leone. The project was selected from a pool of 29 submissions from various multilateral development banks (MDBs). It is the third consecutive year in which an African Development Bank project has won a US Treasury Award.
The US Treasury Department's Development Impact Honors awards promote the highest standards in development by recognizing outstanding projects undertaken by multilateral development banks. The program seeks to reward excellence in project design and implementation and to showcase the vital work MDBs carry out in communities, countries and regions to support the world's poorest people.
Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew delivered the opening remarks and African Development Bank Vice-President, Finance, Charles Boamah was on hand to accept the award. "A conservative estimate of the extent of NERICA production which began with 200,000 hectares now covers 800,000 hectares throughout Africa. The project benefitted 1,320 farmers groups, of which 1,056 were women's groups," said Boamah.
Last year, two AfDB projects were selected - Emerging from Conflict/Multisector Support Project in Côte d'Ivoire and the Community Agricultural Infrastructure Improvement Programme in rural Uganda - alongside initiatives financed by the Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and World Bank Group-Global Environment Facility.
