Guinea and Guinea-Bissau secure $150 million aid and World Bank recommendations to boost agriculture

Guinea will receive a $150 million concessional financing package to develop its rural sector and expand higher education. The Saudi Fund for Development and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa approved $50 million for the second phase of the Integrated Rural Development Project, covering 26 prefectures with farmland development, 1,000 km of rural roads, 1,000 new wells, water mini‑grids and four bridges. BADEA will provide $100 million to double the capacity of the University Julius Nyerere in Kankan, modernising facilities and research capabilities.

Separately, the World Bank’s report on Guinea‑Bissau highlights that targeted agro‑logistics investments could generate up to $30 million in annual efficiency gains. Agriculture, accounting for 30‑50 % of GDP and supporting about 85 % of the population, suffers from low productivity, post‑harvest losses of 15‑25 % and high transport costs. The Bank recommends accelerating road rehabilitation, building secure storage, enhancing cold‑chain infrastructure and improving coordination among ministries to raise sector competitiveness and reduce rural poverty.