A workshop to expand the International Fund for Agricultural Development program to include the states of Adrar and Tagant

The Governor of Adrar, Mr. Abdullah Ould Mohamed Mahmoud, this morning at the regional headquarters in Atar, alongside Mr. Marcelin Morfileus, Director of the Mauritania sector at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, inaugurated the activities of the consultative workshop aimed at expanding the geographical scope of the Mauritania-IFAD program operations to include the wilayas of Adrar and Tagant.

The strategy of the International Fund for Agricultural Development and its approach in Mauritania aims to achieve three objectives: enhancing food security, strengthening institutions, and developing consultations among various stakeholders in productive sectors.

It also aims to strengthen the economic and climate resilience of rural households by increasing productivity in the field of food security, restructuring value chains, and local governance, through improving food security, enhancing climate resilience, ensuring fair and inclusive access to markets, and strengthening the effectiveness of regional governance.

In his speech on this occasion, the governor emphasized that since 1980, the International Fund for Agricultural Development has invested more than 398 million dollars in Mauritania, which has directly contributed to improving the living conditions of more than 340,000 rural families.

He added that this workshop is taking place at a pivotal moment, as the new cooperation strategy between our country and the Fund for the period 2026-2033 was recently adopted.

He explained that this strategic approach will enable the expansion of the program to include the oasis areas in the wilayas of Adrar and Tagant in the fields of oasis development, improved water management, and support for economic models that align with our climatic and environmental realities.

He urged the participants to focus on leveraging these discussions to help design and envision a more comprehensive program that is better suited to the realities of our wilayas, characterized by a dry desert climate with limited rainfall and groundwater.

For his part, Mr. Marcelin Morfielos, Director of the Mauritania Sector at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, emphasized that the goal of this workshop is to strengthen the path of cooperation between the Fund and Mauritania, celebrating the new trajectory to extend the program’s scope to the wilayas of Adrar and Tagant.

He expressed the program’s commitment to cooperating with the Mauritanian government, praising the effectiveness of the interventions and the hopes pinned on them to serve the local population.

For her part, Mrs. Hayati bint Abouh, representing the Adrar region, confirmed that expanding the program’s operations to include the Adrar and Tagant regions is a significant step that will have a profound impact on improving the living conditions of the local population, especially in light of the climatic and economic challenges facing these two regions.

She added that this initiative comes at a time when there is an increasing need to support the capacities of farmers and rural actors, enhance food security, develop agricultural and pastoral value chains, and provide job opportunities for youth and women.

As for the Deputy Mayor of Atar Municipality, Mrs. Malika Bint Ababa, she praised the organization of this workshop, confirming that the choice of the region to host it reflects the great interest in achieving sustainable and inclusive agricultural development.
It is worth noting that the areas covered by the PROGRES project are the regions of Brakna, Gorgol, Guidimaka, and Assaba, as well as the Western and Eastern Basins, in addition to the expansion areas that include the regions of Adrar and Tagant