Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Director General at the National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has called for a collective effort to diversify South Sudan’s economy by investing in agriculture alongside oil production.
Dr. George Leju Lugor, who heads the Directorate of Agricultural Production and Extension Services, made the remarks following the release of a report by the African Development Bank on the economic status of South Sudan
The Cairo-based bank projected that the country’s Gross Domestic Product will growth by 12.1 percent in 2026, depending on stability in Sudan, which provides the pipeline for exporting South Sudan’s oil.
Dr. Lugor said that South Sudan should not rely solely on oil but instead enhance domestic production and strengthen the agricultural economy to keep pace with regional development.
“And number three is the need of diversifying the economy beyond oil. We should really be focussing our attention on natural resources besides oil. So as to better our country economy,” he said.
The official noted that the country’s economy has been left vulnerable to inflations and currency devaluation due to heavy reliance on oil exports which have been frequently disrupted regional crises including wars and drop in oil prices in the global market.
“The oil production has gone down. Inflation has risen up by 65.6% from 2023 as for 2023 which was 22%. We are deteriorating, ladies and gentlemen,” he decried.
According to the report, South Sudan remains one of the most natural resource-dependent economies on the continent, with oil accounting for over 50 percent of GDP, about 80 percent of exports, and more than 90 percent of government revenue.
This heavy reliance on oil has hampered efforts to diversify the economy and expand the tax base.
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