The African Development Bank (AFDB) and the West African United States Economic Commission (CECEAS) offered an important step towards food security in West Africa with the signing of a memorandum of understanding for a subsidy of $ 11.78 million. The initiative aims to improve the regional rice production, to reduce dependence on expensive imports and to strengthen food security in the region. This subsidy is also supported by a co -financing commitment of $ 1.18 million from the ECOWAS Commission.
The funding, approved by the AFDB board of directors, on November 20, 2024, will finance the regional development channel development program in West Africa (Reward-Ecowas). The agreement was signed on March 10 at the headquarters of the Ceceas Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, by the president of the Ceceas commission, Dr. Aliu Omar Touray, and the director general of AFDB for Nigeria, Dr Abdul Kamara. This collaboration underlines the common commitment of institutions to increase agricultural productivity and to strengthen regional food systems.
Meet the challenges of rice production in West Africa
Rice is a staple food for millions in West Africa and a critical component of food security and economic stability. Despite the region’s agricultural potential, West Africa remains strongly dependent on rice imports, which exert financial pressure on economies and disrupt local food systems. With the demand for rice which should increase sharply in the years to come, strengthening interior production has become a strategic necessity.
West Africa currently produces around 14 million metric tonnes of ground rice per year, while demand exceeds 22 million metric tonnes. This difference leads to significant imports, which costs the region around $ 3.5 billion per year. The Reward-Ecowas project seeks to fill this gap by improving the competitiveness and sustainability of the regional rice sector.
Key objectives and implementation
Over the next five years, the Reward-Ecowas initiative will focus on:
- Support political reforms to facilitate best agricultural practices.
- Improved regulation and availability of high -quality agricultural inputs.
- Improvement of regional digital surveillance systems to optimize the production and distribution of rice.
The project will be led by the Ceceas Commission Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, in partnership with the Ecowas Rice Observatory. This regional collaboration is aligned on the regional Rice Room leaf Ceceas (2025-2035) and the action plan for the Ecowas Rice Observatory, which aims to transform the West African rice sector.
Reinforcement of food security and economic resilience
During the signature ceremony, Dr. Kamara of AFDB underlined the dedication of the bank to promote food security and economic resilience in the region.
“The Reward-Ecowas project is a major step towards reducing the dependence on West Africa with regard to rice imports, the increase in local food production and the attenuation of the region’s vulnerability to global market fluctuations. This initiative will benefit the 15 CECEAS member states, including Nigeria, “said Kamara.
The president of the CEWAS Commission, Touray, underlined the urgency of the implementation of the project quickly, given its strategic importance for regional stability.
“Food security is inextricably linked to peace and stability. The award project is aligned with our “4×4 strategy”, which focuses on regional peace and security, more in -depth economic integration, good governance and inclusive sustainable development, “said Touray.
A path to agricultural transformation
The Reward-Ecowas project is one of AFDB’s wider efforts to support the Ceceas region through its regional strategy document for West Africa (2020-2025). By strengthening the rice value chain, this initiative will open the way to an improvement in food sovereignty, job creation and economic resilience.
With the successful implementation of this project, West Africa will take a major step towards reducing its vulnerability to external shocks of food supply, guaranteeing a more self -sufficient and sustainable agricultural future for millions in the region.
(Tagstotranslate) African Development Bank (T) Economic Community of West African States (T) Food Safety (T) Rice production
