Ecowas

On 29 October 2025, ECOWAS, through the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and with the support of the World Bank under the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa (PRSA/FSRP), organised a regional workshop by videoconference to validate and disseminate the results of the feasibility study for a regional agricultural and food risk financing instrument for the benefit of the Regional Food Security Reserve (RFSR) a regional workshop to validate and disseminate the results of the feasibility study for a regional agricultural and food risk financing instrument for the benefit of the Regional Food Security Reserve (RRSA).

The meeting brought together some 40 representatives from member states, regional institutions (ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, BIDC), technical and financial partners (World Bank, WFP, FAO) and the WTW/Munich Re consultancy. Over the course of a day, participants approved the technical results of the study, discussed the operational conclusions and identified the main steps for implementing the future mechanism.

Since its creation in 2013, the RRSA has been an essential instrument of solidarity and rapid response to food crises. However, in the face of intensifying shocks and growing financial needs, the mobilisation of physical stocks alone is no longer sufficient to ensure regional food security in the long term. It is with this in mind that the design of a regional disaster risk financing (DRF) mechanism was initiated, with the aim of complementing and strengthening the function of the regional reserve.

This innovative mechanism will ultimately enable ECOWAS to have access to advance financial resources, triggered in an objective, transparent and rapid manner with parametric indices. This is a major development, marking the transition from a reactive approach to a genuine culture of prevention.

The feasibility study, conducted by the Willis Towers Watson (WTW) and Munich Re consortium under the supervision of the World Bank, laid the technical and institutional foundations necessary for the operationalisation of this mechanism. Participants were able to examine in detail the climate and food risks characterising the region, based on SPI-3 indices and Harmonised Framework analyses. They also reviewed comparative results for different financial instruments (parametric insurance, contingent credit lines, etc.).

Discussions revealed the current undercapacity of the RRSA, which limits its role as a third line of defence at the regional level, as well as the immediate unsustainability of stand-alone parametric insurance due to its cost and institutional requirements. Participants emphasised the need to structure a financial reserve, define a predictable trigger system and explore hybrid approaches, including contingent credit solutions and partnerships with the ARC and WFP.

At the end of the proceedings, the three technical reports were validated and the following recommendations were made: (i) experiment, in the short term, with pilot solutions based on the SPI-3 and CH indices, while strengthening the operational and financial governance of the RRSA; (ii) consolidate, in the medium term, the technical and institutional capacities of the reserve and test a regional multi-index mechanism; (iii) operationalise, in the long term, an autonomous regional insurance mechanism, integrated into the ECOWAS resilience and food sovereignty strategy.

A total of thirty (30) inspectors representing the various structures in charge of health control in Benin attended the training on the Harmonised Guide to Health Inspection and Risk-Based Decision-Making in Cotonou from 9 to 11 September 2025.

Organised as part of the implementation of the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA), this meeting was an opportunity to strengthen the capacities of Benin's inspectors with a view to enabling the country to take advantage of the regional and even continental market for agricultural and agri-food products to improve food safety and nutrition.

As a reminder, the Health Inspection Guide developed by ECOWAS was adopted with a view to, harmonise inspection and decision-making methods based on risk and scientific data, increase transparency in inspections, and facilitate the free movement of agricultural, forestry and pastoral products by removing technical barriers to trade in ECOWAS and Sahel member states.

As in other countries, training on the Harmonised Health Inspection Guide was followed on 12 September 2025 by a day of awareness-raising for cross-border trade stakeholders on the Harmonised SPS Certificate. The adoption of this SPS certificate responds to the concern to harmonise national SPS standards and adapt them to international best practices, including the World Trade Organisation's SPS Agreement and Annex 7 of the AfCFTA (on SPS), with a view to reducing technical barriers to intra-community trade in agricultural, forestry and pastoral products, while preserving human and animal health and plant protection.

 Fifty participants from both the private and public sectors attended this awareness-raising day, organised with the support of the Benin Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In addition to the presentation of the Harmonised Phytosanitary Certificate, participants familiarised themselves with other protocols adopted by ECOWAS to facilitate intra-community trade, namely: the Trade Liberalisation Scheme (TLS), the Common External Tariff (CET), Community transit, etc. 

The World Bank regional team conducted a support mission to the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa (FSRP) at ECOWAS from 25 to 26 August 2025. The meeting, held at the headquarters of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) in Lomé, Togo, assessed the progress of the Regional Trade Facilitation and Overall Coordination components and identified solutions to improve programme implementation.

The World Bank and ECOWAS teams were led by Dr Ashwini Sebastian, FSRP TTL, and Mr Alain Sy Traore, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development (DADR), respectively.

Over two days, discussions focused on the main achievements of the first half of 2025 and the level of implementation of the recommendations made at the mid-term review workshop in January 2025.

Overall, ECOWAS has made significant progress in implementing the FSRP. The coordination team was encouraged to intensify its efforts on technical activities that could help facilitate agricultural trade in West Africa to achieve the programme's results framework indicators.

On 10 July 2025, more than fifty stakeholders and partners specialising in agricultural trade and markets from Ghana, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Chad, Togo, as well as ECOWAS institutions and partners took part in an online session to present the main findings and recommendations of the regional report on the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Agricultural Trade and Market Scorecard (ECOWAS Agricultural Trade and Market Scorecard), with a view to its validation.
This meeting enabled AKADEMIYA2063 experts to share their analysis of countries' performance and shortcomings in the agri-food trade sector, while reviewing the progress made in implementing trade policies and strengthening existing regulatory frameworks at the national level.
Indeed, the West African region, with its rich economic potential, represents a vast market with the potential to stimulate growth and prosperity, provided that intra-regional trade barriers are removed and trade is facilitated. The liberalisation of regional agricultural trade would enable producers to sell their products at better prices and improve their competitiveness and productivity, in particular through easier access to lower-cost production inputs.
However, despite this strategic importance, West Africa continues to face significant challenges in collecting and analysing data on trade and agricultural markets, limiting the ability of states and ECOWAS to make informed decisions, formulate appropriate policies and promote sustainable economic development.
To address these challenges, ECOWAS, with support from the World Bank and technical expertise from AKADEMIYA2063, has developed an analytical tool: the Agricultural Trade and Market Dashboard. This tool aims to better document intra-African trade flows of agri-food products, identify gaps in existing trade policies and strengthen the implementation of regional frameworks such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), the Common External Tariff (CET), ECOWAP, CAADP and the AfCFTA.
"By facilitating rigorous monitoring and a better understanding of trade dynamics, the Scorecard provides ECOWAS with an essential lever to promote more effective regional economic integration and support the transformation of agri-food systems in West Africa," emphasised Mr Alain SY Traoré, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at ECOWAS. 
The rollout of the Scorecard began in February 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria, with regional training for trainers, followed by technical support sessions in each of the countries benefiting from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (PRSA/FSRP), in order to set up technical teams responsible for its operationalisation in the field.
These activities led to the collection, analysis and validation of data in five (05) countries (Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone, Chad and Togo), resulting in the preparation of national reports, before the results were consolidated in a regional report presented for validation during this session.
This report is the result of a collective and collaborative process involving national and regional stakeholders, who were mobilised at all stages: from the development of the dashboard methodology to the collection, validation and analysis of data, to the drafting of reports on the status of implementation of regional trade policies and regulations in the five (05) beneficiary countries — Chad, Ghana, Niger, Sierra Leone and Togo.
"The results of this pilot phase indicate that ECOWAS countries do not trade sufficiently with each other. Reducing dependence on food imports requires concerted efforts by all countries to fully implement community policies and regulations to facilitate cross-border trade and promote regional market integration," said Dr Ousmane Badiane, President of AKADEMIYA2063.
According to him, "the roll-out of the ECOWAS Trade and Agricultural Market Dashboard will help fill data, knowledge and policy gaps, strengthen mutual accountability and further incentivise countries to effectively and consistently implement existing regional strategies."
In the medium and long term, the recommendations made in this regional report should contribute to improving the trade environment and strengthening intra-regional trade in agri-food products, with the aim of enhancing the resilience of food systems in West Africa.
Following this regional validation, the final report will be submitted to the ECOWAS Council of Ministers of Trade before being presented for adoption at the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for December 2025.

More than 50 actors and partners involved in food insecurity risk management gathered in Lomé from 2 to 4 July to strengthen their capacities on the concepts, principles and mechanisms of disaster risk financing (DRF), with a particular focus on agricultural and food risk transfer.

Initiated by ECOWAS, this training session produced several concrete results in terms of experience sharing, technical capacity building and policy dialogue. These results reflect the commitment of countries and regional institutions to structuring a proactive response to growing agricultural, climate and food risks in the ECOWAS region. They also demonstrate collective efforts to improve coordination, data governance and sustainable financing of risk management mechanisms.

Over three days, participants – comprising technical officials and decision-makers from ECOWAS, as well as representatives from partner institutions such as the BIDC and CILSS, not to mention national technicians from the ministries responsible for agriculture and food security in ECOWAS member countries – benefited from exchanges with experts from ECOWAS, the World Bank, Willis Towers Watson/Munich Re, African Risk Capacity and Y-FOCUS. the AES and CILSS – benefited from exchanges with experts from ECOWAS, the World Bank, Willis Towers Watson/Munich Re, African Risk Capacity, Yeleen Assurances and CILSS.

Through inclusive and participatory exchanges between trainers and learners, as well as panel discussions, the main determinants of cyclical food and nutrition insecurity in the West African sub-region were shared. There are many causes: conflict, flooding, price spikes, climate shocks, low availability of inputs, inflation, currency depreciation, post-harvest losses, and limited access to a healthy diet. Population growth exceeds agricultural gains, exacerbating structural deficits.

Faced with this situation, what should be done? This central question was addressed through the sharing of experiences from other regions of Africa and around the world. In an educational style, the trainers presented the principles of disaster risk and food insecurity modelling with examples from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) and Willis Towers Watson.

In risk management, data is crucial and decisive not only for modelling but also for the form and type of response to be provided in the event of a disaster. Our sub-region does not sufficiently document data in this area at the country and regional levels, despite the efforts of CILSS to collect, process and disseminate agrometeorological data.

Risk financing was a very important aspect of this training. The World Bank and the insurance structures present emphasised the fundamental principles and instruments and strategies of disaster risk financing. For them, it is important to prepare financially before a shock occurs, as the costs of repair are often much higher than those of prevention. The DRF is based on four key principles: speed of mobilisation of funds, reliability of mechanisms, reasonable cost and transparency in distribution.

Participants were equipped with tools on financing and risk management mechanisms related to food insecurity. They acquired skills in risk modelling, transfer instruments (insurance, early action, emergency funds), and sustainable and regionalised co-financing approaches. The ultimate goal was to strengthen their capacity to anticipate, finance and effectively manage food and climate shocks, with a view to building structural resilience at the national and regional levels, through the integration of Disaster Risk Financing (DRF) into public policies and the Regional Food Security Reserve.

That is why the Executive Director of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), Mr Mohamed Zongo, on behalf of the Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Ms Massandjé Touré-Litsé, during the opening of the proceedings, emphasised that ‘for ECOWAS, this meeting is an opportunity to strengthen the autonomy not only of the Commission but also of Member States in the design, management and mobilisation of innovative financing mechanisms to address food and nutrition insecurity risks in the region’.

During the panel discussions, countries shared existing mechanisms for responding to disasters and, above all, the funding mobilised and secured for this purpose. This capacity-building session also provided a framework for all stakeholders and partners to call on regional and national decision-makers to place agricultural financing and insurance mechanisms at the heart of their agricultural development strategies, which are not yet a reality due to a lack of clear understanding and reliable data.

According to the World Bank, which is supporting this initiative through the FSRP, ‘food insecurity risk management practitioners have consolidated their technical skills to promote effective ownership of risk financing mechanisms to effectively combat food insecurity in West Africa,’ according to its representative, Ms Ruth Samson.

Following this training, the ongoing feasibility study aimed at providing the region with a risk financing mechanism, including agricultural insurance, will enable ECOWAS, through the RAAF, to strengthen its response capacity. It will thus contribute to improving the effectiveness of the Regional Food Security Reserve's actions on the ground, in support of the efforts of States, to better prevent and mitigate the risks of food insecurity in West Africa.

With a view to accelerating the development of the rice sector in West Africa while reducing rice imports, ECOWAS, in collaboration with the World Bank, conducted a learning visit to South Korea from 9 to 13 June 2025. The mission brought together key stakeholders from Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, representatives of ECOWAS (Dr Maty Ba-Diao, Regional Coordinator of the FSRP and Dr Boladale Adebowale, Executive Secretary of the Rice Observatory), the Regional Agrhymet Centre and the World Bank (Dr Ashwini Sebastian, TTL of the FSRP) and Korean institutions. A total of 31 participants took part in the visit, including the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr John Dumelo, and the Togolese Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Madadozi Téziké.

The participants met the key players in the Korean rice ecosystem. In addition to exchange meetings and panels with senior officials from the host institutions, the delegation made field trips to Jeonju, Gimjae and Naju to visit the Rural Development Administration (RDA) and its technical institutions, the Green and Biological Science and Technology Institute (GBST), the Gimje Agricultural Technology Centre, the Korea Rural Economy Institute (KREI), the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC) and the Naju Agricultural Cooperative.

The visit was an opportunity to share knowledge, build capacity and co-develop best practice in rice production and processing in Seoul, Pangyo, Jeonju, Gimjae and Naju.

Rice plays a central role in the diets of West African populations, accounting for almost 40% of total cereal consumption, ahead of maize and wheat. However, the region is heavily dependent on imports, with a volume approaching 12 million metric tonnes a year, and a bill that reached 3.5 billion US dollars in 2021.

Against this worrying backdrop, due in part to low production, ECOWAS, through its Rice Observatory, is committed to reversing the trend. An ambitious roadmap has been drawn up to guide investment and action in the West African rice sector up to 2035. The mission to South Korea was part of this process of structural transformation, based on the experience of South Korea, which is a global benchmark for rice productivity and food security.

Over the course of a week, the ECOWAS/World Bank delegation was able to observe, learn and exchange views on public policies and modern technologies for growing, processing and preserving rice.

At the end of their visit to South Korea, the delegations from the West African countries identified several priorities inspired by the Korean experience to strengthen their rice sector. These can be summarised as follows: (i) integrating Korean best practice into national development strategies for the rice sector, with the emphasis on modernising irrigation, land management and mechanisation; (ii) promoting climate-smart agriculture and modernising processing infrastructure; (iii) developing appropriate support policies, to bring research closer to production and plan interventions on the basis of a precise diagnosis. Access to quality inputs and the adaptation of Korean innovations to local contexts were also deemed essential, as was the development of national strategies inspired by the K-Rice Belt model.

To implement the knowledge acquired in South Korea, the countries have undertaken to organise a virtual meeting to disseminate the conclusions of the mission and to follow up their implementation with the main players in the rice sector in FSRP member and non-member countries. The launch of joint pilot projects and the implementation of capacity-building programmes are also planned by the countries.

ECOWAS has undertaken to monitor the implementation of the actions identified at regional level.

"We are leaving with concrete ideas that can be adapted and implemented in our respective countries. The Korean experience inspires us and shows us that with a strategic vision, targeted investments and effective regional coordination, rice self-sufficiency is within our reach", said Ghana's Deputy Minister of Agriculture at the end of the visit.

This learning mission marks a key step towards building sustainable and resilient rice policies in West Africa. It illustrates ECOWAS' commitment to fostering the emergence of a competitive, profitable and inclusive rice sector, in the interests of food security, import reduction and the socio-economic development of member states.

On 29 May 2025 in Abidjan, during the 7th edition of the Salon de l'Agriculture et des Ressources Animales (SARA), ECOWAS, through its Rice Observatory (ERO), organised a side event on the theme: Improving local rice processing to strengthen competitiveness in West Africa, from paddy to market.

The meeting served as a platform to share valuable information on successful models and investment opportunities available under the regional strategy, as it moves towards adoption at national level in each country. The event was attended by stakeholders from across the rice value chain, including key players and partners in the West African rice sector, such as traders, researchers, private sector actors, policy makers and development partners. It served to raise awareness of the provisions of the roadmap and mobilised technical and financial partnerships.

Officially opened by Mrs Massandjé Touré-Litsé, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, this session was marked by a panel moderated by Mr Alain Sy Traoré, Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of ECOWAS. 

The panel brought together various experts and stakeholders who shared their practical knowledge and experiences on how to accelerate the competitiveness and self-sufficiency of the rice sector in West Africa. It was moderated by (i) Mr Mory DIABATE, President of the Interprofessional Rice Organisation of Côte d'Ivoire and President of the national ERO ONRiz-CI section, representing the private sector; (ii) Dr Prem Bindraban, Director of Research at AfricaRice, representing academia and research; (iii) Mr Morou MOUSSA of the World Bank, representing the private sector; and (iv) Mr M. M. BADO of the World Bank. Morou MOUSSA of the African Development Bank, representing development partners and donors; (iv) Mr Hugues GOA of EBID, representing financial and investment institutions; and (v) Dr Yacouba Dembélé, Director General of the Côte d'Ivoire Rice Development Agency, representing the public sector.

The panellists stressed the essential role of financing and policy harmonisation in enabling sector-wide growth. Development banks were urged to invest in infrastructure, facilitate access to working capital and support pro-development policies and research. Intermediaries familiar with the banking sector and agriculture were considered essential to fill sectoral gaps. Public-private partnerships, collective financing models and reforms at national level were all highlighted as essential tools for unlocking investment and promoting the sustainable development of value chains.

Discussions focused on the persistent challenges in terms of production and market access, in particular the high cost of local rice compared to imports, due to poor mechanisation and inadequate post-harvest infrastructure. Emphasis has been placed on promoting scalable technologies for smallholders and cooperatives, such as affordable pre-milling units and small-scale milling equipment. Innovation, when local and adapted to scale, was identified as a key driver of long-term transformation.

The session concluded with a call for enhanced regional coordination, pragmatic public policies and private sector engagement to translate the Regional Rice Roadmap into concrete and effective results in all ECOWAS Member States.

Thanks to the high visibility and mobilising power of SARA, this side event facilitated alignment between public and private stakeholders and gave new impetus to the implementation process of the ECOWAS Rice Observatory Roadmap.

The side event ended with a public rice tasting, during which the different varieties produced in the different West African countries were presented and tasted by the participants, who were able to appreciate their quality, freshness and unique flavour (parboiled, brown, broken and white rice).

From 23 May to 1 June 2025, stakeholders and partners in the agroforestry and fisheries sector gathered in Abidjan for the 7th edition of the Abidjan International Agriculture and Animal Resources Show (SARA), which was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Côte d'Ivoire, HEM Beugré Mambé, at the Abidjan Exhibition Centre.

Invited to this agricultural event by the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, the ECOWAS Delegation was led by Mrs Massandjé TOURE-LITSE, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission. In the "Institutions and Sponsors" section, ECOWAS shared its achievements in the agricultural sector with the public by running a stand and organising eleven side-events. 

Under the theme "What agri-food processing systems for food sovereignty in Africa?", the 7th edition of SARA was a platform for meetings and exchanges of experience between players in the agricultural, animal resources and fisheries sectors in West Africa.

Taking part in SARA for the second time after the 2023 edition, ECOWAS seized the opportunity to raise its profile and raise awareness of ECOWAS policies and initiatives in the field of regional integration, in relation to agriculture, while promoting regional initiatives in relation to agricultural processing systems to improve food and nutritional security.

At SARA, ECOWAS also took stock of the implementation of its Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) over the last 20 years and highlighted the results of the programmes and projects contributing to the implementation of the said Policy, as underlined by the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture: "Our participation in this major event reflects ECOWAS' strong political will to support Member States in the sustainable transformation of their agricultural and food systems. It also illustrates our determination to make agriculture a driving force for economic development and the creation of decent jobs, particularly for young people and women, and an essential lever for food and nutritional security".

"Driving the food sovereignty agenda in West Africa: 20 years of ECOWAP implementation" was the theme of ECOWAS's second participation at SARA. Through exhibitions, high-level panels and side events, ECOWAS, in collaboration with its Regional Agriculture and Food Agency (RAFA), the Regional Animal Health Centre (RAHC) and its technical and financial partners, highlighted the efforts being made to guarantee food and nutritional security, climate resilience and the sustainability of agricultural systems, in line with the continent's ambitions for food sovereignty.

On 7 May 2025, a joint mission from the World Bank and Dutch Cooperation, major financial partners of the Food System Resilience Programme in West Africa (FSRP), made a field visit to the Central and Plateaux regions in Togo. Three cooperatives that have benefited from FSRP support, in the form of training and equipment donations, were visited in Yaloumbè (Central region), Nyamassila (Plateaux-Est region) and Kpélé Tutu.
In Yaloumbè, a 13-member cooperative specialised in rice production has been trained in Smart Valleys technology, developed by AfricaRice and promoted by the FSRP in Togo. After a year of experimentation, the farmers highlighted the advantages of this approach, including optimised water management thanks to the development of basins in the lowlands, a significant reduction in the number of seed used (1 kg/ha compared with 3 kg/ha previously) and a tripling of yields, from 1.5 tonnes to 5 tonnes per hectare. However, the discussions highlighted several constraints, including the lack of permanent access to water due to the absence of an irrigation system.
In Nyamassila, the women's cooperative specialised in the processing of enriched flours made from moringa and néré benefited from training organised by the FSRP in 2023 on techniques for processing local flours. Thanks to this support, the members of the cooperative have begun to improve their living conditions by becoming real entrepreneurs, now supplying these enriched products to the local hospital and to the elderly.
The 85-member Kpélé Tutu cooperative is dedicated to producing compost and biopesticides, and is actively helping to boost agricultural productivity in the Planned Agricultural Development Zone (ZAAP) in the Plateaux-Est region. The cooperators, trained in the manufacture of these biological inputs, use a large-capacity composter to transform organic waste (plant leaves, peelings, garden waste, etc.) into compost, a natural fertiliser that is particularly beneficial for market garden crops and maize.
Discussions between members of the World Bank mission, comprising Ms Ashwini Sebastian, Regional FSRP Task Team Leader, and Mr Nouhoun Traoré, FSRP Co-TTL at the World Bank Office in Togo, and the Dutch cooperation team, comprising Mr Jeroen Rijniers and Mr Dominic van Asseldonk, and beneficiaries revealed the initial positive impact of the programme's interventions on the living conditions of the target populations. However, the discussions also highlighted additional needs, particularly in terms of irrigation, agri-food processing and storage.
This joint mission was part of the activities to monitor and review the results of the FSRP, financed by the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA), with additional financial support from the Netherlands Cooperation through the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP).
Discussions continued on 8 May 2025 in Lomé with representatives of the FSRP coordination regional institutions within ECOWAS, CILSS and CORAF.