ECOWAS Launches REWARD To Boost West Africa’s Rice Production, Unveils $25bn Programme Self-Sufficiency.
By Ferdinand Olise
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has unveiled a twenty-five-billion-dollar regional rice development programme, targeting one hundred per cent self-sufficiency by 2035.
The programme, known as the Regional Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Programme (REWARD), seeks to boost rice production in the region, strengthen food security and reduce West Africa’s dependence on imported rice.
Speaking at the event, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Dehpue Zuo, who unveiled the initiative, described it as a major milestone towards regional food security and sustainable rice production.
Mr. Zuo said they were able to raise 1.5 billion, which is going to be used for the time being to ensure they have access to financing for farmers, business value chain, and for production in the sub-region.
“Our Heads of States of ECOWAS gave the ECOWAS Commission a mandate to raise funding to ensure full availability and full sufficiency for the sub-region.
On this note, the ECOWAS Commission is proudly launching the Steering Committee today to ensure that the project has started, and we want to encourage all West African citizens, business partners, individuals with the resources to join this RISE initiative to ensure we work along with RISE as a victory project where we can be able to feed our citizens in the sub-region”, he said.
Mr Zuo appreciated the participants on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Diop, and also urged governments, development partners, private investors and other stakeholders to demonstrate collective commitment towards achieving the sub-region’s rice self-sufficiency ambition.
Also, the Coordinator, ECOWAS Rice Agenda and REWARD, Boladale Adebowale, said the region currently achieved approximately sixty per cent rice self-sufficiency, with REWARD targeting complete self-sufficiency by 2035.
She identified Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali and Senegal as the first group of participating countries.
“We are looking at having a more productive and competitive sector where the processing of the market systems will be effective, and by so doing, we are also improving the inter-regional trade of rice in the region, but what is most important is that the ECOWAS has that vision to drive this agenda through all the various mechanisms.
“It has, including coordinating all the partners, donors, development partners, even the private sector, and this is something that we have been able to achieve when we established the ECOWAS Rice Observatory to coordinate all of the interventions, the activities, the investments in the rice sector in the region, so that we can have a greater impact”, he said.
Mr. Zuo highlighted the progress they have made so far, noting that earlier this year, they mobilized 1.5 billion U.S. dollars in firm commitments from the private sector, and development partners at the Accra Regional Rice Roundtable which they had.
“It is a promise that has been made and it’s a promise that we intend to keep. We believe that if we get it right with rice, we can also get it right with other value chains, other agricultural commodities that we have”, he said.
The REWARD programme was one of the major instruments through which ECOWAS was implementing its regional rice development agenda. The commitment highlightels the preparedness of ECOWAS and its partners to back their agricultural development objectives with the necessary financial resources.
The participants therefore expressed optimism that successful implementation of the rice development initiative would provide a model for strengthening other agricultural value chains and improving food security across the West African region.
