Get Guardian on GoogleThe Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission has launched the $650 million Resilient Rice Value Chain Development Project (REWARD).
Speaking yesterday at the inauguration of the steering committee to oversee the six-year programme, the commission disclosed that West Africa will need about $25 billion to meet the 35 million tonnes rice sufficiency target for 2035.
REWARD is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and supported technically by AfricaRice towards strengthening rice production, improving processing and marketing as well as making locally produced rice more competitive.
Speaking at the unveiling of the programme, ECOWAS Commission’s Vice President, Anthony Ogunjimi, said the project followed a directive from the leadership of the programme.
Ogunjimi said the overall rice investment portfolio is about $25 billion while $1.5 billion was raised from Accra Conference held earlier, to ensure farmers access to finance towards business value chain in the subregion.
He warned that food sovereignty in West Africa depends largely on the ability to produce more of what the citizens consume and reduce vulnerability to external shocks.
“Higher output alone will not be enough. Rice is central to this ambition. Yet, increased production alone will not deliver self-sufficiency; fertiliser, irrigation, quality inputs, processing, financing, market access and policy consistency must also be addressed”, Ogunjimi said.
ECOWAS’ contribution to REWARD, he said, covers regional policy and regulatory reform, coordination, better regulation of agricultural inputs and digital monitoring through the ECOWAS Rice Observatory.
“The steering committee will provide strategic oversight and decision-making and help identify bottlenecks early so that implementation stays accountable.
“Ultimately, our success will be measured by stronger production systems, improved processing capacity, more competitive locally produced rice, increased investment, better livelihoods and greater regional resilience”, he added.
In his remarks, a representative of AfricaRice, Dr Sali Atanga, said rice rice is not merely a strategic agricultural commodity in West Africa but central to food security, rural livelihoods, employment creation and regional economic integration.
He identified poor access to quality seeds, low productivity, climate variability, inadequate mechanisation, post-harvest losses and fragmented markets as some of the challenges confronting rice security in the region.
“Addressing these challenges will require more than isolated national investments and interventions”, he said.
Atanga assured that AfricaRice will concentrate on rice seed systems, climate-resilient varieties, sustainable production technologies, mechanisation and post-harvest management during the project.
He called for stronger public-private partnerships, stressing that scientific innovations achieve their greatest impact when supported by effective delivery systems, capable institutions and viable business models.
“Our collective success should be measured not only by the activities implemented or investments mobilised but by the tangible benefits to farmers, women, youth, entrepreneurs and consumers across West Africa”, he said.
The Coordinator, ECOWAS Rice Agenda and REWARD Programme, Dr Boladale Adebowale, who gave the overview of the project, said ECOWAS Commission is proudly launching the steering committee to ensure commencement of the project.
According to her, the target is to up rice production in the region to 35 million tonnes by 2035, “and we want to encourage all West African citizens, business partners, individuals with the resources to join this right initiative to ensure we work along with Right Observatory Project, where we can be able to feed our citizens in the subregion.”
