With the Malabo Declaration ending in 2025, ECOWAS and the African Union are developing a new 10-year agenda for the region. This process involves stakeholder consultations, research, analysis, and political mobilization, culminating in a declaration of the new agenda by January 2025. The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Malabo Declaration emphasizes involving public and private stakeholders in African agricultural transformation.
In this context, the ECOWAS Commission’s Directorate of Agriculture organized a meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, from June 12-14, 2024, to review the ECOWAS Agriculture Policy (ECOWAP) to ensure its consistency, relevance, and complementarity while avoiding duplication of efforts. The meeting aims to facilitate outreach, awareness, socialization, building momentum, and political buy-in for the ECOWAP/CAADP Post Malabo process and issues.
Member States and regional stakeholders in agriculture will reflect on their experiences and best practices over the last 20 years of ECOWAP/CAADP to inform future strategies. They aim to build consensus on key issues and technical options.
In welcoming participants on behalf of Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture Madam Massandjé Toure-Litse, Dr. Sy Alian Traore, ECOWAS Director of Agriculture and Rural Development highlighted significant agricultural growth in West Africa driven by National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and improved budget allocations along with Monitoring and Evaluation across all 15 Member States. Despite these advancements, food security faces challenges such as climate change, COVID-19 pandemic impacts, the Russia-Ukraine war's effects on global markets, banditry, and insecurity.
Director Traore emphasized the need for collective action to address these issues amidst pressures from population growth and urbanization. He called for more effective measures supported by political will to develop agriculture ensuring food security for all citizens.
The Nigerian Minister of Agriculture and Food Security represented by Director of Planning and Policy Coordination Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu emphasized that food security is a top priority for Nigeria's government as part of broader economic reforms aimed at achieving sustainable growth in infrastructure development, social investment programs, digital economy advancement, and industrialization. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to implementing recommendations from the last Biennial Review cycle particularly increasing farmers’ access to agricultural advisory services.
Dr. Clement Adjorlolo Head of Agriculture and Rural Transformation at AUDA-NEPAD urged participants to reflect on their collective achievements identifying recommendations for the Post-Malabo CAADP Agenda emphasizing that these consultations are crucial for developing new strategies enhancing Africa’s agrifood systems promoting sustainable growth across the continent.
Ms. Panduleni Elago Senior CAADP Advisor commemorated CAADP's 20th anniversary on behalf of Dr. Godfrey Bahiigwa Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at African Union Commission highlighting Africa’s progress in agricultural economic transformation emphasizing addressing entire agricultural value chain multifaceted challenges involved noting successes including coordinated approach significance investing small-scale farmers crucial sector.
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