The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has gathered stakeholders and partners in Conakry, Guinea, from January 27 to 29, 2026, to review the progress of the Innovative Regional Fruit Fly Control System in West Africa (SyRIMAO). The project, launched in 2020 with financial backing from the European Union and the French Development Agency, builds on earlier efforts to address fruit fly infestations in the region’s mango sector.
The SyRIMAO Project was designed to improve incomes for fruit and vegetable producers, bolster food security, reduce poverty, and create jobs. It focused on research and development, support for national bodies, and surveillance systems. Over five years of implementation, several key actions were taken: transforming Burkina Faso’s national Centre of specialization for fruit and vegetables into a regional Centre of excellence; developing new technologies; offering extension services; improving national laboratory operations; training stakeholders; and providing producers with access to fruit fly control methods.
National committees were established to aid project rollout. Training sessions covered phytosanitary standards and risks while efforts were made to restructure the mango sector by supporting stakeholder organizations, securing funding, and building partnerships.
Surveillance mechanisms have been set up across all ECOWAS Member States. These operational data collection systems have supported monitoring and early warning efforts related to fruit fly outbreaks. According to ECOWAS, “Building on the results achieved and the challenges encountered during its implementation, SyRIMAO has provided valuable lessons for the future. The lessons provide a valuable foundation for guiding future regional initiatives, improving the governance of control mechanisms and strengthening the sustainability of actions undertaken for the benefit of producers and value chains.”
Key findings highlighted include:
– “Integration of Research–Action–Development: linking research, experimentation and extension has enabled scientific findings to be transformed into practical solutions, strengthening producers’ adoption of fruit fly control technologies.”
– “Regional and national coordination: the establishment of National Committees and the Regional Centre of Excellence has demonstrated the importance of multi-level governance in ensuring consistency of action.”
– “Capacity building: large-scale training of stakeholders (technicians, producers, plant health inspectors) has led to improved control of the technologies promoted by the project.”
– “Restructuring the sector: support to inter-professional organizations and financing mechanisms has shown that sustainability depends on buy-in from economic stakeholders.”
– “Communication and visibility: media campaigns and extension tools have facilitated the dissemination of knowledge and increased stakeholder awareness.”
– “Country commitment: the late accession of some countries and institutional delays highlight the need for stronger and early political commitment.”
Over three days in Conakry, participants are discussing how best to sustain these initiatives going forward. The aim is to expand coverage across more areas, strengthen governance frameworks, secure ongoing funding sources, continue innovation efforts, and leverage successful results.
ECOWAS works toward advancing cooperation among its member states through harmonized policies in trade, agriculture, transport, infrastructure development as well as social sectors like food security. More information about its activities can be found on its official website. The organization’s programs span 12 West African countries but are intended for broader regional impact. Its Commission is headed by a president alongside a vice president and commissioners (source). ECOWAS also launched a multilingual website in 2022 for better accessibility (source).
The outcomes from this meeting will help shape future regional responses not only within agriculture but also contribute toward ECOWAS’s mission—harmonizing economic policy frameworks among member states (source).