- Over one million farmers to benefit as West Africa targets 100% self-sufficiency by 2035
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and AfricaRice have launched a regional rice development programme aimed at achieving 100 per cent rice self-sufficiency in West Africa by 2035.
The Regional Rice Value Chain Development Programme, known as REWARD, seeks to increase local rice production, strengthen processing and marketing infrastructure, expand regional trade and reduce the sub-region’s dependence on imported rice.
Unveiled on Wednesday at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, the initiative is designed to address persistent production deficits, inadequate agricultural infrastructure and growing food demand across West Africa.
More than one million farmers, particularly women and young people, are expected to benefit from the programme through increased investment in agricultural production and the development of the rice value chain.
Speaking at the launch, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, said achieving food sovereignty in the sub-region required a decisive shift towards increased domestic production, stronger agricultural value chains and reduced vulnerability to external market disruptions.
He identified low agricultural productivity, inadequate irrigation facilities, limited access to quality seeds and other inputs, insufficient processing infrastructure and funding constraints as major challenges affecting the rice sector.
Zuo stressed that overcoming these obstacles would require coordinated regional action, sustained investment and stronger partnerships among governments, financial institutions, research organisations and private-sector operators.
He disclosed that the broader REWARD investment portfolio was estimated at approximately $25 billion, while $1.5 billion in firm commitments had been mobilised at a regional financing conference in Accra, Ghana, to support agricultural production, farmers, agribusinesses and rice value-chain development.
According to him, the launch also marked the establishment of a steering committee to provide strategic oversight for the programme’s implementation within the 2025–2035 framework.
In a goodwill message, a representative of the African Development Bank said West African countries must move beyond producing rice solely for domestic consumption and develop the capacity to support processing, exports and cross-border trade.
He explained that the wider REWARD investment platform was designed to mobilise $850 million across 14 countries, with more than one million farmers expected to benefit, particularly women and young people.
He further disclosed that the programme component being launched had received a $12 million grant from the AfDB, alongside an in-kind contribution of $1.2 million from the ECOWAS Commission.
He called for increased investment across the rice value chain to strengthen production systems and position West African countries as competitive producers and suppliers within the regional market.
Also speaking on behalf of AfricaRice Director-General, Dr Baboucarr Manneh, his representative described REWARD as a significant step towards building a more productive, competitive and sustainable rice industry in the sub-region.
He identified inadequate access to quality seeds, climate variability, limited mechanisation, post-harvest losses and insufficient private-sector investment as major constraints to rice production.
He emphasised the importance of regional cooperation, scientific innovation and increased public- and private-sector investment in addressing these challenges.
According to him, strengthening agricultural research, technology adoption and innovation would be critical to improving productivity and developing a rice sector capable of responding to climate change and increasing food demand.
The programme will focus on four major components: sustainable and climate-resilient rice production; improved processing and marketing; regional policy and regulatory reforms; and programme coordination and management.
The interventions are expected to increase farmers’ productivity and incomes, strengthen the capacity of rice processors, create economic opportunities for women and young people, and facilitate cross-border trade in locally produced rice.
Providing further details on the regional rice agenda, the Coordinator of the ECOWAS Rice Agenda and REWARD Project, Boladale Adebowale, disclosed that West Africa currently produces only about 60 per cent of the rice it consumes, leaving a significant supply deficit that is largely covered through imports.
He said the region would need to produce approximately 35 million metric tonnes of rice to meet projected consumption requirements, stressing that increased production and productivity were essential to achieving the 2035 self-sufficiency target.
Adebowale explained that the programme would go beyond increasing production to develop efficient processing, marketing and distribution systems that would enable locally produced rice to compete effectively in regional markets.
He also disclosed that the ECOWAS Rice Observatory had been established to coordinate interventions, investments and activities in the regional rice sector, strengthen stakeholder collaboration and ensure more effective deployment of resources.
He described the $1.5 billion mobilised at the Accra Regional Rice Roundtable earlier in the year as a significant commitment towards advancing the regional rice development agenda.
On implementation, Adebowale said Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali and Senegal constituted the first group of participating countries, while other ECOWAS member states were expected to join in subsequent phases.
Nigeria, one of the region’s leading rice-producing and consuming countries, is expected to participate in the next phase.
The event attracted regional and international development stakeholders, including the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Madadozi Tezike; AfricaRice Director-General, Dr Baboucarr Manneh, who was represented by a senior official; and AfDB Vice-President, Dr Abdul Kamara.
The organisers said the programme’s performance would be assessed through measurable improvements in rice production, farmers’ incomes, regional trade and reduced dependence on imported rice.
Beyond boosting production, REWARD is expected to reposition agriculture as a major driver of regional economic integration, employment generation and food security.
However, achieving the 2035 target will depend on effective implementation of commitments, sustained financing, access to modern agricultural technologies, improved irrigation systems, climate-resilient farming practices and an enabling environment for private-sector investment.
With more than one million farmers expected to benefit from the wider investment platform, ECOWAS and its development partners are banking on coordinated regional action to close the rice production gap, reduce import dependence and build a more resilient and sustainable food system across West Africa.
