The Federal Government of Nigeria has called for the adoption of blended finance models to bridge the country’s estimated N3.4 trillion agricultural financing gap, as part of efforts to boost productivity, improve yields, and strengthen food security. Speaking at the Vanguard Economic Discourse held in Lagos, the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, emphasised that ...

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gives a press conference The European Union has intensified its support for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation with the launch of a new climate-smart agriculture initiative aimed at strengthening food systems, improving resilience, and boosting value chain development. The programme, implemented in partnership with the governments of the ...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is stepping up efforts to transform agriculture across West Africa by embedding climate resilience and social inclusion into its regional farming systems. New Framework Targets Sustainability and Inclusion Through its technical arm, the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, ECOWAS has reviewed a new Climate and Gender-Sensitive ...

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has unveiled two major regional initiatives aimed at reinforcing agricultural resilience and livestock development across West Africa, marking a significant step in the bloc’s drive toward food security and economic integration. At a high-level ceremony in Abuja on 4 December 2025, ECOWAS Commission President H.E. Dr Omar ...

Accra, Ghana — Stakeholders from across West Africa and the Sahel have gathered in Accra this week for the 10th Ordinary Meeting of the Regional Seed and Seedling Committee (CRSPAO), a pivotal forum aimed at accelerating progress on harmonized seed regulations across the region. Held from September 15–17, the meeting brings together representatives from 23 ...

Asamoah Oppong Zadok Food insecurity is no longer just a humanitarian concern in sub-Saharan Africa: It is a business issue. In my work as a researcher and entrepreneur focused on sustainable agriculture, I have interacted with smallholder farmers, agribusiness enterprises and policy institutions across the region. In the process, I have come to understand that ...

The Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) successfully concluded a five-day strategic retreat held from February 10 to 14, 2025 at Zuma Resort, Niger State, Nigeria. The retreat brought together DARD leadership, project managers, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) experts, and staff working with DARD. The ...

The ECOWAS Commission has awarded a grant of $1,033,991 to twenty-five (25) regional centers, including nine (9) focused on agricultural innovation, six (6) dedicated to agronomic re-search, and ten (10) specializing in vocational training in agroecology and organic agriculture. This funding initiative is designed to train 3,142 young people, enhancing their skills by complementing theoretical ...

From July 2013 down to April 2024, Mr Ousseini Salifou, in his capacity of Executive Director, had the heavy responsibility of leading the Regional Agriculture and Food Agency (RAAF) and its team in the implementation of the projects and programmes of the ECOWAS Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP). Today 30 April 2024, marking the beginning of ...