ECOWAS LAUNCHES REGIONAL RICE PROGRAMME, TARGETS 100% SELF-SUFFICIENCY BY 2035 By Sebastine Inedu

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has launched the Regional Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Programme (REWARD), an initiative aimed at strengthening rice production, improving food security and reducing West Africa’s dependence on imported rice.

The programme was officially launched on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together government representatives, development partners, agricultural experts and private-sector stakeholders.

Speaking at the event, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr. Dehpue Yenpea Zuo, described the initiative as a major step towards achieving food security and ensuring the availability of sufficient rice across the West African sub-region.

He disclosed that the programme has an overall portfolio of approximately 25 billion dollars, while 1.5 billion dollars in firm commitments was mobilised at a regional financing conference held in Accra to support farmers, businesses, agricultural production and value-chain development.

According to him, the launch also marks the establishment of a steering committee that will provide strategic oversight for the programme’s implementation from 2025 to 2035.

Zuo called on governments, development partners, private investors and other stakeholders to support the initiative, stressing that collective commitment was necessary to achieve regional rice sufficiency.

Also speaking, the Coordinator of the ECOWAS Rice Agenda and REWARD Project, Boladale Adebowale, said rice remained a strategic staple crop in West Africa, making its development essential to the region’s food security objectives.

Adebowale disclosed that West Africa currently has about 60 per cent rice sufficiency, with a target of achieving 100 per cent self-sufficiency by 2035.

He explained that the region would need to produce approximately 35 million metric tonnes of rice to meet projected consumption demand, noting that population growth makes increased production and productivity imperative.

He added that the programme would focus on developing a more productive and competitive rice sector, strengthening processing and marketing systems, and promoting trade among West African countries.

Adebowale further revealed that the ECOWAS Rice Observatory was established to coordinate interventions, investments and activities in the regional rice sector to ensure greater impact.

He said the 1.5 billion dollars mobilised at the Accra Regional Rice Roundtable earlier in the year represented a significant commitment from development partners and the private sector towards achieving the region’s rice development objectives.

On the programme’s implementation, Adebowale explained that Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali and Senegal constitute the first group of participating countries, while other member states are expected to join in phases.

He indicated that Nigeria is expected to come on board in the next phase of implementation.

The event also featured contributions from key regional and international development stakeholders, including the Director of Agriculture and Rural Development at the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Madadozi Tezike; the Director-General of AfricaRice, Dr. Baboucarr Manneh, represented by Dr. Sali At…; and the Vice-President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Abdul Kamara.

The REWARD programme is expected to strengthen agricultural investment, improve the rice value chain and promote regional cooperation towards reducing dependence on rice imports.

The initiative is also seen as an important step towards building a resilient agricultural sector capable of responding to the growing food demands of West Africa.