ECOWAS Commissioner Kalilou Sylla Rallies Global Partners in Rome to Boost West Africa’s Agriculture and Climate Resilience.
By Raymond Enoch
In a renewed push to strengthen agricultural transformation and climate resilience across West Africa, the ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Kalilou Sylla, has engaged key international partners on the sidelines of the steering committee meeting for the project “Global Forest Transformation for People and Climate: Focus on West Africa,” held from October 29 to 31, 2025, in Rome.
The high-level discussions brought together representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), among others, to consolidate partnerships aimed at supporting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and climate adaptation initiatives in the ECOWAS region.
During a bilateral meeting with Ms. Ulrika Hessling Sjöström, Sida’s representative, Commissioner Sylla explored the prospects for a second phase of the Global Forest Transformation project, which has been instrumental in promoting sustainable forest management and community livelihoods across West Africa. The talks also covered new programmatic opportunities on climate change mitigation, capacity building, and forestry expertise development tailored to the sub-region’s needs.
In a separate engagement, Commissioner Sylla met with FAO Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen collaboration between ECOWAS and FAO. Their discussions centered on mobilizing additional resources to bolster agriculture and climate-related programs within the region.
Key areas of focus included pastoralism and climate change, school feeding programs, local food security storage, and the preservation of natural ecosystems—particularly in the Fouta Djallon Massif, a critical transboundary watershed and biodiversity hotspot. The meeting also underscored the importance of supporting ECOWAS Member States to access financing from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to scale up climate adaptation and resilience projects.
Speaking after the meetings, Commissioner Sylla highlighted the urgency of coordinated regional action to protect livelihoods and natural resources in the face of growing climate threats.
“Partnerships like these are essential to ensuring that West Africa’s agriculture sector not only feeds its people but also withstands the challenges of a changing climate,” he said. “ECOWAS remains fully committed to strengthening cooperation with FAO, Sida, and other development partners to build a greener, more resilient future for our communities.”
Both FAO and Sida reaffirmed their strong interest in deepening collaboration with ECOWAS, recognizing West Africa’s strategic importance in advancing global goals on food security, sustainable land use, and climate action.
As the region continues to grapple with the dual challenges of food insecurity and environmental degradation, the outcomes of these discussions in Rome mark another step forward in aligning regional priorities with international support — signaling a shared commitment to transforming West Africa’s agricultural landscape for people and the planet.
