ECOWAS Strengthens Commitment to Food Security and Rural Development

By Raymond Enoch

In a major step toward reinforcing food security and rural development, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has reaffirmed its commitment to agricultural progress. The organization’s Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) concluded a five-day high-level retreat at Zuma Resort in Niger State, Nigeria, to assess ongoing projects and redefine strategic priorities.

The meeting which brought together top officials, project managers, monitoring and evaluation experts, and management staff, served as a critical forum for reviewing agricultural policies and strengthening coordination efforts within the sector.

The retreat focused on three pressing issues central to agricultural transformation in the region:

Strengthening Agricultural Value Chains: Enhancing local production competitiveness to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Adapting to Climate Change: Developing resilience strategies for farms to withstand climatic hazards.

Optimizing Agricultural Financing: Encouraging rural investment and improving farmers’ access to funding.

Additionally, the event welcomed four newly recruited professionals, integrated between December 2024 and January 2025. Their induction aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of DARD’s mission and aligning new talents with the directorate’s long-term vision.

The recommendations from this strategic retreat will now be presented to ECOWAS decision-makers. Emphasizing inclusivity, ECOWAS aims to engage Member States, farmers’ organizations, research institutions, and financial partners to create an efficient, sustainable agricultural framework.

With a renewed focus on food sovereignty and rural economic growth, this initiative underscores ECOWAS’s unwavering dedication to fostering a resilient and prosperous agricultural future for West Africa.