ECOWAS Targets Rice Independence by 2035 as West Africa Moves to End Multi-billion Dollar Import Dependence

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), along with its development partners, has launched an ambitious initiative to achieve rice self-sufficiency across the sub-region by 2035. This drive aims to reverse decades of reliance on imported rice and bolster food security throughout West Africa. The initiative was a central focus at a high-level Regional Round Table on Investment in the Rice Sector held in Accra, Ghana.

The two-day meeting convened policymakers, financiers, development institutions, and private sector stakeholders to devise a strategy for transforming the region's rice sector, a critical agricultural commodity. Organized by ECOWAS's Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture, with support from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB), the roundtable sought to secure public, private, and blended financing necessary to implement national and regional rice development plans.

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Our ambition is to establish competitive, inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems that strengthen food sovereignty, create jobs and promote shared prosperity while achieving regional self-sufficiency.

Ghana's Vice President, Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama, highlighted that the challenge extends beyond agriculture, encompassing economic sovereignty and sustainable development. She emphasized that achieving rice self-sufficiency is intrinsically linked to Africa's capacity for economic transformation, deeper regional integration, and enhanced resilience against global supply chain disruptions. "Beyond rice, this meeting is about economic transformation, regional integration and Africa’s capacity to achieve self-sufficiency with dignity," she stated.

For years, West African nations have grappled with the paradox of possessing abundant arable land, favorable climates, and a large agricultural workforce, yet remaining heavily dependent on food imports. Global events, including the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, geopolitical conflicts, and rising food prices, have exposed the vulnerability of depending on external markets to feed their growing populations. The urgency to address this issue has become more pronounced as food inflation strains household budgets across the region. ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray described the initiative as a pivotal moment in the bloc's pursuit of food sovereignty, affirming ECOWAS's commitment to fostering competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agri-food systems that generate employment, create wealth, and strengthen regional food security.

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Beyond rice, this meeting is about economic transformation, regional integration and Africa’s capacity to achieve self-sufficiency with dignity.