The African Development Bank and the Economic Community of West African States Commission have entered into a pact for a grant of $12 million aimed at improving food safety and boosting rice farming in West Africa.
The agreement, signed at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, is part of the Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Project (REWARD), aimed at promoting investments in rice production and reducing the region’s reliance on imports.
President of the ECOWAS Commission, Alieu Omar Touray, highlighted the significance of the initiative during the signing, saying, “ECOWAS remains committed to seeing the REWARD project succeed. This agreement represents a major step towards enhancing food security and self-sufficiency across our Member States.”
AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, Abdul Kamara, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment, adding that the project aligns with ECOWAS’ Vision 2020 strategy for regional food security and economic resilience.
A bigger global initiative worth $650 million focuses on achieving rice independence and farming stability in West Africa, which features the REWARD project.
This project seeks to improve food access, boost output, and encourage economic development across the area through smart partnerships and increased funding in the rice supply chain.
