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A group of experts leading the formulation of the Integrated Agricultural Inputs Development Strategy for West Africa is meeting for the final round of discussions in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, on Wednesday February 6, 2020, prior to its adoption by member states.

For three days (February 6 to 8), the working group, made up of representatives from agricultural research institutions, the private sector, political decision-makers and development stakeholders, will examine and validate the first part of the strategy and action plan.

The integrated regional strategy for the sustainable management of agricultural inputs is justified by the generally low use of appropriate agricultural inputs in West Africa, with its consequences on low agricultural productivity.

"As population increases while land area remains fixed, the land available per farmer becomes increasingly limited, so farmers have to produce more food on less land," explains Dr Abdulai Jalloh, CORAF's Director of Research and Innovation.

"Invariably, intensification of production in a context of climate change requires the use of improved seeds and appropriate fertilizers at optimal doses".

An important novelty is that seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, feed concentrates for livestock, vaccines and animal genetic material are dealt with globally and interdependently in this strategy.

Once the strategic plan has been validated, it will be forwarded to member states for adoption.

Read also:

• The regional strategy for the integrated management of agricultural inputs begins to take shape
• Validation of the integrated regional agricultural input strategy
• West Africa moves closer to an agricultural inputs plan

How did we get here?

In 2006, the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Commission for West African States (ECOWAS) adopted the Abuja Declaration aimed at raising the level of inputs used in the region to 50 kg/hectare by 2015. Five years on, this target has still not been met.

As a result, ECOWAS and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) have agreed on the need to formulate a comprehensive, integrated strategy for the development of the agricultural inputs sector. As a technical partner of the two institutions, CORAF has been mandated to coordinate the strategy formulation process.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provides the necessary funding.

A working group has been set up to lead the process. It held its first meeting on June 10, 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, where it validated the methodology and roadmap presented by the consultants.

A desk study was carried out alongside national consultative meetings in Conakry (Guinea), Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and Abuja (Nigeria).

The first draft of the strategy was reviewed and improved at the second working group meeting held in early November 2019 in Dakar, Senegal. West Africa should see a boost in productivity thanks to the implementation of this strategy.