The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has emphasized the urgent need to strengthen mechanisms for food production and crisis response in the region.
At the Third Meeting of the Management Committee of the Regional Food Security Reserve in Abuja, stakeholders discussed ways to enhance food security amid growing threats from climate change, conflicts, and economic instability.
Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, while declaring the event open, highlighted that about 34.7 million people in West Africa and the Sahel are in dire need of immediate food and nutritional assistance.
He called for stronger strategies, improved food storage systems, and increased investment in agriculture to combat food shortages and price volatility.
ECOWAS, through its Regional Food Security Reserve (RFSR) established in 2013 has been a key instrument in managing food crises.
The Acting Director of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, Mohammed Zongo, stressed the need to review the Reserve’s operational framework to enhance efficiency and transparency.
He explained that the Reserve, currently storing over 74,000 tonnes of food, supports ECOWAS member states, Chad, and Mauritania in emergency response efforts.
He commended institutions, as well as technical and financial partners—including the French Development Agency, World Bank, European Union, and Spanish Agency for International Cooperation—for their support in implementing the ECOWAS Regional Storage Strategy.
Stakeholders were urged to remain committed to evaluating and improving the Reserve’s governance, operational models, and emergency response mechanisms to ensure food security for the region’s most vulnerable populations.
