ECOWAS and African Development Bank Sign $12 Million Grant for Rice Resilient Value Chains Project
By Ibrahim Umar,
Kanempress News,
11th,March,2025
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), has officially signed a $12 million grant agreement for the implementation of the Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Project (REWARD) in West Africa. The agreement was signed at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
The REWARD project is designed to promote both public and private investments in rice value chains across the region. It will focus on integrating successful business models and is part of a broader regional rice development initiative supported by the AfDB, which spans 15 West African countries. This initiative is aimed at strengthening the region’s rice production, ensuring greater food security, and increasing resilience against economic and environmental shocks.
During the signing ceremony, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, expressed his gratitude to the AfDB for the grant and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to the swift and effective implementation of the project. Dr. Abdul Kamara, the AfDB Director General for Nigeria, signed the agreement on behalf of AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina. Dr. Kamara emphasized the Bank’s dedication to supporting ECOWAS in achieving its food security goals and enhancing the region’s resilience, in alignment with the ECOWAS Vision 2020.
This multinational and multiphase program, with an estimated total value of $650 million, aims to promote rice sovereignty throughout all ECOWAS Member States, boosting local production and reducing dependence on imported rice, while enhancing regional agricultural sustainability.
