The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission have signed a $12 million grant agreement to implement the Rice Resilient Value Chains Development Project (REWARD) and boost food security in West Africa.
The signing ceremony took place at the ECOWAS Commission Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in regional food security efforts, a press release on ECOWAS website stated.
The REWARD project aims to promote public and private investments in rice value chains, leveraging successful business models to enhance local production.
The initiative is part of a broader AfDB-funded regional rice development program covering all 15 ECOWAS member states.
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The agreement was signed by ECOWAS Commission President, H.E. Dr. Alieu Omar Touray, on behalf of the regional bloc, and Dr. Abdul Kamara, AfDB’s Director General for Nigeria, representing the bank’s President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
The REWARD project forms part of a larger $650 million multinational program aimed at ensuring rice sovereignty and food security across the region.
With rice demand expected to rise in the coming years, the REWARD project seeks to bridge this gap through policy reforms, improved agricultural input regulation, and enhanced regional digital monitoring systems. The ECOWAS Commission, through its Economic Affairs and Agriculture Department and the ECOWAS Rice Observatory, will spearhead the implementation of the initiative.
