West Africa, Sahel’s Food Economy: UN projects US$480bn by 2030
The United Nations (UN) has projected the food economy in the West Africa and Sahel sub-region to reach 480 billion US dollars (US$480,000,000,000) in 2030.
The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, said this at the 13th Multidisciplinary Team Meeting of 15 West African countries and Sahel sub-region in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The meeting with the theme, “Joining Efforts to Build Resilient Agrifood Systems in West Africa and Sahel,“ was convened to brainstorm on the way forward to the food and nutrition situation in the region.
Schmale said the expected growth would be attributed to systemic approach undertaken by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in securing the development gains in the fight against hunger, poverty and for progressing on the delivery of other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) .
According to him, the West Africa’s agrifood system faces continuing challenges a declining natural resource base, recurrent natural and human-caused disasters, climate change, and rising insecurity.
He, however, appealed to West African countries to seize the opportunities to build resilient agri-food systems in the region and align with FAO strategic framework to address structural policy constraints.
Schmale noted that these significant trends would provide great prospects for the West African food system to increase production, value addition, job creation, and food security.
The FAO representative in Nigeria and to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Fred Kafeero, said FAO emphasized the area of data and analytics for generation of evidence to guide responsible investments and partnerships for food systems transformation.
“We are glad our partners from ECOWAS are joining us to advance food security and nutrition in West Africa and to contribute to knowledge sharing regarding challenges, threats, and opportunities to move agri-food systems in the region towards sustainability,” he said.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, assured of government’s willingness to partner with the FAO and other development partners in driving for resilient agrifood systems in the country, particularly and in West Africa and the Sahel generally.
The three-day meeting expected over 200 delegates drawn from the ECOWAS member states including ministers and commissioners of agriculture, FAO representatives, regional technical organizations, Civil Society Organizations, among others.
Source: NAN
