ECOWAS Bags €18 Million Boost From France To Revolutionize West African Agriculture

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has secured €18 million from the French Development Agency (AFD) to support two pivotal regional projects aimed at transforming agriculture and livestock development across West Africa.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

These initiatives form part of the broader framework to implement the Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and the regional strategy for livestock development and pastoral system security in West Africa and the Sahel.

The funding was unveiled during a launch event on Thursday, December 5, 2025, attended by ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS Marc Fonbaustier, and AFD Country Director in Nigeria Jacky Amprou.

One of the projects receiving support is the West Africa Milk Offensive Support Project (PAOLAO), which has been allocated €11 million. The initiative seeks to strengthen local milk value chains, building on the 2020 Milk Offensive strategy, and aims to double regional milk production by 2030 while boosting processing and consumption. By 2035, PAOLAO plans to increase the incorporation of local milk in dairy products to 20–25 percent.

The five-year project (2023–2028) will directly support 15 local milk collection initiatives and nine additional programs, aiming to reduce dependence on imported dairy products enriched with vegetable fats while creating jobs for youth in the dairy sector.

Additionally, the launch featured the signing of a financing agreement for the Regional Project to Strengthen a Platform of Solutions in Support of Pastoralism and Livestock Farming in West Africa (PEPISAO II), with a budget of €7 million. Building on the success of its first phase, which concluded in 2024, Phase II (2025–2029) aims to enhance social cohesion, climate resilience, and conflict resolution, operationalizing the Regional Strategy for Livestock Development and Pastoral System Security endorsed by the Nouakchott+10 Declarations in November 2024.

ECOWAS emphasized that these projects are crucial for maximizing the economic, social, and environmental benefits of livestock farming, particularly pastoralism. AFD’s contribution, as the lead donor for ECOWAP, is particularly significant at a time when regional integration is critical.

In a statement, the ECOWAS Commission highlighted the strategic importance of livestock systems, noting that they provide food and nutrition security while serving as the second-largest source of intra-community trade in local products. These systems underpin livestock markets, collection centers, and mini-dairies, bolstering the region’s economic resilience.

Aligned with ECOWAS’s vision of “An ECOWAS of the Peoples, Peace and Prosperity for All by 2050,” these projects aim not only to create employment opportunities but also to strengthen social cohesion across communities in West Africa.

“Any action that consolidates and secures the foundations for livestock development, providing decent jobs and income for young people, is strongly encouraged,” the Commission concluded.