-Mobilization of Resources For Rice Self-sufficiency By 2035 Tops Meeting
“Mobilizing resources to achieve rice self-sufficiency in West Africa”, is the theme of the Round Table on Investment in the Rice Sector in West Africa, which was opened on Tuesday 2 June 2026 in Accra, the capital of Ghana, by Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, Vice-President of Ghana.
The two days conference which ends June 3 June 2026 was organized by the Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture of the ECOWAS Commission, with the support of the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
A dispatch from Ghana says Roundtable aims to mobilise public, private and blended finance to accelerate the implementation of national and regional action plans for investment in the rice sector, thereby advancing ECOWAS’s goal of achieving regional self-sufficiency in rice by 2035.
Highlights of the roundtable’s opening ceremony included addresses by Eric Opoku, Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, H.E. Thomas Nyarko Ampem, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Guangzhe Chen, Vice-President for the Global Environment at the World Bank, Mr Richard Ofori-Mante, Director of the Agricultural Finance and Rural Development Department at the African Development Bank, as well as a presentation on the ‘Vision for Rice Self-Sufficiency in West Africa by 2035’ by Dr Kalilou Sylla, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture.
In his address during the roundtable discussion, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, noted that “ ECOWAS’ ambition is to establish competitive, inclusive and sustainable agri-food systems that strengthen food sovereignty, create jobs and promote shared prosperity, whilst achieving regional self-sufficiency in rice by 2035”. In his view, this round table marks a decisive moment as it must serve as a catalyst for action. Delivering the official opening address at the Round Table on behalf of John Dramani Mahama, President of Ghana, Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang pointed out that, beyond the issue of rice, the meeting raises questions regarding economic transformation, regional integration and Africa’s ability for self-sufficiency with dignity.
