The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has taken a major step to bolster food security, rural livelihoods, and social cohesion with the launch of two key agricultural initiatives.
The West Africa Milk Offensive Support Project (PAOLAO) was officially unveiled, while the financing agreement for the Regional Project to Strengthen a Platform of Solutions for Pastoralism and Livestock Farming in West Africa (PEPISAO II) was signed at a ceremony held at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters.
The event drew regional officials, diplomats from France, and agricultural stakeholders, underscoring the importance of partnerships in tackling the region’s development challenges.
ECOWAS Commission President, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, described the projects as central to transforming West Africa’s agricultural landscape, improving livelihoods, and reducing tensions linked to pastoralism and food scarcity. He highlighted the initiatives’ focus on empowering communities directly, supporting economic resilience, and fostering inclusive growth for women and youth.
“Success depends on strategic investment and strong collaboration. By increasing local milk production, supporting cross-border pastoral systems, and developing regional value chains, we aim to deliver tangible benefits to communities while laying the foundations for a peaceful, prosperous, and resilient ECOWAS by 2050,” Touray said.
Dr Sylla Kalilou, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, outlined the objectives of both initiatives, including better territorial governance, climate resilience, and conflict mitigation in the livestock sector. PAOLAO aims to double regional milk production by 2030, increase processing and consumption, and raise the use of local milk in industry to between 20% and 25% by 2035. The project also plans to collect at least a quarter of milk output for regional processing, strengthen local value chains, and encourage investment from both public and private sectors.
French support for the projects was highlighted by Ambassador Marc Fonbaustier and Jacky Amprou, Country Director of the French Development Agency (AFD) in Nigeria. The AFD is contributing €18 million ($20.96 million) to support these initiatives, with a focus on promoting political stability, peace, and social cohesion through productive pastoralism and livestock farming.
Livestock farming remains a vital driver of food and nutrition security across West Africa and represents the second-largest source of intra-community trade in local products. Markets, collection centres, and small-scale dairies linked to the sector play a key role in regional economies and the resilience of rural populations.
The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the PEPISAO II financing agreement and the launch of PAOLAO, highlighting ECOWAS’s leadership in translating policy into concrete development outcomes for communities, strengthening food security, and fostering sustainable economic growth.
–ChannelAfrica/ECOWAS–
