Also known as: Dr. Touray · Dr. Omar Alieu Touray · H.E. Dr. Omar Alieu Touray · Dr Omar Alieu Touray · President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray · Dr Touray
… Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission noted that “Our ambition is clear: to build more competitive, inclusive, and sustainable agrifood systems that strengthen food sovereignty, create economic opportunities, contribute to shared prosperity, and progressively achi …
… The President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, said the Regional Rice Roadmap (2025–2035), adopted by ECOWAS Heads of State and government in 2024, provided a framework to guide investments towards achieving rice self-sufficiency in West Africa. …
… Omar Alieu Touray, placed the discussions within the broader regional agenda, describing rice as a strategic commodity central to food security, economic growth and regional integration. …
… Omar Alieu Touray, has warned that West Africa’s continued dependence on imported rice threatens the region’s food sovereignty, urging governments and investors to accelerate efforts towards rice self-sufficiency. …
… In a sharply worded letter signed by ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray, the regional body says Ghana’s new charges go against a binding decision aimed at reducing the cost of air travel across member states. …
West African leaders and partners at an investment roundtable in Ghana called for increased regional investment in rice production to improve food security, reduce imports, and create jobs, with a target of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2035. The roundtable identified investment opportunities across the rice value chain including irrigation, seed systems, machinery, milling, and storage.
Why it matters
West African leaders mobilize investment in rice production to achieve regional self-sufficiency by 2035, addressing food security and import dependence.
West African leaders and partners at an investment roundtable in Ghana called for increased regional investment in rice production to improve food security, reduce imports, and create jobs, with a target of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2035. The roundtable identified investment opportunities across the rice value chain including irrigation, seed systems, machinery, milling, and storage.
Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang opened a two-day ECOWAS Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, calling on West Africa to view rice farming as a strategic economic asset focused on youth, incomes and economic resilience. She noted that the region spends more than $50 billion annually on food imports, with rice accounting for a significant portion, despite possessing fertile land, water resources and entrepreneurial farmers.
Vice President Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called on African countries to take greater control of their food systems by investing strategically in agriculture, reducing dependence on food imports and strengthening regional cooperation. She noted that Africa spends more than US$50 billion annually on food imports despite having fertile land and abundant water resources, and stressed that transforming agriculture into a modern commercial industry is essential for job creation and economic growth.
The ECOWAS Commission President warned that West Africa's dependence on imported rice threatens food sovereignty, noting that despite a 44 percent increase in regional rice production between 2008 and 2024, demand still outstrips local supply. He urged governments and investors to accelerate efforts towards rice self-sufficiency and develop regional value chains to create jobs and strengthen economic resilience.
ECOWAS aims to achieve regional rice self-sufficiency by 2035 and is urging governments, investors and development partners to accelerate financing. The region currently produces only 61 percent of the rice it consumes, with supply gaps widening despite a 44 percent increase in rice output between 2008 and 2024.
Ghana's government announced a new policy requiring rice importers to demonstrate verifiable partnerships with local rice producers before receiving import permits, aiming to accelerate progress toward self-sufficiency and reduce the import bill.
ECOWAS has objected to Ghana's new airport taxes, saying they contradict a binding 2024 decision to abolish air transport levies and reduce aviation charges across West Africa by January 2026. The regional body warned that Ghana's $18 security charge on return tickets and an Airport Infrastructure Development Levy move counter to efforts to make regional air travel more affordable.