Turning ambition into action through robust regional collaborations, anchored in national strategies to drive job creation and a more resilient rice economy West African leaders and partners ended the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable with a clear and strong message: the reg …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, he explained that the initiative is designed to reduce Ghana’s heavy reliance on imported rice as well as stimulate local production capacity, improve market access for farmers, and attract investment into the rice …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, she said the conversation around rice goes beyond farming and should be viewed as part of a broader agenda for economic transformation and regional integration. …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, the World Bank Group’s Vice President for Planet, Guangzhen Chen, said the sub-region currently imports about 40 percent of the rice it eats at an annual cost of $5 billion. …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra on Tuesday, the Vice President said recent climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, export restrictions and trade tariffs had exposed the fragility of global food systems and underscored the dangers of excessive relian …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, Dr. Touray said the region’s growing appetite for rice continues to exceed local production despite years of investment and policy reforms. …
… Speaking at the opening of the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. …
… The new regime was announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Eric Opoku, at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, organised in partnership with the World Bank, ECOWAS Commission, and the African Development Bank. …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable on the theme “Mobilising Transformational Capital to Support West Africa’s Rice Agenda,” the Minister said rice smuggling continues to undermine local production and negatively impact the livelihoods of farmers. …
… Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable under the theme “Mobilising Transformational Capital to Support West Africa’s Rice Agenda,” the Vice President noted that countries in the region continue to face economic pressures from imported inflation, supply chain disru …
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.
Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku announced plans to introduce an import quota policy that ties rice importers' permits to demonstrated partnerships with Ghanaian rice producers, aiming to boost local production, reduce reliance on imports, and strengthen the domestic rice value chain.
Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang told the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra that African leaders should treat rice as a strategic economic asset, positioning it within broader economic transformation and regional integration agendas.
The World Bank Group's Vice President for Planet warned that West Africa's dependence on imported rice—currently 40 percent of regional consumption at $5 billion annually—poses food security and economic risks. He argued the region should leverage its arable land and farming population to grow more of its own staple food, and called for execution and financing of ECOWAS rice production initiatives.
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.
The Agriculture Minister announced plans for an inter-ministerial taskforce to strengthen surveillance and enforcement against illegal rice importation through unauthorized border routes, citing the impact on local farmers and domestic production.
Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang called for stronger investment in agriculture and resilient food systems to address rising food prices and food security across West Africa, citing imported inflation, supply chain disruptions, and exchange rate volatility as ongoing pressures.
West African countries spend about US$3 to 4 billion annually importing rice, a situation the Deputy Finance Minister describes as economically unsustainable and strategically untenable. He urged stakeholders to close the gap between production and consumption to create jobs, improve farmers' livelihoods, and reduce foreign exchange outflows.