“Up-Rice-ing!” WORLD BANK, ECOWAS & GHANA GOV’T JOIN FORCES TO TACKLE RICE GAPS IN WEST AFRICA

The World Bank, in partnership with the Government of Ghana and the ECOWAS Commission is convening the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable in Accra, Ghana, from 3-4 June 2026, under the theme “Setting the Vision, Presenting Investment Opportunities”

The event, which will host regional leaders, development partners, and private investors, aims to mobilize financing and partnerships to accelerate the implementation of a Regional Rice Roadmap (2025–2035) which was endorsed by ECOWAS Heads of State, in a bold move to strengthen the rice value chain and advance regional self-sufficiency in West Africa. The Roadmap outlines investment needs of US$15–19 billion in capital and US$4–5 billion in operating costs. 

This Roundtable builds on the World Bank’s AgriConnect initiative which seeks to transform agribusiness and improve livelihoods for 250 million smallholder farmers globally by 2030. 

GRAIN DRAIN

Rice is West Africa’s fastest-growing staple, accounting for nearly 40% of cereal consumption. Despite rising demand of 4% annually, domestic production growth remains at 3%, leaving the region 61% self-sufficient and reliant on imports costing US$3.5 billion in 2021 alone.

In December 2024 in Abuja, ECOWAS Heads of State endorsed the Regional Rice Roadmap (2025–2035) - a unified framework. Its implementation requires an estimated US$15–19 billion in capital investments and US$4–5 billion in operating costs. Key areas of investment identified were storage, milling, mechanization, irrigation, input systems, and access to finance. 

Since then, all ECOWAS Member States have taken significant steps forward. Each country has developed and validated a National Rice Investment Action Plan, aligned with its National Rice Development Strategy (NRDS). 

MORE GRIST!

With National Action Plans finalized, the Roundtable will mark a decisive transition from planning to investment mobilization, positioning countries to absorb capital and accelerate implementation of the Regional Rice Roadmap through concrete commitments, scalable PPPs, and a Regional Rice Investment Compact.