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The Economic Community of West African States has called for urgent measures to address the worsening food crisis in West Africa and the Sahel, warning that millions could face severe hunger if proactive steps are not taken.
Speaking at the third meeting of the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve Management Committee in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stressed the importance of food reserves in tackling food insecurity in the region.
Kyari, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Marcus Ogunbiyi, acknowledged the efforts of ECOWAS leaders in establishing the Regional Food Reserve Initiative in 2013, describing it as a crucial intervention for food security.
“This meeting is taking place at a particularly worrying moment for our region,” he said.
The minister, who also chairs the committee, pointed to conflicts, economic instability, and climate change as major factors worsening food shortages.
Citing data from the December 2024 Cadre Harmonisé report, he stated, “Nearly 34.7 million people are in immediate need of food and nutritional assistance.”
He stressed the need for enhanced strategies, increased sovereign financing, and better management of food reserves to curb market volatility and improve food security.
Kyari noted, “The food security situation has worsened due to conflicts, economic instability, and the devastating impact of climate change.
“This calls for a concerted effort to boost food production, enhance strategic food storage, and stabilise market prices while strengthening the administration and management of the regional food reserve.”
Kyari highlighted progress made since the food security reserve was established, including capacity building, early warning systems, and emergency food assistance.
The reserve currently holds over 74,000 tonnes of food stored across the region for emergency deployment.
However, he called for improvements in the reserve’s governance, operational efficiency, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure a more effective response to food crises.
He said, “It is crucial to ensure that the instruments and governance of the regional food security reserve are aligned with the challenges we face and our ambitions for the region.
“As such, we must strengthen the decision-making process and enhance monitoring of the reserve’s operations and interventions.”
Kyari urged committee members and stakeholders to actively contribute to discussions on operational plans and emergency response strategies, expressing confidence that the meeting would yield solutions to strengthen the region’s food security framework.
Nigeria, he assured, remains committed to supporting regional food security initiatives.
In her remarks, ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandjé Toure-Litse, warned that food insecurity could escalate if urgent measures are not implemented.
“If appropriate measures are not taken, this figure could reach 47 million by the lean season from June to August 2025,” she cautioned.
Toure-Litse, represented by Acting Executive Director of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food, Mohamed Zongo, listed geopolitical shifts, conflicts, economic instability, and climate change as key drivers of the crisis.
She called for a strengthened regional response while laying the foundation for long-term resilience.
“It is imperative that our region enhances its immediate response mechanisms while consolidating the foundations of sustainable resilience,” she said.
She also acknowledged that while the Management Committee had not met regularly in recent years, the Bureau formed at the December 2019 meeting had held three sessions since March 2023.
The current meeting, she noted, aimed to assess the Reserve’s operations over the past year and chart a course for 2025 to support communities hardest hit by food, nutrition, and pastoral crises.
“Our discussions and decisions must ensure transparency, efficiency, and fairness in managing the Reserve while adapting it to present and future challenges,” she added.
Toure-Litse commended the continued support from national and regional institutions, as well as international partners, including the French Development Agency, the World Bank, the European Union, and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation.
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