The World Bank has thrown its weight behind a regional push to end West Africa's reliance on imported rice, but its message came with a condition. According to Milling Middle East & Africa, Chakib Jenane, Director of the Planet Department for West and Central Africa at the World Bank, said the region can cut import dependence only if countries strengthen production, processing, storage, and marketing across the entire value chain.
The Condition Attached
Jenane, speaking to Ecofin Agency during the Rice Investment Roundtable held in Accra from June 2 to 3, said West Africa's problem is underutilisation of strong agricultural assets rather than their absence. He argued that incremental steps are no longer enough and that the region must structure farms, group producers onto larger and more mechanisable areas, and widen access to credit, as reported by Milling MEA. He noted that yields per hectare in Senegal, Mali, and Nigeria are already comparable to those in Asia, but said producing more is not enough without better storage, processing, and marketing to make local rice competitive with imports.
The Numbers Behind the Pledge
The roundtable closed with the Accra Declaration, which sets a target of rice self-sufficiency in West Africa by 2035. Milling MEA reported that participating countries committed to doubling paddy production, raising average yields from 2.1 to 4.1 tonnes per hectare, reducing post-harvest losses to below 10%, and cutting import dependence to under 15%. The meeting secured $1.54 billion in financial commitments from investors and development partners, and ECOWAS expects to finalise a regional rice investment compact by September 2026.
Where Nigeria Fits
Nigeria is already a direct beneficiary of World Bank agricultural financing. The same report noted that the institution recently approved a $500 million programme for agricultural value chains and smallholder farmers in Nigeria, alongside $300 million for agricultural modernisation in Togo and additional projects being prepared for Guinea, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire. Jenane also tied the self-sufficiency case to food security, telling Milling MEA that successive crises, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the war in Ukraine and disruptions to maritime routes, have repeatedly raised the cost of inputs such as fertiliser.
Rice is one of the most closely watched staples in Lagos markets. FoodPrices Nigeria tracks rice prices across its market network, and the difference between a competitive domestic value chain and continued import dependence is the difference between stable and volatile prices on the shelf. FoodPrices Nigeria will monitor whether the Accra commitments move from pledge to paddy.