Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has urged West African countries to deepen cooperation in the rice sector as part of efforts to reduce the region’s annual $3.5 billion rice import bill.
Speaking at a high-level ministerial dialogue during the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF), Dumelo said stronger collaboration across the region could help countries increase local rice production, improve food security and create more jobs.
He stressed that no single country could address the challenges facing the rice value chain on its own.
“It’s important that West Africa collaborates on the rice value chain because no country is an island,” he said.
West African countries collectively spend more than $3.5 billion every year importing rice, despite the region having significant potential to expand domestic production.
Dumelo said Ghana, Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Sierra Leone were already working together to improve rice production, but maintained that greater efforts were needed to reduce the region’s dependence on imports.
According to him, the ultimate goal should be to produce enough rice locally to meet demand across the region.
“The main aim is that we should be able to be self-sufficient in rice production so that we stop the imports and create more jobs,” he stated.
The Deputy Minister also stressed that governments could not achieve that objective without the active participation of farmers and private sector players.
“It has to be a collaborative effort between government and farmers,” he noted.
He called for increased cooperation across the entire rice value chain, including access to quality farm inputs, modern technology, affordable financing, efficient processing facilities and adequate storage.
He also identified transportation and access to reliable markets as important areas requiring regional attention.
Dumelo said improving these areas collectively would help West African countries build a more competitive rice industry while reducing their exposure to imported food products.
Rice remains one of the most widely consumed staples in West Africa, making increased domestic production important for the region’s long-term food security.
Reducing rice imports could also help participating countries conserve foreign exchange, create employment opportunities, raise farmers’ incomes and strengthen local agricultural industries.
Dumelo’s call forms part of broader efforts to encourage African countries to rely more on local food production and reduce their vulnerability to global food supply disruptions.
