FAO Rallies Partners To Strengthen Food Security In West Africa

ILESANMI OLUKEMI MOTURAYO

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in collaboration with stakeholders, has unveiled the Hand-in-Hand (HIH) Subregional Investment Forum to promote agricultural transformation and tackle poverty, hunger and inequality.

Mrs. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, FAO Subregional Coordinator for West Africa, made this known on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, in Abuja.

She said the initiative offered a pathway to unlock solutions to complex and interconnected challenges bedeviling agrifood systems in the region.

According to her, such challenges include climate change, water scarcity, land degradation, food insecurity and youth unemployment.

She explained that the HIH initiative, spearheaded by FAO Director-General, Qu Dongyu, is rooted in solidarity, science and strategic partnerships, and is designed to accelerate agricultural transformation across member states.

Stephen-Tchicaya stressed that the platform and its data lab serve as global public goods to support evidence-based planning, while helping countries identify investment areas with the greatest economic, social and environmental impact.

“With 80 active countries already engaged globally, including 37 in Africa, the initiative is country-owned and country-led, built on a territorial approach.

“It leverages cutting-edge geospatial tools and data analytics to identify high-impact investment opportunities,” she said.

She added that the Abuja forum provides a strategic platform to translate priorities into action.

“Over the next two days, we will review the regional investment plan, country-specific proposals and innovative financing mechanisms. It will serve as a space for matchmaking between countries and partners,” she said.

Stephen-Tchicaya emphasised that the initiative aims to mobilise the needed investments to fight poverty and malnutrition, noting that nearly one in five people in Africa; about 307 million, still experienced hunger in 2024.

She urged governments, development banks, private investors and civil society to explore ways of mobilising resources and reducing investment risks.

She added that sustainable partnerships were needed to deliver both commercial returns and inclusive development outcomes for the region.

On irrigation, she noted that it was not merely a technical solution but also a strategic enabler of resilience and food sovereignty.

“The investment cases we will discuss will demonstrate how irrigation can enhance productivity, build resilience against climate change and empower communities,” she said.

She noted FAO’s outstanding experience in supporting irrigation globally and in the sub-region.

She said by organising the forum, FAO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting irrigation in West Africa and the Sahel, while calling for collaboration to achieve results on a larger scale.

“Partnerships are the cornerstone of success. FAO and governments alone cannot do it. We need the private sector, financial institutions, research bodies and civil society to co-invest, co-design and co-implement solutions,” she added.

Stephen-Tchicaya also commended the Federal Government for hosting the landmark event and reaffirming its commitment to agricultural transformation and regional cooperation.

Participants at the HIH forum include 10 Sahel countries; Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal, alongside sub-regional organisations such as CILSS and ECOWAS.