The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission), through its Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (ARAA), with support from the European Union (EU) and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), convened a high-level Regional Policy Dialogue from 13 to 14 November 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria.

Bringing together government representatives, researchers, private sector actors, and development partners for a two-day consultation aimed at placing scientific evidence at the centre of agricultural policy-making across West Africa and the Sahel.

Organised within the framework of the PRISMA Programme, an EU and AECID co-funded initiative implemented by ARAA, Enabel, the Spanish Cooperation (AECID), and LuxDev, the Dialogue provided a platform to present key lessons learned from four years of implementation and to discuss how PRISMA tools, data, and innovations can be integrated into national and regional policies to strengthen livestock systems, improve food safety, and enhance the resilience of vulnerable agro-pastoral communities.

In his welcome remarks, the Director of the Technical Office of the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development, Dr. Peter Alike, representing the host country, reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing a coordinated regional response to challenges linked to pastoral resource scarcity, feed quality, climate shocks, and emerging zoonotic threats. He noted that, in a context of rapid population growth and rising demand for animal products, “aligning national strategies with robust regional scientific evidence is essential to safeguard food and nutrition security and to build more resilient livelihoods for farmers and pastoralists.”

Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS Commission, the Acting Executive Director of ARAA, Mr. Konlani Kanfitin, underlined that the Dialogue is an opportunity to move from research findings to policy action. “PRISMA is one of the most comprehensive programmes currently supporting transformation in the agro-pastoral sector,” he said. “This Regional Policy Dialogue allows us to consolidate lessons learned, identify realistic policy options, and work with Member States to scale up innovations tested on the ground, so that they become part of national policies and regional strategies.”

Also speaking on behalf of Enabel, Niger Republic Country office, the Acting Country Director, Mr. Elmounzer Ag Jiddou, highlighted the importance of sustained, evidence-based cooperation. “Over the past four years, PRISMA has generated tools, methodologies, and scientific evidence that can directly inform decision-making,” he emphasised. “The real measure of success will be our collective ability to institutionalise these results so they are used by policymakers, service providers, and local actors well beyond the lifetime of the programme.”

The General Coordinator of the Spanish Cooperation with ECOWAS, Mr. Santiago Ormeno Garcia, reaffirmed AECID’s continued commitment to working alongside ECOWAS and its Member States. “PRISMA has shown that when research, institutions, and communities work together, it is possible to design practical solutions that improve animal health, feed quality, and public health outcomes,” he noted. “The Spanish Cooperation remains committed to supporting ECOWAS in sustaining these efforts, strengthening advocacy, and ensuring that the knowledge generated continues to guide policies at national and regional levels.”

Throughout the two days, participants will review advances in pastoral resource mapping, livestock feed governance and traceability, drought-risk insurance, and strategies to reduce aflatoxin contamination in feed and milk. Discussions also focused on documenting and sharing lessons learned, identifying priority policy measures for Member States, and agreeing on mechanisms for integrating PRISMA results into national planning frameworks and ECOWAS agricultural policies in a sustainable manner.

The Dialogue will culminate in the adoption of a regional roadmap outlining how PRISMA innovations and policy recommendations can be advanced through national reforms, regional harmonisation, and targeted advocacy and communication. The roadmap is expected to strengthen coordination between governments, technical agencies, and development partners while ensuring that the voices and needs of producers and pastoral communities remain central to decision-making.

By leveraging scientific evidence and field experience to inform policy choices, the Regional Policy Dialogue reinforces ECOWAS’ commitment to promoting agricultural transformation, enhancing food and nutrition security, and advancing the objectives of ECOWAS Vision 2050 for a safer, more resilient, and more prosperous West Africa.

To recall, the ECOWAS PRISMA Project is a research and innovation initiative aimed at transforming agro-pastoral systems in West Africa, making them more productive, resilient, and healthy in the face of climate change. Implemented in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, the project focuses on improving pastoral resource management, increasing access to quality livestock feed, and reducing zoonotic diseases in the dairy sector. PRISMA is also designed to ensure that research findings are effectively communicated to policymakers and local stakeholders to inform national and regional policies.