AATF and ECOWAS have formed a partnership in the West African sub-region to address issues such as low agricultural productivity, food and nutritional insecurity, and the need for smallholder farmers to access life-changing technologies.
The leaders of both organizations met in Abuja on May 15, 2023, to discuss how to ensure food and nutrition security in the sub-region. ECOWAS recently raised an alarm about over 107 million people in the region experiencing nutrition and food insecurity, requiring urgent intervention.
During the meeting, Dr. Canisius Kanangire, the Executive Director of AATF, stated that AATF has demonstrated that Africa can change the prevailing narrative of hunger and poverty through the use of technologies. AATF’s focus is on empowering smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with agricultural innovations that can improve their families’ well-being and benefit all communities and countries.
Dr. Kanangire sought a sustainable partnership with ECOWAS to help farmers in the region become globally competitive through the adoption of technology.
Dr. Kanangire also briefed the ECOWAS Commission leadership on the progress made by AATF over the past decade, including its presence in 24 African countries, providing technological access to 4.8 million farmers, and engaging 47.3 million stakeholders through advocacy, outreach, and regulatory support.
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Additionally, AATF facilitated the production of over 30,000 metric tons of seeds for farmers, with 178,000 farmers accessing seed markets and 150 seed companies benefiting from capacity enhancement programs led by AATF.
Dr. Kanangire urged ECOWAS to harmonize key policies and laws to enable the free movement of acceptable technologies across the sub-region. This harmonization would allow farmers to maximize the benefits of technologies for enhanced productivity.
Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, stated that the Commission is working with various organizations to improve agricultural productivity in the sub-region.
He emphasized the need for collaboration between politicians, NGOs, farmers’ organizations, and other bodies to explore the possibilities and attain quick solutions to the challenges facing agriculture, farmers, and citizens in the region.
In a related development, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, former Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) in Nigeria, expressed gratitude to AATF for facilitating opportunities that led to his position as Nigeria’s chief biosafety regulator. Dr. Ebegba highlighted the importance of capacity development and education in effectively regulating modern biotechnology to ensure a food and nutrition-secure continent while prioritizing human, animal, and environmental safety.
Dr. Kanangire acknowledged Dr. Ebegba’s leadership in biosafety matters and the significant strides made by NBMA in regulating the safe handling and use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria. He commended Dr. Ebegba’s visionary approach, dedication, and compassion, which have made him a respected leader, mentor, and role model for those working in the field.
