From 29 to 31 August 2023, the ECOWAS Commission held a regional workshop in Cotonou (Benin) to discuss the final evaluation and capitalisation study of Phase I and the formulation of Phase II of the West African Livestock Marketing Support Programme (PACBAO). The three reports presented were reviewed by the various parties involved in the implementation of the Programme.

The 3-day discussions enabled participants to assess, on the one hand, the overall performance, and results of the Programme in terms of relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, viability, and impact, and to highlight, on the other hand, the experiences developed, the good practices generated, and the lessons learned. The update on the implementation of the PACBAO Programme also offer stakeholders the possibility to review the technical proposal for a phase 2 towards consolidating the achievements and scaling-up the good practices.

The Support Programme for Livestock Marketing in West Africa, which has been implemented since 2018 under the coordination of the ECOWAS Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), with the technical and financial support from the Swiss Confederation, aims to promote livestock farmers' access to remunerative markets, thereby making livestock farming more attractive, a source of jobs and income, particularly for young people and women in West Africa.

The support from the Swiss Confederation is a contribution to livestock investment and development programme in coastal countries (PRIDEC) as part of ECOWAP 2025, the ECOWAS Agricultural Policy.

Among other achievements, the programme has made it possible to:

• Sstrengthen the institutional and operational capacities of ECOWAS and stakeholders such as the Confédération des Fédérations Nationales de la Filière Bétail et viande de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (COFENABVI).
• Develop strategies and regulations to improve animal health and hygiene.
• Finance the implementation of 16 innovative initiatives grouped under three major thematic areas, namely: i) intensification of the production of quality meat animals, ii) modernisation of livestock and meat trade and iii) strengthening of business links among players along the value chain.

Experiences and good practices of the field projects have been capitalised with a view to feeding future projects, programmes, and strategies in Member States.

Main lessons learned include:

• Close collaboration with local partners, from the identification of actions and beneficiaries to project implementation, helps to ensure that players involved take ownership of what has been achieved.
• The fact that project teams and implementing partners operate as a consortium is a source of learning and experience sharing, participatory approach and empowerment of local players and partners ensure ownership, proper implementation of activities and changes in behaviour.
• The need for evidence-based advocacy to facilitate commitment of government departments and scaling up of good practice.
• Involvement of women and young people in livestock and meat value chains improves their access to decent jobs and substantial incomes.

The results and lessons learnt, specifically innovations and good practices resulting from field projects, need to be consolidated and scaled up for greater and more sustainable impact. The 5-year Phase II of the programme is meant to start in 2024.

Through this programme, the ECOWAS Commission aims to find sustainable solutions to stakeholders’ challenges in the livestock sub-sector, particularly in livestock/meat value chains.

Press Release