The three-day workshop (27-29 January 2026) on sharing the results of the implementation of the Innovative Regional Fruit Fly Control System in West Africa (SyRIMAO) project ended with ECOWAS, stakeholders and other key partners reaching a consensus on a series of conclusions and recommendations to be implemented.

                                                                                Keys findings
The SyRIMAO Project represents a major step towards integrating regional phytosanitary governance The discussions highlighted that SyRIMAO has gone beyond the scope of a purely technical project to become a regional institutional innovation, effectively linking research, surveillance, public action, and private-sector stakeholders.The establishment and operationalization of multi-stakeholder national committees, supported by a regional surveillance system covering the entire ECOWAS area, have led to a significant reduction in phytosanitary interceptions, reflecting a real improvement in sanitary compliance and the competitiveness of the mango value chain. However, the sustainability of this governance framework remains contingent upon stronger institutional and financial anchoring by Member States.

The regionalization of research has demonstrated scientific and operational relevance, but remains fragile The transformation of the National Center of Specialization - Fruits and Vegetables (NCS-FV) into a Regional Centre of Excellence (RCE-FV) and the harmonization of research protocols have enabled improved scientific coordination, pooling of expertise, and the generation of tangible outputs (approved technologies, publications, pilot orchards). Nevertheless, the discussions revealed persistent imbalances among countries, linked to unequal institutional commitments and to still partial ownership of results by national research and extension systems.

Socio-economic impacts are real, but scaling up remains the main challenge The project’s effects on incomes, employment (particularly for women), and value-chain structuring are well established. Testimonies from interprofessional organizations confirm the gradual uptake of technologies and surveillance mechanisms.However, the workshop clearly emphasized that the effective availability of technologies, their cost, large-scale dissemination, and their integration into viable business models currently constitute the critical link for transforming technical achievements into sustainable impacts at the regional level.

                                                                 Key recommendations

Ensure the long-term institutionalization of SyRIMAO achievements in national and regional policies It is imperative to formally integrate the mechanisms developed under the project (National Committees, surveillance systems, regional coordination) into national regulatory frameworks and into ECOWAS agricultural and phytosanitary policies, anchoring them within the Plant Protection Directorates (DPVs) and existing regional mechanisms such as the West African Committee for Pesticides Registration (COAHP).

Secure sustainable and endogenous financing mechanisms The sustainability of the model depends on consolidating internal financing mechanisms within the value chain, particularly interprofessional contributions (CFOs, export levies), broadening the collection base, and establishing transparent accountability mechanisms, in order to strengthen stakeholder trust and producer buy-in.

Fast-tracking the scaling-up and economic exploitation of newly developed technologies It is recommended to accelerate and finalize approval processes, clarify intellectual property regimes, and put in place robust marketing and dissemination strategies for the technologies, based on rigorous economic assessments and structured partnerships with the private sector.

Strengthen the regional surveillance system and the production of strategic knowledge The continuation and effective transfer of the surveillance system to RAAF must be accompanied by dedicated resources, enhanced use of collected data, harmonization of economic injury thresholds, and the regular production of policy briefs for decision-makers, in order to strengthen evidence-based policymaking.

Strengthen communication and dissemination of project achievements It is recommended to structure and intensify communication on the results, impacts, and lessons learned from the SyRIMAO project through the systematic dissemination of capitalization notes, audiovisual capsules, and knowledge products via institutional extension platforms, professional social networks, and ECOWAS regional channels. Communication should be audience-based (policymakers, technical services, interprofessional organizations, producers, private sector) and supported by advocacy tools (policy briefs, video capsules, capitalization notes) to enhance ownership of achievements and influence public policies.

Extend and adapt project achievements to other economically important crops and pests It is recommended to build on the methodological, institutional, and scientific experience of the SyRIMAO project to design scaling-up programs for other crops and pests of regional economic importance. This extension should be based on a comparative analysis of priority value chains, adaptation of existing research, surveillance, and governance mechanisms, and coordinated mobilization of States, regional research centers, and technical and financial partners, with a view to maximizing systemic effects and the return on public investment.

ECOWAS, through RAAF, is responsible for monitoring and implementing the above recommendations. 

                             Policy brief  👉 Here                    Brochure_Overview 👉 Here