Despite the sector’s very promising potential, regional trade in agricultural products is struggling to achieve truly sustained growth due to structural issues such as institutional inefficiency, inadequate infrastructure, inadequate financial markets, administrative barriers and political issues in the region. Faced with these bottlenecks, ECOWAS and its partners are working to improve the performance of this market.

As a reminder, according to a 2024 study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OCDE”) on the importance of intraregional trade in West Africa, intraregional trade in agricultural and food products in this area is estimated to be worth nearly US$10 billion per year, an estimate that includes “invisible” (unrecorded) flows.

The report highlights that this internal trade is a pillar of food security, nutrition and resilience to external shocks. These figures are not just statistics; they are realities that have a direct impact on the lives of millions of people in West Africa. They represent missed opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs and local communities.

To facilitate this trade, ECOWAS and its partners have put in place several tools to not only regulate the sector but also support stakeholders. These include, among others, the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (SLE), which aims at eliminating customs duties and taxes having equivalent effect on imports of products recognised as originating in Member States.

In this context and in view of regulatory developments, it was deemed necessary to update the draft reports and regulations proposed by a study conducted in 2019 to identify administrative and technical measures promoting the free movement of agricultural, forestry, pastoral and fishery products in West Africa. Lawyers, food and nutrition security experts, representatives of producer organisations, representatives of ECOWAS Member States, CILSS, UEMOA and development partners reviewed the updated draft regulations with a view to taking into account solutions to remove certain structural and functional constraints.

The draft regulations will soon be submitted to the ECOWAS Commission for amendment before being forwarded to Member States for consultation with the relevant stakeholders. The documents will then be submitted to the relevant experts for approval by the ECOWAS Council of Ministers. This extensive consultation process aims at ensuring ownership of the content of the texts and, consequently, their proper implementation once adopted by the regional authorities.