The third meeting of the Management Committee of the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve commenced on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in Abuja, Nigeria, bringing together key stakeholders to address the worsening food crisis across West Africa.
The two-day meeting, set to conclude on March 19, aims to evaluate the progress of the Food Reserve since 2023 and map out interventions for 2025 amid escalating regional and global geopolitical tensions. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has raised alarms about the deteriorating food situation in West Africa and the Sahel, warning that millions could face severe hunger without immediate intervention.
Speaking at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, emphasized the critical role of food reserves in mitigating the crisis. Drawing from data in the December 2024 Cadre Harmonisé report, Kyari revealed that “nearly 34.7 million people are in immediate need of food and nutritional assistance.”
Kyari underscored the significance of the ECOWAS Regional Food Reserve Initiative, which was established in 2013 to combat food insecurity in the region.
“This calls for a concerted effort to boost food production, enhance strategic food storage, and stabilize market prices while strengthening the administration and management of the regional food reserve.”
Abubakar Kyari
Kyari highlighted notable achievements since the inception of the Regional Food Security Reserve, including capacity-building initiatives, early warning systems, and emergency food deployment. Presently, over 74,000 tonnes of food are stored across the region for emergency relief.
However, he stressed the need for enhanced governance, operational efficiency, and improved monitoring of the reserve.
“It is crucial to ensure that the instruments and governance of the regional food security reserve are aligned with the challenges we face and our ambitions for the region.”
Abubakar Kyari
He urged committee members and stakeholders to actively participate in shaping operational plans and emergency response strategies.
Food Crisis Could Affect 47 Million by Mid-2025
ECOWAS Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Massandjé Toure-Litse, reinforced the urgency of the situation. She warned that food insecurity could impact up to 47 million people by the next lean season, between June and August 2025.
“If appropriate measures are not taken, this figure could reach 47 million,” she cautioned, attributing the crisis to geopolitical tensions, conflicts, economic instability, and the effects of climate change.
Toure-Litse stressed, “It is imperative that our region enhances its immediate response mechanisms while consolidating the foundations of sustainable resilience.”
She noted that while the Management Committee had not convened regularly in recent years, the Bureau formed in December 2019 had met three times since March 2023. The current meeting aims to assess recent operations and set a strategic direction for 2025, with a focus on supporting communities most affected by food, nutrition, and pastoral crises.
Toure-Litse expressed appreciation for the ongoing support from both regional and international partners, including the French Development Agency, the World Bank, the European Union, and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation.
“Our discussions and decisions must ensure transparency, efficiency, and fairness in managing the Reserve while adapting it to present and future challenges.”
Massandjé Toure-Litse
Currently, ECOWAS in collaboration with Member States, Chad, and Mauritania, is working to strengthen rapid and sustainable response mechanisms through the Regional Food Security Reserve.
The Reserve aims to complement the efforts of Member States to provide rapid and sustainable food assistance to affected countries, promote regional solidarity, and contribute to food sovereignty and economic integration in West Africa.
As the food crisis worsens, ECOWAS and its partners are under increasing pressure to implement swift and effective interventions to prevent widespread hunger and ensure the region’s long-term food security.
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