The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with regional experts and member states, has begun a crucial Regional Workshop with the goal of developing strategic action plans for the effective monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of the ECOWAP programme. This workshop, hosted at the Newton Park Annex Hotel in Abuja, Nigeria, will run from November 27 to December 1, 2023, and aims to assist participants in making significant improvements to the region’s agricultural development framework.
The workshop was inaugurated by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security of the Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Ernest A. Umakhihe, represented by Mrs. Kalthume U. Ibrahim, Director of the Collaboration and Partnership Department of Planning and Policy Coordination of FMARD. The need for accelerated agricultural growth was emphasized, along with better budget management, realistic action plans, and resource mobilization. The alignment of efforts with regional goals, spotlighting Nigeria’s agricultural policies, and outlining priority actions for achieving food security, poverty alleviation, and inclusive development were also addressed.
Mrs. Fatmata Lucia Seiwoh, ECOWAP/CAADP Monitoring & Evaluation Programme Officer, Directorate of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), ECOWAS COMMISSION, presented a comprehensive overview of the workshop’s objectives and the rationale behind the strategic focus on translating recommendations from National Agricultural Investment Plans M&E implementations, Regional Joint Sector Reviews, and Continental Biennial reporting on agricultural growth and transformation into actionable plans.
Mr. Koffi Amegbeto, Senior Policy Officer and Programme Delivery Manager, FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF), emphasized the timeliness of the workshop in view of the upcoming adoption of the fourth Biennial Review Report and the calls for moving from rhetoric to action, referring to the Political Declaration of world Leaders at the SDG Summit in September 2023. He stressed the importance of developing action tracks based on evidence from the Biennial and Joint-Sector Reviews, as well as M&E of National Agriculture Investment Plans.
This technical workshop represents a joint effort by ECOWAS and its partners, especially USAID and FAO, to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, fostering sustainable agricultural development and growth throughout the region.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).