ECOWAS Moves To Shield West Africa From Fertiliser Shock and Rising Prices
As global tensions continue to disrupt supply chains, West Africa is racing against time to prevent a looming food crisis driven by soaring fertiliser costs and volatile oil prices.
In response, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) convened an extraordinary virtual meeting of Ministers of Agriculture on 23 March 2026, bringing together regional institutions, technical experts, and financial partners to confront the growing threat to food security across the region and the Sahel.
The high-level meeting, coordinated by ECOWAS’ Department of Economic Affairs and Agriculture in collaboration with UEMOA and CILSS, focused on the ripple effects of international crises on fertiliser availability, a critical input for agricultural productivity.
Key outcomes from the meeting include a proposed medium- and long-term operational framework aimed at safeguarding food sovereignty.
Central to the strategy is the urgent signing of regional agreements to secure strategic fertiliser supplies and the creation of emergency reserves before prices escalate further.
Ministers also endorsed the introduction of liquidity swap arrangements through central banks to ease foreign exchange shortages faced by importers, a move seen as vital to stabilising supply chains and cushioning farmers across the region.
The initiative signals a coordinated regional push to avert deeper food insecurity, as West Africa grapples with external economic shocks beyond its control.
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