ECA convenes West African businesses to unlock rice value chains and strengthen regional food resilience

Online, 28 September 2026 (ECA) - The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), through its Subregional Office for West Africa (ECA/SRO-WA), has brought together Business Support Organisations (BSOs) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from across West Africa for a two-day Rice Value Chain Activation Programme, taking place virtually on 28–29 September 2026. The initiative, implemented under the West Africa Business Linkages Platform (WABLP) and aligned with the ECOWAS Regional Rice Programme, seeks to translate evidence and analysis into concrete commercial partnerships, stronger regional value chains and increased intra-regional trade in rice. Building on recent ECA analytical work, including the Assessment of the Rice and Cocoa Value Chains between Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana and the Impact of the War in Iran on West Africa, ECA has engaged more than 150 SMEs operating across the rice sector to better understand their constraints, market opportunities and support needs.The consultations have highlighted persistent barriers to the development of competitive regional rice value chains, particularly limited access to finance, market linkages, processing capacity and c...