The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has received a financial boost of €18 million from the French Development Agency (AFD) to support the implementation of two key regional projects aimed at transforming agriculture and livestock sectors in West Africa.

These projects are part of the larger framework to implement the Regional Agricultural Policy (ECOWAP) and the regional strategy for livestock development and securing pastoral systems across West Africa and the Sahel.

Naijaonpoint reports that the development was announced during a launch event held yesterday, Thursday, 5th December 2025, attended by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Omar Alieu Touray, the French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, and the AFD Country Director in Nigeria, Jacky Amprou.

One of the projects benefiting from the financial support is the West Africa Milk Offensive Support Project (PAOLAO), which has received a total of €11 million.

The project aims to promote local milk value chains in the region, building on the Milk Offensive strategy adopted in 2020.

This initiative targets maximising the region’s potential to double its milk production by 2030 while boosting local processing and consumption. PAOLAO seeks to raise the incorporation rate of local milk in dairy products to 20–25 per cent by 2035.

The five-year project (2023–2028) will directly support 15 local milk collection initiatives and nine additional projects. It aims to reduce the region’s reliance on imported dairy products enriched with vegetable fats, while creating job opportunities for youth in the local dairy sector.

In addition to the PAOLAO project, the launch event also featured the signing of a Financing Agreement for the Regional Project to Strengthen a Platform of Solutions in Support of Pastoralism and Livestock Farming in West Africa (PEPISAO II). With a budget of €7 million, PEPISAO II builds on the successes of its first phase, which concluded in late 2024.

Phase II, running from 2025 to 2029, aims to further the development of social cohesion, climate resilience, and conflict resolution in West Africa and the Sahel.

This phase will operationalise the Regional Strategy for Livestock Development and Securing Pastoral Systems, as endorsed by the Nouakchott+10 Declarations in November 2024.

The ECOWAS Commission emphasised that these projects are integral to maximising the economic, social, and environmental benefits of livestock farming, particularly pastoral farming.

The French Development Agency’s contribution, which also serves as the lead donor for ECOWAP, is seen as crucial at a time when regional integration in West Africa is more important than ever.

In a statement, the ECOWAS Commission noted that livestock farming systems are vital not only for food and nutrition security but also for intra-community trade in local products.

“Livestock farming systems are not only the backbone of food and nutrition security for populations but also the second largest source of intra-community trade in local products,” the Commission said.

These systems help facilitate the operation of numerous livestock markets, collection centres, and mini dairies, contributing to the economic resilience of the region.

The projects are also aligned with ECOWAS’s vision of fostering “An ECOWAS of the Peoples, Peace and Prosperity for All by 2050.”

In the current context of regional security, economic, and socio-political challenges, any initiative that strengthens the livestock sub-sector and creates decent jobs for young people is encouraged.

The Commission highlighted that these projects will not only provide employment opportunities but also foster social cohesion among communities in West Africa.

“Any action that contributes to consolidating and securing the foundations for the development of the livestock sub-sector and making it a source of decent jobs and income for young people is strongly encouraged,” the statement concluded.

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