The
New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Agency and the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, with the technical
support of the Centre for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the
European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM), ended a three-day
joint workshop on knowledge management with the focus on food and nutrition
security and agriculture development.
The
workshop was held at the King Fahd Palace Hotel in Dakar, Senegal,
The
aim and objective of the workshop was to strengthen the conceptual value of
knowledge management in agriculture development, and the inter-linkages between
food and nutrition security and agriculture value chain development paying
dedicated attention to skills development among youths.
In
his opening remarks on the occasion, Simon Kisira, the representative of the
NEPAD agency, expressed the commitment of
his agency in the implementation of the CAADP and, in particular, the
Malabo Declaration of 2014, which seeks to make food and nutrition security a
reality through an elaborate programme of knowledge management in the
agriculture sector.
Also
speaking on the occasion was the ECOWAS Commission representative, Ernest
Aubee, who emphasised the importance and timeliness of the workshop in the
ECOWAS region.
He
highlighted the adoption of the ECOWAP (2016-2025), the development of new
generation of National Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIPs) and the Regional
Agriculture Investment Plan (RAIP), as well as initiatives of the ECOWAS
Commission to develop the food and nutrition sector in the region in a holistic
and coordinated manner.
He
further stated that the workshop was able to develop an agreed roadmap
follow-up actions to strengthen knowledge management in CAADP implementation in
the ECOWAS region.
The
workshop also developed a range of knowledge products relevant to the region
and the ECOWAS member states on agricultural value chains, post-harvest
management, youth capacity development, agricultural investments and the
development of rice value chains, he stated.
The
knowledge management products included policy briefs, infographics and fact
sheets.
According
to Mr Aubee, the workshop also agreed on the setting up of a Community of
Practice (CoP) on food and nutrition security in the ECOWAS region.
The
workshop brought together senior officials from the member states who serve as
focal points of the ECOWAP/CAADP process, as well as experts in agriculture
extension, agricultural and vocational education and skills development.
Mr
Aubee said the workshop outcomes would feed into the process of development of
the second generation of Regional Agriculture Investment Plan (RAIP) and National
Agriculture Investment Plans (NAIP) in the ECOWAS region.
The
recommendations of the workshop “will be jointly implemented by the NEPAD
Agency, ECOWAS Commission and member states”.