Vice President Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang has called for increased investment in the rice sector to strengthen food security and drive agricultural transformation across West Africa.
Speaking at the West Africa Rice Investment Roundtable organised by the ECOWAS Commission, she joined regional stakeholders, development partners, and investors to discuss food security and agricultural transformation in the region.
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She said the conversation was fundamentally about Africa’s ability to feed itself, strengthen its economic resilience, and reduce vulnerabilities associated with excessive dependence on food imports.
According to her, rice, as one of the most consumed staple foods in West Africa, presents a strategic opportunity for economic transformation, industrial growth, and job creation.
The Vice President noted that the Government’s Reset Agenda is anchored in growing more of what the country consumes and reducing import dependency. She said investment in the rice sector would help strengthen food security while creating value across the agricultural chain.
She stressed that West Africa must begin to view rice as a strategic economic asset capable of driving rural development, employment, and regional prosperity.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said Africa possesses some of the world’s youngest populations, vast arable land, and immense agricultural potential.
She added that as global food systems evolve and supply chains are reconfigured, the continent has a unique opportunity to position itself as a major agricultural powerhouse through the mobilisation of capital, technology, and policy support.
She reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to working closely with ECOWAS, development partners, investors, and member states to advance the regional agenda, stating that the future of Africa’s food security must be grown on African soil, supported by African ingenuity, and driven by a shared commitment to sustainable development.
