The President of the Regional Committee for Pesticides and Seed Control in West Africa (CRSPAOS), Dr Robert Chakanda, has stressed the need for bold leadership and targeted investment to address the challenges confronting the region’s seed sector.
Despite successes in harmonising seed regulations, Dr Chakanda indicated that infrastructure weaknesses, research gaps, and limited financing for seed enterprises continue to hinder the sector's progress.
He emphasised that women and youth, who are the backbone of agricultural communities, faced significant barriers to entry, finance and opportunity, adding that informal seed systems, while vital, lacked recognition and support.
However, Dr Chakanda believed that these challenges could be transformed into opportunities with collective action and unwavering political will.
He also strongly endorsed the Inclusive Seed Sector Strategy 2022-2031 championed by AfricaSeeds, which recognises the importance of inclusiveness in the seed sector.
“The strategy calls for active engagement of all seed actors, including public, private and smallholder sectors, while valuing the contributions of informal seed systems,” he said.
The President of the CRSPAOS was speaking at the 10th Ordinary Meeting of the Regional Committee of Seeds and Seedlings of West Africa and the Sahel Region in Accra last Monday.
Meeting
The three-day meeting was organised by CORAF, a sub-regional organisation made up of the national agricultural research systems of 23 countries in West and Central Africa, in collaboration with the ECOWAS, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS).
It welcomed over 60 participants from various countries in the ECOWAS and Sahel Region.
It aimed to review the implementation of the recommendations from the ninth session, held in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, last year, and to assess the progress made by ECOWAS-UEMOA-CILSS member countries in implementing harmonised regional seed regulations.
Certified seeds accessibility rate
Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, also emphasised that seeds were the foundation of agriculture and determined yield potential, crop resilience, nutritional content, and ultimately, the prosperity of farming communities.
He expressed concern over the low utilisation rate of certified seeds in Africa, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel.
Mr Dumelo indicated that current statistics showed that only 10-20 per cent of farmers in the region use certified seeds, compared to over 95 per cent in developed agricultural economies, affirming that this gap represented lost potential and millions of people facing food insecurity despite having solutions within reach.
The deputy minister called for action from member states to address the challenges facing the seed sector in West Africa and the Sahel to increase access to quality seeds to improve crop yields, enhance food security, and build resilient agricultural systems.
Speaking on behalf of the ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS, the Deputy Executive Secretary of CILSS, Dr Sylvain N. Ouedraogo, reaffirmed the commitment of the three organisations to support all stakeholders in implementing common regulations, not only in seeds but also in fertilisers, pesticides and biosafety.
“We are committed to achieving food and nutrition security, safeguarding ecosystems, adapting to climate change, and promoting market integration and economic growth in West Africa and the Sahel,” he said.
He expressed gratitude to technical and financial partners, as well as all operators and institutions working tirelessly to promote quality seeds and strengthen the harmonised seed regulatory framework in the ECOWAS sub-region.
