The Board of the World Bank has approved the third series of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), which is expected to promote regional collaboration to achieve regional policy harmonization, implement national and regional agricultural strategies for generating and disseminating technology and help reach the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region.
21 July 2011: The Board of the World Bank has approved the third series of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), which will include six new countries: Benin, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Togo. Total financing approved is US$83.3 million. The third series also will provide specific funding to the Mano River Union countries to rebuild their adaptive research and technology transfer capacities. The Manu River Union includes Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire.
WAAPP is expected to provide the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with a regional framework within which countries can collaborate in implementing national and regional agricultural strategies for generating, transfering and disseminating technology. It is expected that the WAAPP will further potential collaboration by developing specialized centers, which can also be used as regional knowledge-sharing centers.
Through the promotion of regional collaboration, it is hoped that the platform for regional policy harmonization will be strengthened, and that with the inclusion of six new countries, the WAAPP will contribute to achieving increased economic growth and help reach the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) in the region. [World Bank Press Release] [WAAPP Project Website]