As part of its willingness to encourage and support the development of a strong private fertilizer
sector in West Africa, the ECOWAS Commission met with members of the West African Fertilizer
Association (WAFA) in Mali.
This exchange, which took place in the evening of 5 November 2020, focused on the
commitment that the ECOWAS Commission has made to facilitate the development of a winning
partnership between WAFA and the ECOWAS Investment Bank (EBID) for the funding of private
sector fertilizer projects in West Africa.
According to Sékou Sangaré, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water
Respources, of the ECOWAS Commission, the “processing of this dossier is well advanced at
EBID. As a matter of fact, the mandate between WAFA and the bank has already been signed. The
Bank's Board of Directors has also given go-ahead for the establishment of a line of credit of
nearly $520 million”. This amount, he said should help finance, among others, fertilizer import
projects, the purchase of trucks and other equipment for logistics and transport, and the
construction of storage facilities.
Considering the high interest aroused by this initiative among partners, such as Germany and
the Arab Republics, Commissioner Sangaré encouraged WAFA members in Mali to speed up the
preparation and submission of relevant and bankable projects to EBID for financing. He once
again reiterated the readiness of the ECOWAS Commission to support any initiative aimed at the
development of the private fertilizer sector particularly, and that of other development sectors
in general.
WAFA was born from the will of the fertilizer sector players in the region to join forces to meet
the fertilizers challenges. It dates from December 2015, but the desire to unite goes back to long
ago. It aims to promote access to availability, affordability, timing and efficient use of quality
and appropriate fertilizers among the farming population of West Africa.
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