FAO Regional Office for Africa

Renewed Partnership between FAO and AfricaRice

A long tradition of a shared common vision for the development of rice production in Africa

Mr. Bukar Tijani, FAO Regional Representative for Africa visiting the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). Photo credit: R.Raman, AfricaRice

29 October 2014 Cotonou, Benin – Following the recommendations of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) meetings, the Africa Union and the declarations of the AU Heads of States and Governments Summit, the FAO has embarked on the preparation of a regional programme for the development of rice production in Africa by seeking to build a broad partnership with governments, the private sector, research institutions, producer organizations and donors to develop an efficient, productive and sustainable rice sector on the continent.

’’In this context, AfricaRice will be a key partner in this initiative as recommended by African Ministers of Agriculture and other partners’’, said Mr. Bukar Tijani, FAO Regional Representative for Africa, during a working visit to AfricaRice in Cotonou, Benin on October 22, 2014.  

The visit helped to explore opportunities for a strategic collaboration between FAO and AfricaRice for the preparation and implementation of a regional rice development programme for Africa, on one hand, and on the other hand, to have an overview, together with national authorities, of FAO’s activities in Benin as part of the organization’s contributions towards ensuring food security and nutrition in the country.  

The AfricaRice Interim Director-General, Mr. Adama Traore noted that this visit by the FAO Regional Representative for Africa follows that of the Director General of the FAO, Mr. José Graziano da Silva, in November 2013 and added that it will help build stronger synergies to boost rice production in Africa.

During his visit, Mr. Tijani had some high-level discussions with various authorities in the country, namely Mr.Azizou El Issa, Minister of Agriculture and Mr. Eusèbe Agbangla, General Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During these discussions, Mr. Tijani stressed the need to develop and implement support projects for small scale producers. He also assured them of the FAO’s readiness to support the Benin Government in its priority areas.

Mr. Tijani also had a working session with Mrs. Rosine Sori-Coulibaly, Resident Coordinator of the UN System and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme in Benin.

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