THE WEST AFRICA FERTILIZER

PROGRAM

Presented by Emmanuel K.M. Alognikou, Policy Specialist

At the Launching Workshop for the Regional Seed Committee

August 3-4, 2015, Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire

• WAFP: a high profile USAID program

• Intervention areas

• Implementation of ECOWAS harmonized

fertilizer regulatory framework (at

regional/national levels

• Lessons learned and challenges

• WAFP’s strategy

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

WAFP: A High Profile USAID Program

Life of Project

June 2012-May 2017

Budget

$18m

Geographic Focus

All ECOWAS

Feed the Future (FtF)

focus countries: Ghana,

Mali, Liberia & Senegal

Implementing Partners

AFAP

ECOWAS

Goal

Improved sustainable agricultural productivity

Strategic Objective

Increased regional availability and use of appropriate fertilizer

WAFP: Intervention Areas

IR 1 – Private sector

empowered to increase supply

and distribution of appropriate

fertilizers

IR 2 – Increased knowledge

and use of improved

agricultural technologies and

methods

Interventions to increase fertilizer

availability and use (access to

finance, business development,

fertilizer recommendation, blending,

market information services)

IR 3 – ECOWAS fertilizer

regulations implemented

IR 4 – Fertilizer policies

improved

Interventions to improve the policy

and regulatory environment for

Fertilizer trade and quality control

(West Africa Fertilizer Stakeholders’

Forum, Fertilizer Policy and

Regulations, Market Information

services, ICT)

ECOWAS and Fertilizer

• ECOWAS works towards high fertilizer use to:

Increase agricultural productivity

Improve food security

Improve livelihoods

Reduce poverty and improve human dignity

• Therefore IFDC has been given mandate by the

ECOWAS Commission to lead fertilizer related

interventions in the sub-region:

Establishment of national committees for fertilizer control

Establishment of WACoFeC

THE ECOWAS HARMONIZED FERTILIZER

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

(A set of 5 legal instruments)

I. The Regulation C/REG.13/12/12relating to fertilizer quality control in the ECOWAS region

(adopted in Dec 2012)

II. 4 Implementing Regulations (for which adoption is

pending):

a) Labeling & Tolerance Limits

b) West Africa Committee for Fertilizer Control (WACoFeC)

c) The Fertilizer Inspection Manual

d) The Fertilizer Analysis Manual

Main Steps Remaining at the Regional Level

I. Legal finalization of all 4 validated Implementing Regulations

by the ECOWAS and UEMOA Commissions’ legal services

II. Adoption by the ECOWAS Commission of all validated

Implementing Regulations

III. Sensitization of all stakeholders about the ECOWAS

regulations

IV. Establishment of the West Africa Committee for Fertilizer

Control (WACoFeC) by the Commission

V. Capacity building of national regulatory services/committees

for fertilizer control

Proposed Actions at the National Level

Publishing the ECOWAS fertilizer regulations in the national gazette of member State

Developing/Reviewing and enacting complementary country specific supporting regulations

Taking necessary actions to enforce enacted regional/national regulations

Conducting baseline assessment of quality of fertilizer traded in the country (non-mandatorybut essential)

Carrying out performance evaluation of national regulatory system (non-mandatorybut essential)

12

3 45

ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, WAAPP, WASP, AGRA,

MOA,

Other interested national Ministries, POs, PS, CS,

Laboratories, Legal services (LS),

Bilateral Projects, etc.

IFDC/WAFP,

MOA,

RBs/Inspectors,

Labs

STCs, MOA,

RBs, Labs, LS

Proposed Actions at the National Level

(Step 2)

Developing and enacting complementary country specific

supporting regulations for:

a) establishing a national enforcement body/service (Article 21,

paragraph 1)

b) establishing a national advisory committee (Article 9,

paragraph 2)

c) designating a fertilizer analytical laboratory (Article 24)

d) determining conditions and modalities for licensing/registering

agro-dealers (Article 11, paragraph 3)

Developing and enacting complementary country specific

supporting regulations for:

e) appointing fertilizer inspectors and other competent authority, and

granting them the necessary powers and adequate resources

(Article 21, paragraphs 1 & 2)

f) determining fee amounts, payment modalities and allocation of

proceeds from licensing, inspection/analysis (Article 25, paragraph

3)

g) setting penalties for any violation of the provisions(Article 29)

h) ensuring that regulations are in place for:

(i) operating as a manufacturer or an importer of fertilizer (Article 13)

(ii) setting-up fertilizer manufacturing and/or packing facilities (Article 14)

Proposed Actions at the National Level

(Step 2)

WAFP - REGULATORY SUPPORT.

Most countries have completed Step 1 by publishing

the ECOWAS Regulation C/REG.13/12/12 in their

official gazette:

1. Benin

2. Burkina Faso

3. Cote d’Ivoire

4. Liberia

5. Mali

6. Senegal

7. Sierra Leone

8. Togo

WAFP - REGULATORY SUPPORT.

GHANA

Steps 1-4 almost completed

Remaining actions to fully complete Step 2

- review of nat. legislation for alignment to ECOWAS framework

Remaining actions to fully complete Step 3

- a designated lab under MoFA

Other: piloting e-surveillance system

MALI

Steps 1-4 almost completed

Remaining actions to fully complete Step 2

- review of nat. legislation for alignment to ECOWAS framework

Remaining actions to fully complete Step 3

- organization of registration of agro-dealers

SENEGAL

Step 1 completed

Step 2 under completion

- 6 draft legal instruments developed since Feb. 2015

Step 4 completed

LIBERIA Step 1 completed

WAFP partnering with USAID/FED for completion of Steps 2-4

MAJOR LESSONS LEARNED SO FAR

I. Partnering with USAID and other bilateral projects or

programs is of mutual benefit to interested parties

1) Example of WAAPP regarding the publication of the ECOWAS

Fertilizer Regulation C/REG.13/12/12 in member States’ national

gazettes

2) Example of USAID/APSP in Ghana regarding sensitization of

stakeholders about the ECOWAS regulations relating to fertilizer and

seed

II. Countries that implement donor-funded projects on fertilizer

quality control reach an advanced level of implementation:

Ghana, Mali, Burkina, etc.

III. High level ECOWAS/CILSS/CORAF/IFDC delegation to

member States for advocacy where applicable pays off

MAJOR CHALLENGES IDENTIFIED SO FAR

I. Political commitment at national level needed to:

1) push validation and adoption of drafted legal instruments

2) allocate adequate powers and resources to strenghten the

capacities of national fertilizer regulatory services

II. Misunderstanding of the legal implications of adopted

regional regulations for member States

WAFP – STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTING

ECOWAS FERTILIZER LEGAL FRAMEWORK

I. Supporting all ECOWAS member States, with focus on first set of 8

countries: Benin, Burkina, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Mali,

Nigeria, Senegal. Remaining countries to follow.

II. Setting up of WAFP advisory committee to guide regulatory actions

and advocate for implementation of fertilizer regulations in member

States (USAID, ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, CORAF, RESIMAO,

ROPPA, IFDC, AFAP)

III. Sustained lobbying the national Governments to take neccessary

measures to effectivelly implement the ECOWAS fertilizer

regulations

IV. Partnership is a MUST at all implementation levels: ECOWAS,

UEMOA, CILSS, CORAF/WECARD (WASP, WAAPP), Bilateral

projects, MOAs, etc.

WAFP – STRATEGY FOR IMPLEMENTING

ECOWAS FERTILIZER LEGAL FRAMEWORK

V. Forming technical working groups to facilitate development and

adoption of complementary country specific supporting regulations

VI. Sensitizing stakeholders about the fertilizer regulations

VII. Building/Strenghtening the capacities of the national fertilizer

regulatory services

VIII.Organizing experiences sharing workshops on the implementation

of the fertilizer regulations

IX. Tracking the status of implementation of the ECOWAS fertilizer

regulations by country

THANK YOU

“THE MORE WE SHARE, THE MORE WE

HAVE, TO MAKE REGIONAL IMPACT”