OCP Chairman and CEO Mostafa Terrab and World Bank Vice President for Western and Central Africa Ousmane Diagana on Oct. 12 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster cooperation and programs benefitting five million farmers in Benin, Guinea, Mali, and Togo, covering 10 million hectares.
This cooperation aims at accelerating investments and reforms to make fertilizers more accessible and affordable to farmers, the two partners said.
“These projects are an important step towards unlocking Africa’s potential in global food security,” said OCP Group Chairman and CEO Mostafa Terrab. “The goal is to drive a just and sustainable agricultural transition, by widening the access of farmers in West Africa to customized fertilizers that nourish the soil and improve crop yields, which in turn enhances the livelihoods of farmers, thereby contributing to African development and prosperity.”
The partnership will focus on five areas of cooperation, including improving soil health and fertility through digital soil mapping analysis and customized fertilization; establishing agricultural technology and service centers to train and support smallholder farmers; launching a Digital Farming School program to foster local capacities and entrepreneurship to transform the agri-food sector; strengthening the capacity of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to operationalize its roadmap on fertilizers and soil health; and supporting the establishment of a Regional Center for Soil Health and Fertility management in West Africa hosted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).