More than eighty-five food safety experts from seventeen countries in West Africa and the Sahel and their partners met in Accra from February 26 to 28, 2024 to take stock of food safety in the sub-region.

Set up as a regional network for regulatory convergence and food safety in 2022 under the aegis of the ECOWAS Commission, the experts held their first meeting in Abidjan, with a series of priorities relating to contaminants in food, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, microbiological criteria, food hygiene and food additives.

Due to the cross-cutting nature of food safety issues, this regional convergence was established to improve and strengthen regional coordination, information sharing, cooperation and collaboration, planning, resource mobilisation across sectors and projects, including contributing to the objectives of the West Africa Food System Resilience Program (FSRP).

In Accra, they reviewed the state of implementation of these priority actions in the fast-changing West African sub-region.

Through presentations by countries and regional institutions, the reasons for the obstacles to food imports and exports were identified, and the measures taken to protect consumer health were shared at both national and regional levels. It emerged from the meeting that convergence reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding people’s health and thereby ensuring a healthier, more productive society.

Regulatory convergence helps to facilitate trade flows by enabling West African companies to expand their markets and compete more effectively on the global stage. The benefits extend beyond the economic sphere, fostering stronger ties between nations, improving regional integration, and contributing to the stability and prosperity of West Africa and the Sahel.