Rural Transformation by 2025 in West Africa

This joint initiative (SWAC, ECOWAS, UEMOA, CILSS, ROPPA and the Rural Hub) reflects the commitment of West African actors to have a better understanding of rural transformations in the Sahel and West Africa.

Background | Objective | Activities | Outputs | Partners | Contacts & Documents

   Background

Rural development is now a major cause for concern in West Africa not only for political and public authorities and civil society, as well as for development partners. This is all the more true as, despite all the efforts made by the governments and the main donors in the Sahel and West Africa, it is clear that poverty is essentially rural although it has begun to take root in cities undergoing rapid urbanisation.

   Objective

The main objective of these analyses is to anticipate ongoing transformations of the rural environment over the next 20 years (up to 2025) with a view to decision-making and immediate actions to be taken in terms of supporting appropriate policies and strategies through an exchange of past and present experiences.

   Activities

There are four key stages in the implementation of this initiative:

• Phase 1: Thematic Analyses on various key domains of the rural environment:
  • Demography, mobility and migration of the rural population
  • Socio‐political transformation: decentralisation, democratisation and sustainable development
  • Socio‐organisational and institutional dynamics: professional agricultural organisations
  • Economic transformations and the future of the rural population
  • Natural resources and the rural environment
• Phase 2: Cross‐cutting analyses of thematic findings will be conducted and summarised in a synthesis document; various policy notes for decision‐makers to facilitate decision‐making at the national, regional and donor levels.
• Phase 3: Organisation of a Regional Forum at the decision‐making level on the “Vision of the Rural Environment over the Next Twenty Years”; the impact of development and investment policies on the agricultural and rural sectors will be analysed.
• Phase 4: Facilitation and monitoring of the decision‐making process at the i) regional level,‐ decision‐making bodies of regional economic organisations, and ii) Among technical and financial partners.

   Outputs

• Analyses on Rural Transformation Dynamics
  • Drivers of change
  • Consequences
  • Responses in terms of policies and strategies
• Policy Notes for Decision-makers

   Partners

• Multilateral agencies (AfDB, EU, FAO, IFAD, UNDP, the World Bank)
• Bilateral development co‐operation agencies (ACDI/CIDA, ADA, AFD, BMZ, DANIDA, DFID, GTZ, SDC/DDC, LuxDev, Sida, USAID)
• Research centres, foundations and NGOs (CORAF/WECARD, IRDC)

Contacts:

• Mr. Jean Sibiri Zoundi, Head of Unit
• Mr. Léonidas Hitimana, Programme Officer

Read more:

• "Rural Transformation by 2025" Initiative, presentation note 
• Regional Strategic Thinking on the Future of the Rural Environment over the next 20 years, concept note