New research project: Improving the perspective for regional trade and investment in West Africa: the key to food security, economic development and stability in the region?

The African Studies Centre Leiden has recently started to conduct a scoping study focusing on regional trade integration in West Africa: ‘Improving the perspective for regional trade and investment in West Africa: the key to food security, economic development and stability in the region?’. The study has been commissioned by The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is funded by the Knowledge Management Facility of the Food & Business Knowledge Platform. In addition to the ASCL, the project will be carried out by a joint venture of knowledge institutions that  consists of the Agro-Economic Research Institute of the Agricultural University of Wageningen (LEI, Wageningen UR) and the European Center for Development Policy Management (ECDPM).

The overall objective of the scoping study is to provide a comprehensive picture of The Netherlands Government’s ongoing cooperation with West Africa and to arrive at policy options and directions for strengthening its effectiveness and coherence by giving more emphasis to the promotion of intraregional trade and investment in West Africa. Notably, one of the explicit sub-objectives of the study is to produce an inventory of relevant local knowledge institutions and business organizations, capable of providing high quality support with regard to further development and implementation of policies aimed at boosting regional trade and integration. The study will result in a final report that will be presented to a group of stakeholders at the end of the assignment period (April 1, 2016). Contactperson at the ASCL is Paul Lange: p.lange@ascleiden.nl.

(Photo: Benin’s port of Cotonou, important gateway for regional trade in West Africa. Source: https://www.mcc.gov/initiatives/initiative/african-growth-opportunity-ac...)