• West Africa’s food economy represents 35% of regional GDP, yet weak transport and power systems keep costs high and limit efficiency.

• Food prices in West Africa stand 30%–40% above global levels for comparable income groups, according to the OECD.

• Regional food demand should reach $480 billion by 2030, nearly four times the 2010 level.

West Africa’s food economy accounts for 35% of the region’s GDP, the OECD and the African Union Commission (AUC) said in the 2025 edition of the “Africa’s Development Dynamics” report. The authors state that agricultural production has expanded sharply over the past two decades. However, they emphasize that regional food systems still require stronger efficiency to meet rising needs.

The report says that insufficient transport and energy infrastructure remains a major barrier to agro-industrial development in West Africa. Population growth continues to push food demand higher, yet unstable power supply and the lack of transport facilities sustain heavy food-import flows across several countries.

The authors add that the absence of rural road connections prevents producers from moving goods efficiently to markets, which leads to high post-harvest losses. They also note that small and medium-sized enterprises active in food processing face limited and unreliable access to electricity, which undermines competitiveness.

These constraints increase risks and operational costs, which in turn push up the prices of staple goods. The OECD says that food prices in West Africa exceed global averages by 30%–40% for economies with similar income per capita.

The report highlights the contradiction between the region’s natural-resource wealth and its heavy reliance on imported processed foods. It cites Sierra Leone, which leaves 75% of its arable land uncultivated and imports 80% of its ready-to-eat food products.

The OECD and the AUC call for higher investment in transport and energy networks to improve food-system efficiency. They argue that the need is urgent as regional demand for food products is projected to reach $480 billion by 2030, up from $126 billion in 2010.

This call follows their 2024 report, which urged West African countries to strengthen skills in agricultural technologies—especially mechanisation and irrigation—along with food-safety management, traceability, strategic planning, and organisational capacity.

This article was initially published in French by Espoir Oldo

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum