Gambia seeks partnership with Kebbi govt to boost rice production
In a significant demonstration of intra-African collaboration, The Gambia has expressed intent to partner with Kebbi State, Nigeria, to replicate its rice production success as part of efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency. A high-level delegation from The Gambia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, led by Permanent Secretary Mr. Alhagie Nyangado, is currently on a study tour of Kebbi State.
During a courtesy visit to Governor Nasir Idris in Birnin Kebbi, Nyangado praised Nigeria for its leadership in agricultural advancement, noting Kebbi’s integrated irrigation systems and robust rice value chain as transformative models for replication. He admitted that 90% of rice consumed in The Gambia is imported and emphasized that adopting Kebbi’s indigenous practices could help reverse this trend.
Governor Idris, in turn, reaffirmed the brotherhood between the two nations and Kebbi’s willingness to collaborate in knowledge-sharing, infrastructure support, and strategy replication. He highlighted Kebbi’s sustained investments in free input distribution, mechanization, and farmer empowerment as key enablers of its rice production success.
This strategic partnership marks a growing trend of regional knowledge transfer in Africa’s quest for food sovereignty and resilience.
Source- Tribune
Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
The partnership interest shown by The Gambia in adopting Kebbi State’s rice production model highlights a growing trend in Africa—peer-to-peer learning among nations to solve food insecurity. This south-south knowledge exchange has far-reaching implications for regional food sovereignty, agro-diplomacy, and value chain expansion.
Key Insights for Stakeholders:
- South–South Knowledge Transfer in Practice
The study tour by The Gambia’s agricultural delegation is a prime example of African countries leveraging successful domestic models rather than relying solely on external consultants. Stakeholders should see this as a call to invest in documentable, scalable, and shareable local models. - Kebbi as a Regional Agri-Tech Hub
Kebbi’s irrigation systems, improved inputs, and indigenous value chain operations have caught international attention. Investors, agribusinesses, and governments could position Kebbi as a regional agri-hub, offering agro-tourism, training, and technology dissemination to neighboring countries. - Reducing Rice Import Dependence
The Gambia’s 90% rice import reliance reveals a continental challenge. Replicating Kebbi’s self-sufficient model offers a pathway for countries across West Africa to redirect forex from rice imports to local processing, job creation, and extension services. - Government-Led Input Support Still Critical
Kebbi’s sustained free provision of fertilisers, seeds, and mechanisation tools shows that state-driven incentives remain vital in the early stages of transforming smallholder-dominated food systems. However, gradual integration with market-based systems is necessary for long-term sustainability. - Pan-African Collaboration for Food Sovereignty
The exchange reinforces the potential of intra-African cooperation to drive food system transformation. With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in play, such partnerships could evolve into integrated regional value chains and trade corridors.
Conclusion
The Gambia–Kebbi collaboration demonstrates how African countries can fast-track food security through shared experiences. For stakeholders, the opportunity lies in scaling indigenous innovations, fostering cross-border knowledge exchanges, and leveraging these for both economic growth and regional food resilience.
