The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP)

Introduction
The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is a two-phase, 10 year Adoptable Program, each of 5 year duration. The first of WAAPP involves three countries  Ghana, Mali and Senegal. 

Ghana under WAAPP is focused in
producing Root and Tubers.

The priority  commodities for the WAAP which have International  Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research  and Development (WECARD/ CORAF) in 2006, identified  roots and tubers, livestock, rice, cereals among others as the commodities that make  the greatest contribution to the region’s agricultural growth and productions’ benefit, from research and development.

Senegal under WAAPP is focused in
Producing drought-tolerant cereals.

The specific country commodities are as follows: root and tubers for Ghana; rice for Mali and drought – tolerant cereals for Senegal.

Development Objectives

The development objective of the program is to contribute to agricultural productivity increase in the participating countries’ top commodity sub-sectors that are aligned with regional priorities.

Mali under WAAPP is focused in 

producing rice.

Project Components

The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) has four (4) components. They are:

1. Enabling conditions for regional cooperation in technology generation and dissemination,

2. National Centre of Specialization.

3. Demand-driven technology generation and adoption.

                                                        4. Project coordination, management, M & E.

Description of Project Components.

Component 1: Enabling Condition for Regional Cooperation is Technology Generation and Dissemination

Objective of the component is to strengthen the mechanisms and procedures governing the registration and release of technology products (genetic materials, pesticides) to make them available for domestic use and distribution and trade in neighboring countries.

They Key areas to focus on are:

1. Common regulations related to genetic materials, pesticides and other crop protection productions at the ECOWAS level. The project will provide support to make it possible for WECARD/CORAF to develop common regulations and rules with regards to registration to plant genetic materials and pesticides. It will also support the effort to find a common framework for intellectual property rights.

2. National registration committees for genetic materials and pesticides.

The project under this component will support:

1. Revision of national procedure with the view to align them with the regional guidelines.

2. Identification of improved technology developed but not yet released.

3. Improving the operation of the technology release process.

4. Documentation of the characteristics of the technology.

5. Cataloging released and approved technologies.

6. Promotion of released technologies.

7.  Information system on agricultural technologies and research skills at the regional level.

The project will support WECARD/CORAF’s effort to improve on its web-based information designed to disseminate improved technologies and provide information on research skills.

Component 2: National Centre of Specialization (NCOS)

The objective is to strengthen the alignment of national priorities with regional priorities. The general thinking is that countries should focus on their top Research and Development (R&D) priorities if they are to make the best use of scarce resources and achieve meaningful results.

The Key areas that this component will focus on are:

1. Upgrading core infrastructural facilities and equipment at the centre. This will make the centre more operational and very attractive to other researchers in the region.

2. Building the capacity of researchers. Young researchers from the National Agricultural Research Institutes and Universities will be given on the job training. In addition, there will be a program of visiting scientist which enables researchers at National Centre of Specialization to conduct research at other regional and international centers of excellence.

Similarly, high-caliber researchers from other regional and international centers of excellence will be invited to work at the National Centre of Specialization (NCOS) The program of visiting scientist is intended to provide living expenses (in the form of travel, lodging, per-diem and business expenses) to out-going or in-coming researchers to enable them carry out substantial work over few months to one year only.

3.  Support NCO’s R&D programs.

4. The R&D programs at the NCO’s will take the form of core or commissioned research on issues of strategic importance as well as adaptive research on th country’s commodity. The R&D activities will cover growth and yield defining factors (soil fertility, water availability, weeds, pests and diseases) and post-harvest losses that reduce distribution of food to market places.

5. Supporting farm surveys and supply chain analysis and benchmarking. The aim is to identify most important areas for research, and also establish the baseline to monitor and document progress and impact of transferred technologies along the project life.

Component 3: Funding of Demand-Driven Technology Generation and Adoption

The objective of the component is to strengthen more priority-focused, transparent funding mechanisms for demand-driven agricultural R&D on the country’s priority commodity. It is envisaged that focusing the R&D on the country priority commodity will make technologies developed relevant to the region.

 The R&D activities should cover all key constraints along the supply chain of the country’s priority commodity. The project will also support the transfer of on-the shelf agricultural technologies with potential for quick impact.

The funding mechanism that will be used  is the competitive agricultural research grant scheme. However, there will be limited non-competitive core funding for projects with strong buy in from major stakeholders.

Components 4: Project Coordinator,

Management, Monitoring and Evaluation. The objective of the component is to establish effective:

1. Coordination systems.

2. Management system.

3. Management and Evaluation.

4. Assist National Implementing Units to strengthen capacities for Project Co-ordination, management and monitoring and evaluation.