West Africa Fertilizer Program Contact: Venancious N. Tuor Communications Specialist Accra, Ghana Email: vtuor@ifdc.org Tel: +233 (0) 244759898
USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program West Africa Fertilizer Stakeholders’ Forum The only forum available today for fertilizer industry stakeholders to meet and discuss issues of interest is the International Fertilizer Industry Association’s (IFA) Africa Forum. Its present structure is limited to IFA members and therefore excludes the majority of fertilizer stakeholders in Africa. Together with the African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), the West Africa Fertilizer Program will facilitate the establishment of a groundbreaking West Africa Fertilizer Stakeholders’ Forum. The Forum will bring together fertilizer industry stakeholders: fertilizer importers, blenders, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, agro-dealers, policymakers, financial institutions and others for annual meetings and deliberations on specific industry issues. The Forum will serve three major functions: 1) to provide a consultative, technical and business development platform for private and public sector stakeholders to develop the commercial fertilizer supply system in West Africa; 2) to provide guidance to the USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program by identifying priority areas for assistance; and 3) to act as an incubator for the formation of the West Africa Fertilizer Trade Association (WAFTA). The West Africa Fertilizer Stakeholders’ Forum will establish a Secretariat in Accra, Ghana, and will be staffed by a Forum Secretary. IFDC and AFAP anticipate that the Forum will meet at least once a year to address critical issues facing the industry and that participants will also share experiences related to fertilizer quality control
and regulations, policy and trade, research and utilization. The Forum will also provide an environment for business development and networking. In all USAID West Africa Fertilizer Program interventions, there is a commitment to gender equity and to mitigating adverse environmental effects. ###