Business Program > IFC Sahel Business Meeting

World Bank Group – International Finance Corporation (IFC) Business Meeting

Date: Wednesday, October 14th – 4:00 pm-5:30 pm

Place: Joffre 5 Room at the Congress Center Le Corum

Background

Over sixty percent of the population in the Sahelian countries still live in rural areas, relying on rain fed agriculture for their livelihoods. Urban populations, on the other hand, experience food shortages and now rely on commercial food imports with further exposure to food price spikes making irrigated agriculture an important component to food security, GDP growth and job creation. Thus, in 2013, the Sahel governments (Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Senegal and Mauritania) vowed in what is known as the “Dakar Declaration”, to double the irrigated land to reach 1 million hectares by 2020.

Irrigation in the Sahel is still largely under-developed totaling only 20% of the physical potential. There is scope for irrigation to stabilize and improve agricultural production through support to value chains. This would allow farmers to have access to input and output markets, but also increase the adoption of innovative and more highly productive irrigation technologies and support services.

A wide range of investment opportunities exist in irrigation from low cost small scale individual systems to large scale public and private schemes. The World Bank Group is intensifying its activities in the Sahel to promote effective and sustainable solutions to financial and economic constraints while alleviating market entry barriers.

The IFC’s role within the Sahel Irrigation Initiative will be to provide targeted support to equipment suppliers, retailers and producers with a view to scale up uptake of adapted and competitive technologies. This will be achieved through the provision of a mix of services: financing instruments, market information, and the strengthening of supply chains and distribution networks.

IFC Business Meeting Objective

Presentation of the Sahel Irrigation Initiative, discussion of potential business opportunities with high scale up potential, and establish the business case to leverage further private sector investment.

Tentative Program (roundtable)

1. Present the Sahel Irrigation program
2. Explore business opportunities for private sector companies to be involved
3. Discuss main market entry challenges with attending companies who have a track record working in Sahelian countries; and what can the World Bank Group do for opportunities to be unlocked
4. Explore innovative irrigation technologies and approaches that exist or can be replicated in the Sahel
5. Present IFC financing opportunities to assist companies increase their market share in the Sahel

World Bank Group team

Francois Onimus – Senior Water Resources Specialist
Houria Sammari – Manager
Richard Colback – Senior Operations Officer

CILSS Team

SE Djimé Adoum
Clément OUEDRAOGO
Abdoul Karim DANKOULOU
Hamidou KO

Additional meetings will be scheduled individually with company representatives to discuss immediate projects that are planned in next year or currently underway, and associated financing needs.