Stakeholders have engaged in discussions on revitalizing the oilseed industry during the 23rd General Assembly of the Association of Oilseed Industries (AIFO) of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The participants aimed to address challenges hindering growth, including inter-country customs barriers and the prevalence of Asia-imported oils, both legal and illegal.
AIFO’s first Vice President, Thierry Awesso, who also serves as the Chairman and CEO of Nouvelle industrie des oléagineux du Togo (NIOTO), emphasized the urgency of taking action to rejuvenate the industrial and commercial environments.
In addition, strategies to combat unfair competition were adopted by the general managers of AIFO’s industrial units during the assembly, with Togo expressing a commitment to carefully consider the proposed solutions.
A significant development during the meeting was the signing of a memorandum of understanding between AIFO and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as part of the Large-Scale Food Fortification project in West Africa (LSFF).
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The collaboration aims to enhance food fortification efforts in the region.
Established in 2000, AIFO focuses on poverty reduction, supporting the oilseed processing industry, and fostering technical cooperation among industrial companies in WAEMU.
Despite having a population of 1.3 billion people, Africa’s oilseed production is relatively low, estimated at 26 million tonnes, with imports reaching 10 million tonnes.
In the 2023-2024 season, a report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected global oilseed production at 663 million tonnes.
However, the report revealed that Africa’s impact on the oilseed markets remains limited, accounting for only 28% of global wheat imports (approximately 55 million tonnes).
The continent’s peanut production, concentrated in West Africa, stands at 16 million tonnes, constituting one-third of the world’s peanut harvest.
While Africa presses around 1.4 million tonnes of peanut oil for local consumption, global production does not exceed 6.43 million tonnes.
Nigeria leads African palm oil production with 1.5 million tonnes, but its global contribution is relatively low at 79.5 million tonnes.
Notably, two African countries, Egypt and Kenya, are among the top ten palm oil importers globally, although their imports are dwarfed by major players such as China, India, and the European Union.
Despite these challenges, palm oil imports from other African countries remain modest, contributing to a total of 16 million tonnes compared to the dominant exporters Indonesia and Malaysia, who jointly export 45 million tonnes worldwide.
