BOAD approves US$78M targeting 100,000 tons of extra rice production
The program also aims to reduce Togo’s dependence on rice imports, with domestic milled rice production covering only about half of national demand in 2023.
TOGO – The West African Development Bank (BOAD) has approved CFAF45 billion, (US$78 million), to finance the third phase of Togo’s Agricultural Mechanization and Irrigation Support Programme (ProMAI), with the investment targeting an additional 100,000 tonnes of rice production annually.
BOAD approved the financing at its 152nd ordinary board meeting in Lomé on September 24, 2026.
The latest financing will support the development of 530 hectares and the acquisition of irrigation equipment.
According to BOAD, the investments are designed to increase agricultural productivity, particularly in rice production, while creating employment opportunities, including for young people and women.
The new funding further expands BOAD’s support for ProMAI. The bank approved CFAF20 billion (US$34.29M) for the programme’s first phase in October 2025, followed by CFAF40 billion for the second phase in June 2026.
With the latest CFAF45 billion (US$78 million) commitment, BOAD’s cumulative financing for the agricultural mechanization and irrigation programme reaches CFAF105 billion (US$180.03M).
Earlier phases of ProMAI have focused on strengthening Togo’s Regional Agricultural Mechanization Centres with machinery and irrigation equipment.
The centres are intended to provide farmers with access to mechanization services while supporting the expansion of modern agricultural production practices.
The second phase also included hydraulic infrastructure aimed at reducing dependence on rainfall for agricultural production.
The new investment comes as Togo seeks to raise domestic rice production and strengthen food security.
Data cited by Agencia Ecofin show that the country produced about 183,000 tonnes of paddy rice in 2023, with an average yield of 1.81 tonnes per hectare.
The additional 100,000 tonnes targeted under the latest programme would therefore represent a substantial increase relative to that production level.
Togo has also been working to narrow the gap between domestic rice supply and consumption.
According to information presented under the country’s rice development strategy, milled rice production was estimated at about 105,448 tonnes in 2023, compared with domestic requirements of approximately 206,000 tonnes.
The government has consequently identified mechanization, irrigation, improved varieties and stronger value chains as important areas for developing the rice sector.
The ProMAI investment forms part of a broader agricultural modernization agenda that includes irrigation infrastructure, improved access to farm machinery and greater commercialization of agricultural production. BOAD said the programme is expected to improve productivity while creating jobs.
At its September board meeting, BOAD approved new operations worth CFAF157.5 billion (US$270.11M) across the West African Economic and Monetary Union, taking its cumulative financing since establishment in 1973 to CFAF10,991.6 billion (US$18.85B).
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