RPCA update of the food and nutrition situation

As the lean season approaches, regional experts are urging West African countries and their development partners to take steps to strengthen in-country capacity to establish early warning systems and response plans for potential food crises in all West African countries. The recommendation comes following the technical meeting of the Regional System for the Prevention and Management of Food Crises (PREGEC), held from 22 to 23 June in Bamako. The June update of the Cadre harmonisé (CH - Harmonised Framework) analysis of vulnerability concludes that approximately 7.5 million people will face food and nutrition crises between June and August.

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Nigeria's presidential elections

On 28-29 March 2015, Africa’s most populous country and number 1 economy organises peaceful elections, which were internationally recognised as “free and fair” and led to the first democratic transition in Nigeria’s history. The election results seem to show that the role of ethnic, religious and geographic factors is gradually shrinking. The 2015 results map indicating the winning parties by state illustrates that the North-South divide is less marked than in the 2011 elections when President Jonathan won with a comfortable majority against Buhari. These results must be nuanced and interpreted against the backdrop of a very low voter turnout (43.6%). The PDP results map reveals that even during the 2011 elections the presumed North-South divide appears to be less strong in reality. President Jonathan was able to gather wide support across the nation. He won between 30 to 50% of votes in six northern states, notably in the populous state of Kaduna where the PDP garnered the support of 1.19 million people (46.3% of votes). Similarly, this time, the same opposition candidate, Buhari attracted strong support from southern Nigerians. His newly formed All Progressives Congress party (APC) won in eight traditionally southern strongholds. The most striking example comes from the megacity Lagos where the PDP lost for the first time in its history.

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UEMOA High-level Committee on Food Security adopts a ten-year programme

The 5th UEMOA High-level Committee on Food Security adopted a Ten-year Community Programme on Agriculture to Ensure Food and Nutrition Security (PCD-TASAN 2014-24) which concluded with a Meeting of Ministers of Agriculture and Livestock on 21 May in Niamey, chaired by the President of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou. This new programme aims to actualise the ambitions of the Union’s Agricultural Policy (PAU) and Common Policy for Improving the Environment (PSCP). The programme’s cost is estimated at 689 billion CFA francs that the Union intends to mobilise through public-private partnerships. The ministers also analysed the food situation in the community space and made recommendations, which will be submitted to the next UEMOA Conference of Heads of State and government. They also aim to strengthen the various monitoring mechanisms to ensure better implementation of the High-Level Committee’s recommendations in Member states, and launch an awareness-raising campaign to inform community citizens about the ten-year programme, in particular with the support of professional agricultural organisations and civil society.

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