Emerging Successes in Accelerating Agricultural Productivity Growth in West Africa

This paper examines agriculture growth performance in 20 countries in West and Central Africa over 2001–23. Most countries in the region continued to depend on land expansion to raise agricultural output. However, two countries in West Africa, Ghana and Senegal, stand apart. Over these two decades, Ghana and Senegal achieved rapid improvements in yields for a wide range of crops and agro-ecological zones. Agricultural labor productivity and total factor productivity also grew at rates comparable to those of the rest of the world. The paper investigates policy choices that may have contributed to accelerating and sustaining productivity growth. Compared to other countries in the region, Ghana and Senegal deepened rural infrastructure, invested significantly more in agricultural research, extension, and development, and expanded access to financial services. These factors helped achieve wider adoption of improved inputs and technologies and stimulate new economic activity along commodity value chains.