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After 5 days of exhibitions, thematic panels, B to B meetings, professional and business opportunities and all kinds of activities, the SIBVAO-CAMEL FAIR' 2023, which recorded the participation of several personalities representing ECOWAS Member States plus Mauritania and Chad, regional and international institutions such as ECOWAS, UEMOA and CILSS, and thousands of visitors, closed its doors this afternoon of 1st May 2023.

The exhibition allowed the various stakeholders to reach a major consensus: the need to comply with the organisation of the sector's actors around the OADHA law. To this end, the changeover is hoped to take place gradually. COFEBABI and WACTAF agreed to bring the debate to the ECOWAS Commission level. They will first approach the authorities of the UEMOA Commission to initiate the drafting of a memorandum on the issue to be submitted later to the ECOWAS Commission for consideration.

At the end of the exhibition, stakeholders issued some recommendations for a better structuring of the livestock/meat sector.

To the States
1.    Implement the numerous innovations generated by national and regional (WECARD) research institutions in the livestock/meat value chain.
2.    Initiate research and development on camel breeding to better understand and disseminate its "medicinal" properties.
3.    Further support COFENABVI in the organisation of the West African International Livestock and Meat Fair (SIBVAO) as a regional and international professional and commercial event.
To ECOWAS/UEMOA/CILSS
1.    Provide more support for the organisation and holding of SIBVAO through more substantial funding.
2.    Bring to the attention of the Heads of State and Government of regional institutions (CILSS, UEMOA, ECOWAS) the importance of addressing the issue of cross-border mobility (roads are very poor) and insecurity, which cause enormous losses for small traders in the sector, especially women.
3.    Strengthen the capacities of professional organisations so that they better understand and own the various UEMOA and ECOWAS regulations in force on the sector organisation and structuring.
4.    Develop a regional programme focused on the development of livestock-meat value chains, focusing on improving livestock production and productivity, marketing of livestock products, governance at the level of the value chain, considering supporting actions such as access to inputs, finance, accessibility/fluidity (removal of border barriers), etc.
5.    Support the inter-professions and COFENABVI in their structuring and promotion of the livestock-meat value chain with a view to enabling better integration of young people and women and the creation of jobs.

To COFENABVI, WACTAF and other actors in the livestock-meat value chain
1.    Better involve ECOWAS and the ministries in charge of livestock in the organisation of future editions of the exhibition.
2.    Carry out lobbying missions to the Presidents of regional institutions (ECOWAS Commission, UEMOA Commission, Executive Secretariat of CILSS).
3.    Organise an inter-professional meeting on the livestock sector and the meat and milk value chains to better submit coordinated intervention proposals to partners for funding on the said issues.
4.    Deepen the partnership between APESS, WACTAF, COFENABVI, RBM and ROPPA.
5.    Engage in structuring and organisational actions by setting up structured interprofessions.

To recall, the SIBVA 2023 is mainly funded by the Swiss Cooperation through the PACBAO Project (Support Programme for Livestock Marketing in West Africa) and co-organised by COFENABVI (Confederation of National Federations of the Livestock and Meat Sector of West Africa) and WACTAF (West African Association of Cross-border Trade in agro-sylvo-pastoral and halieutic food products) under the theme "Livestock-Meat Value Chain, a Tool for increasing regional Trade and Job creation in West Africa in a context of insecurity”.