FAO strengthens the communication capacity of its offices in West Africa

Dakar, Senegal - The FAO Subregional Office for West Africa organized a subregional communication capacity development workshop for its 15 country offices from 4 to 6 September 2024. The opening ceremony of the workshop was presided over by Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Senior Policy Officer at the FAO Subregional Office for West Africa and FAO Representative ad interim in Liberia.

“This event follows workshops organized in Cairo and Johannesburg by the FAO Subregional Office for Southern Africa (SFS), and we are proud of having taken this ambitious initiative,” said Mr. Mehdi Drissi, Senior Liaison Officer and FAO Communication Coordinator for West Africa.

The objective of this meeting was to provide a platform for exchanges and discussions to review the implementation of joint communication activities and revitalize team collaboration for more coherent and effective joint communication between the FAO Subregional Office for West Africa and country offices.

The workshop also aimed to strengthen team spirit and cohesion within the group, align with leadership directions, train professionals on key points of FAO's communication guidelines, harmonize messaging, discuss project and program implementation, finalize the SFW 2024-2030 communication strategy, and develop the 2024-2025 communication plan.

“These objectives have been achieved; a joint action plan has been developed, and recommendations in various areas have been made. We will definitely follow up,” said Mr. Mehdi Drissi.

A total of 23 participants came from 14 different countries, including communication officers based in Dakar. “Your large participation is a strong sign of your commitment and motivation. I warmly welcome our colleagues from the FAO Regional Office for Africa who are participating online. Your participation is essential. I would like to express my deep gratitude to our colleagues from the Office of Communications (OCC) in Rome, Headquarters for their unwavering support and involvement in organizing this workshop. Your significant presence and valuable expertise across all branches of OCC underscore the importance we place on the work of decentralized offices and close collaboration in planning, coordinating, and technical communication with country offices,” said Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya.

Strategic guidelines on the visibility of our interventions require a pooling of efforts and synergy of actions between the SFW communication team and country offices. This is to better promote the Organization's mandate, support and strengthen resource mobilization through communication tools aimed at partners and donors, highlight innovative and appropriate technologies developed and introduced in the field, popularize approaches and best practices drawn from lessons learned, and disseminate results in intervention areas, including conflict or post-conflict zones, emphasizing their direct and indirect impact on lives of beneficiaries. This is aligned with the vision set out in the FAO Strategic Framework: to support the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development by promoting a transition to more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable agri-food systems. An approach designed to respond to global challenges related to food and agriculture while contributing to the 2030 Agenda: ensuring that “everyone, particularly the poor and vulnerable, including infants, has access to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food all year round”.

In her speech, Ms. Bintia Stephen-Tchicaya, Senior Policy Officer at the FAO subregional office for West Africa, highlighted the challenges that remain in strengthening collaboration, functioning, and the effectiveness of more coherent communication between the subregional office and country offices.

"Implementing our strategic priorities in the subregion requires collective effort and synergy among our communication teams. By pooling our strengths and ideas, we can effectively promote the Organization's mandate, enhance resource mobilization, develop innovative tools, and engage stakeholders, even in challenging areas. Each of us plays a crucial role in amplifying FAO's voice and demonstrating our impact. Our 'four betters' guide us in designing interventions that address the economic, social, and environmental aspects of agri-food systems. A strategic and systemic approach is key to achieving lasting impact and transforming lives,” she stated.

The FAO Subregional Office for West Africa covers fifteen countries, namely Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo; a community of more than 300 million inhabitants.

The Subregional Office is responsible for developing, promoting, overseeing, and implementing agreed strategies to address subregional priorities in food, agriculture, and rural development. It develops and maintains relationships with institutions in the subregion, particularly regional economic integration organizations. It supports FAO country offices in the subregion on issues of food security, agriculture, and rural development. The Subregional Office is an integral part of the FAO Regional Office for Africa.