Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso | 3 September 2026 – The Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Animal Resources and Fisheries of Burkina Faso, ICESCO and AgriEdge, organized a three-day Regional Training Programme on Agricultural Mechanization Technologies for Strengthening Agricultural Cooperatives in West Africa.
The training featured national experiences from Burkina Faso, Benin and Morocco. Burkina Faso presented its national mechanization priorities and challenges, while Benin and Morocco shared their experiences in expanding mechanization services, including shared machinery models, service centres, financing mechanisms, digitalization and capacity development.
Technical sessions delivered with AgriEdge introduced participants to practical applications of precision agriculture, including smart irrigation, optimized fertilization, digital crop monitoring and drone technologies, demonstrating how data-driven solutions can improve productivity and resource efficiency.
On the last day, participants took part in a field visit to agricultural mechanization cooperatives in Ouagadogou, providing an opportunity to observe firsthand how agricultural machinery and equipment are collectively managed and used by farmers. This field component complemented the technical sessions by connecting the knowledge shared during the training with the realities and needs of farmers and cooperatives on the ground.
On the margins of the programme, Dr. Abdelaziz Hajjaji, IOFS Program Manager, met with Dr. Sylvain Ouédraogo, Deputy Executive Secretary of CILSS (Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel), to discuss opportunities for strengthening IOFS–CILSS cooperation in agricultural mechanization, climate resilience, water management and capacity building across the Sahel and West Africa.
The initiative contributes to the IOFS–Morocco–Africa Cooperation framework, promoting South–South knowledge exchange and practical partnerships to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and accelerate the adoption of sustainable and climate-smart mechanization solutions in West Africa.
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