The African Union Commission (AUC), ECOWAS, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) have launched a major programme to develop cross-border agro-industrial value chains between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, focused initially on cocoa and rice processing.
The initiative, cited in the Afreximbank Regional Integration and Market Access Insights September 2025 report, aims to harmonise standards, expand processing capacity, and create agro-industrial parks to anchor joint production between the two countries.
According to the report, the programme, formally launched on August 20, 2025, is part of a new regional strategy to build “borderless value chains” across West Africa and strengthen linkages between agriculture, manufacturing, and trade.
The Ghana–Côte d’Ivoire corridor is seen as a strategic test case for AfCFTA-led industrialisation, leveraging both countries’ comparative advantage in cocoa, one of Africa’s highest-value export commodities. The new framework is expected to boost domestic grinding, packaging, and export diversification.
In addition to cocoa, the inclusion of rice processing reflects a broader policy push to reduce dependence on imports and improve regional food security amid global price volatility. The programme seeks to align production with regional quality standards, strengthen logistics, and promote investment in processing zones supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and UNDP.
For businesses, the initiative signals new investment opportunities in agro-processing, logistics, packaging, and warehousing, particularly for firms operating along Ghana’s western corridor and Côte d’Ivoire’s eastern regions. Local agribusinesses and processors stand to benefit from improved access to inputs, shared infrastructure, and a larger regional market for processed goods.
The Afreximbank report positions the initiative as a model for AfCFTA-era regional industrial cooperation, intended to demonstrate how integrated value chains can stimulate jobs, enhance competitiveness, and deepen West Africa’s participation in continental trade.
