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After four and a half years of driving digital innovation across West Africa, the Accelerating Inclusive Green Growth through Agri-based Digital Innovation (AGriDI) project concluded its close-out and dissemination workshop in Dakar, Senegal with not only a bold commitment but also clear evidence of impact.

Hosted by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in collaboration with The West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the three-day workshop (27–29 August 2025) brought together more than 50 stakeholders including researchers, policymakers, grantees, development partners, and private sector actors. The event served as both a reflective milestone and a springboard for future action.

Digital innovations are vital for transforming agri-food systems and are key to advancing agriculture in Senegal and West Africa in general,” said Dr Mabouba Diagne, Senegal’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty and Livestock, who officially opened the workshop.

“When I see the good work of icipe, CORAF, VITAGRO, in partnership with the European Union (EU) – I am convinced that technology and innovation can leapfrog our food systems transformation efforts,” the Hon Minister added. Hon Diagne also said that digital innovations are key to advancing agriculture in Senegal.

“Therefore, digital innovations  and their scaling the results must be inclusive,” he said.

A Legacy of Innovation and Inclusion

Launched in 2020 with €2.73 million in funding from the EU through the ACP Innovation Fund, AGriDI has been a catalyst for change and has worked hand in hand with farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, and innovators to make sure digital tools truly respond to local needs.

The AGriDI consortium led by icipe comprises Agropolis Fondation (AF) in France, Gearbox Pan African Network (GB) in Kenya, and Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC) in Benin.

Over the past four and a half years, AGriDI has supported 13 grantee projects across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region. These projects focused on co-developing and adapting digital solutions, creating digital innovations for market linkages, and strengthening policies for digital innovation.

Standout innovations include:

The AGriCef mobile app in Benin, used to control Fall armyworm infestations in maize

Ki@ app provides market updates directly to local farmers via SMS and voice message.

SMARTSOIL, an AI-driven tool in Nigeria that delivers localized soil management advice.

Ghana’s DigiMakt led by Esoko profiling over 12,500 farmers and providing market prices, insurance access, and agronomic tips via mobile technology.

MarketMap app by SOSAI which offers reliable market information for farmers, processors, and service providers in the agricultural sector.

With over 66% of West African workforce employed in the agri-food sector—of which 68% are women— the role of AGriDI in improving market access, driving financial inclusion, and addressing climate change cannot be overstated.

The Director General of icipe, Dr Abdou Tenkouano stressed that digital innovations are key enablers of agri-technologies food systems transformation.

“We can make agriculture more sustainable, profitable, and attractive to the youth through digital innovations. We can also better connect firm produce to the market. Sustainable production is one thing, but access to markets for the produce is even a bigger challenge. We could save up to 40% of farm produce and attract better prices if digital innovations can help perishable goods reach the market in a timely fashion,” Dr Tenkouano pointed out.

CORAF Executive Director Dr Moumini Savadogo called on participants to scale up the results of their projects while sharing that he was previously heading WASCAL, which leads a project in Burkina Faso on Precision Pest and Disease Management System based on Multidimensional Big Data under the AGriDI initiative.

On his part, the European Union (EU) Head of Cooperation Republic of Senegal Dr Simon Vanden Broeke underscored the critical need to support agriculture and food systems through innovation to make them more resilient to the effects of climate change, thereby stabilizing food and nutritional security for all in sustainable manner.

 From the conference hall to the field

During a field visit to VITAGRO where participants had the opportunity to explore practical applications of agricultural production and agroecology involving aquaculture, poultry farming, cattle and sheep farming, agro-food processing of dairy poultry, medicinal plants fruits and vegetables. The visit demonstrated how digital tools can enhance sustainable farming practices, from composting and pest control to water management and marketing. VITAGRO is an integrated agricultural and agro-industrial development platform committed to innovation, training, and sustainable development of local resources. It is based in Niayes, Senegal and was launched in 2021 as a public–private partnership.

 A Pitch for the Future

The final day culminated in a pitching session, where grantees presented their digital solutions to other participants. These pitches were more than project summaries — they were visions for how West Africa can harness technology to meet the challenges of food security, climate change, and rural development.

Aligning with AU agenda

AGriDI’s work aligns with key regional and continental frameworks including ECOWAS’ agricultural policies, the AU Agenda 2063, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Since it is part of the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif), the project also contributes to building Africa’s long-term capacity in data science, climate innovation, and digital agriculture.

Prof Aminata Sall Diallo, Chair of the PASET Executive Board, noted that AGriDI is reinforcing Africa’s digital capacity at all levels — from doctoral scholars to field-level entrepreneurs.

Though the workshop marked the formal close of AGriDI, the sense among participants was clear: this is just the beginning. Plans are already underway to continue collaboration, build on existing networks, and showcase innovations at future forums such as the MITA Technology and Innovation Market in Bamako, Mali, in October 2025.

Esoko project lead Philip Asihene reiterated that they had plans to sustain the project outcomes and innovations beyond AGriDI’s closure. He highlighted that they will not only strengthen but also scale up the agents network by creating jobs for young people and driving digital economic development in rural communities.

“We will also use the agents’ network to move into rural product distribution (products include bundled micro insurance, input credit, microcredit, energy-efficient cooking stoves and of course, information services,” he added.

He also talked of plans to develop DigiMakt into a standalone App that can be offered as a subscription service to value chain actors and other businesses besides coming up with a spin-off business (Sikafields) to venture into services that are not core to traditional Esoko services like carbon credit.

On his closing remarks, Prof Jules Degila from UAC reflected on the AGriDI journey noting that since the grants were allocated, 8 new digital applications were developed, and 2 existing platforms have been strengthened. He also highlighted that more than 40,000 farmers, 400 SMEs and cooperatives, and thousands of women (16,800+) and youth (18,000+) benefited directly from AGriDI. Over 200,000 messages were delivered to connect and inform agricultural actors.

He also pointed out some key achievements of AGriDI beyond the digital solutions included.

• Capacity Building: Thousands of SMEs, farmer leaders, women, and youth were trained, strengthening digital literacy and agribusiness use of technology.

• Collaboration: multi-stakeholder networks linking universities, startups, farmers, and ministries have emerged, proving stronger and more sustainable where partnerships were diverse.

• Policy Engagement: Success stories such as WASCAL in Burkina Faso and ACED in Benin show how ministerial collaboration strengthens scaling and ownership.

“While AGriDI as a project is closing, its impact must continue. The seeds we planted through applications, networks, partnerships, and knowledge now need to be nurtured into lasting ecosystems,” Prof Jules stated.

He also mentioned that some projects have already charted pathways where the ministries are scaling up apps like Burkina Faso Ministry of Agriculture taking up WASCAL.

He added that some of the startups are commercializing solutions like the TIC-ABC with AGriCef in Benin besides established platforms continuing to expand like SAPA, Esoko and DigiMakt in Ghana.

The AGriDI story is not only one of successful project implementation — it is a blueprint for how inclusive, data-driven, and farmer-centred innovation can transform agriculture and empower millions across West Africa.