he VET-GOV Programme has continued its support in West Africa to have the Region and its member states spur policy reviews and value chain analyses with a view to advance a vibrant high level sectoral policy dialogue.
The workshop, held from 19th to 23rd of October 2015 in Bijilo, the Gambia, has specifically been focusing on the decision support tool, dubbed EXTRAPOLATE (EX-ante Tool for RAnking POLicy AlTErnatives) and Livestock Value Chain Analysis. The training on EXTRAPOLATE believed to enabled participants assess the impact of different policy measures, by disaggregating the effects of policy interventions and visualize the predicted impacts of policy interventions, based on numerical analysis. The latter offered participants with a deep understanding on methods and tools of analysis of livestock value chains, and their relationships in the actual situation.
Spearheaded by AU-IBAR/VET-GOV Programme, the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) of The Republic of the Gambia and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have taken part in the organisation of this regional workshop, which drew over 40 participants, including 26 National Livestock Policy Hub members, from the Region.
In his welcoming remark, Dr Duto Sainy Fofana, Director General of the Department of Livestock Services, emphasized the fact that the livestock policy environment in Region and its Member States has not been fully developed to support a full-fledged intervention. It is thus, he added, critical for professionals in the livestock sector to advocate for a better policy environment where both the planning and implementing agencies and policy organs can contribute their share for the development of the sector. Dr Baboucarr Jaw, Coordinator of the Vet-Gov Programme, on behalf of the Director of AU-IBAR, Professor Ahmed Elsawalhy, expressed his confidence that participants would acquire the required knowledge and skills on EXTRAPOLATE and Livestock Value Chain Analysis. In the same vein, Mr Sheriffo Bojang, Permanent Secretary of the MoA underscored his Government’s commitment to foster better policies and institutions that bolster livestock development in the country and across the Region.