As part of the VAM Gender & Markets Initiative, the WFP West Africa office published a new study on market conditions faced by women farmers and traders in two culturally similar yet administratively different areas: the Kano-Katsina region in northern Nigeria and the Maradi region in southern Niger. Read on

On 16 February 2014, the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger met in Nouakchott to create the G5 Sahel, a regional body designed to co-ordinate strategies and policies on defence, security, governance, infrastructure and resilience in the Sahel. The G5 Sahel officially launched its joint force at an extraordinary summit on 2 July 2017. There is still a significant budget shortfall to make the force fully operational. Mobilising the necessary troops that will make up the joint force battalions is yet another challenge. Read on

The African Development Bank approved on 10 January a grant of USD 43 million to help Niger become more resilient to food and nutrition insecurity. It will support the implementation of the first phase of the Reform and Economic Resilience Support Programme (PARRE) covering the period of 2017-19. Read on

Following a request from the government of Burkina Faso, the CILSS Agrhymet Regional Centre will launch in Februrary a new training for water engineers. Improving water resource management is a key priority for the Sahel and West Africa. The application deadline is 20 January 2018. Read on