The Regional West African Resilient Value Chain Development Program (REWARD) has officially received land development surveys and design plans for the construction of access and feeder roads, marking a major milestone in the project’s rollout.
The documents, prepared by Italian development firm Hydro Nova, outline infrastructure upgrades aimed at modernizing transportation networks and supporting agricultural expansion across REWARD’s intervention areas.
At a handover ceremony attended by government officials, project stakeholders, and development partners, Hydro Nova’s Managing Director Paolo Mastrocola emphasized the project’s role in boosting rice production across 14 intervention sites in The Gambia and other participating countries.
“We are targeting the development of about 3,000 hectares of new rice fields along with roads that are necessarily needed for transportation and communication,” Mastrocola said. “This marks an important step forward for the entire agriculture sector of The Gambia.”
He explained that Hydro Nova’s work began with feasibility studies and extensive field surveys, culminating in the finalized design stage. The next phase will involve tendering contractors to begin construction.
Mamour Alieu Jagne, Coordinator of the Central Projects Coordination Unit (CPCU), described the day as a “milestone in the quest to improve rice production and productivity” and reaffirmed the national target of rice self‑sufficiency by 2030.
The designs, he noted, will help expand cultivable land, improve water management, and enhance yields. “With 3,000 hectares under REWARD, double cultivation will take us to about 6,000 hectares — a significant contribution to the national target of 20,000 hectares,” Jagne said.
Other speakers, including Bakary K. Sanyang and Alhagie Nyangado, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, highlighted REWARD’s role as a flagship project within ECOWAS’ broader agricultural resilience agenda.
The program will rehabilitate and develop 3,002 hectares of land, construct 12 kilometers of feeder roads, and build 10 kilometers of access roads to strengthen food security.
The ceremony concluded with the formal submission of the survey and design documents to the Ministry of Agriculture for final endorsement, paving the way for procurement and execution.
