The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, through its Industry Directorate and Agriculture and Rural Development Directorate, in partnership with UNICEF, is organising a meeting of the Technical Committee for the Harmonisation of Food Standards (THC 2) on the validation of draft regional standards for complementary foods for infants and young children from 22nd to 24th of October 2025 in Cotonou, Benin on the validation of draft regional standards for complementary foods for infants and young children aged 6 to 36 months.
This meeting will bring together representatives of national standardisation institutions, ministries responsible for agriculture, health, trade and industry, as well as nutrition experts, professional organisations, and technical and financial partners.
The objective of the meeting is to validate draft harmonised regional standards guaranteeing the quality, safety, and nutritional value of complementary foods produced and marketed in the ECOWAS region. These standards will contribute to improving the nutrition of young children, promoting local production, and strengthening the competitiveness of agri-food businesses in the region. The opening ceremony featured three speeches.
On behalf of Mr Kalilou SYLLA, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, Mr Koissi MIDAYE, Senior Programme Officer for Quality and Standards, reiterated the importance of harmonising standards to protect consumer health, stimulate local production, and ensure the free movement of goods in the region.
For his part, Mr Simeon NANAMA, Regional Advisor on Nutrition and Child Development at UNICEF’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, welcomed ECOWAS’ commitment and reaffirmed UNICEF’s willingness to support Member States in their efforts to ensure healthy and balanced nutrition for children.
Following on from this, Dr Mouhamed Nazif Moutawakilou El-Hadji Alassane, representing Ms Shadiya Alimatou Assouman, Minister of Industry and Trade of Benin, reiterated the relevance of this initiative for public health and the development of local agri-food sectors. He invited the members of the Committee to examine the draft standards carefully to arrive at consensus standards that would ensure the well-being of infants and young children in the community.
This meeting is a major step forward in the implementation of the ECOWAS regional policy on nutrition and food security. The validated standards will help to strengthen consumer confidence, stimulate innovation, and ensure better protection for vulnerable groups, particularly children.
