The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) has approved a US$10.04 million financing package for G Farms Limited in The Gambia, reinforcing regional efforts to strengthen food security, expand domestic agricultural production and promote private-sector-led economic growth across West Africa. The financing agreement, signed on 28 July 2026, will support a major expansion of the company’s poultry and dairy operations through the acquisition of modern agricultural equipment and production infrastructure. The investment forms part of EBID’s broader strategy to modernise agriculture, improve regional food systems and reduce dependence on imported livestock products within ECOWAS member states.
The project represents one of the largest recent private-sector agricultural investments in The Gambia and reflects the increasing role of development finance institutions in supporting productive enterprises capable of transforming Africa’s food systems. According to EBID, the expansion will significantly increase domestic poultry and dairy production while strengthening agricultural value chains, creating employment opportunities and improving access to affordable, locally produced animal protein.
Under the expansion programme, G Farms will increase its flock of laying hens from 120,000 to 500,000 birds, while annual broiler production is projected to grow from approximately 651,000 birds to more than 3.2 million by 2035. Production of day-old chicks is expected to increase from 3.3 million to 5.5 million annually, supporting commercial poultry farmers across The Gambia and neighbouring markets by improving the availability of quality breeding stock.
The investment will also transform the company’s dairy enterprise. Cattle numbers are expected to increase from 110 to 2,500, while feed manufacturing capacity will expand to 10 tonnes per hour, strengthening local feed supply and reducing production costs. Improved feed production is widely recognised as a critical component of competitive livestock systems, particularly in countries seeking to reduce reliance on imported feed ingredients and improve productivity.
According to Dr George Agyekum Donkor, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of EBID, the financing reflects the Bank’s commitment to promoting food security, strengthening private-sector development and supporting sustainable economic transformation across the ECOWAS region.
He noted that expanding productive agricultural enterprises contributes not only to increased food production but also to job creation, rural income growth and greater resilience within regional food systems. By supporting commercially viable agribusinesses, development finance institutions can help build stronger agricultural markets capable of meeting rising domestic demand while reducing exposure to international food price volatility.
The financing also demonstrates growing collaboration between African and European development finance institutions. Zuzana Zatkova, representing the European Investment Bank’s Financial Inclusion Division, said the partnership between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and EBID seeks to finance investments that strengthen food security, create employment and promote sustainable agricultural development throughout West Africa.
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She observed that targeted financing for productive enterprises enables businesses to expand operations while generating broader economic benefits for farmers, suppliers and rural communities. Such partnerships have become increasingly important as African governments seek to mobilise blended finance to modernise agriculture without placing additional pressure on constrained public budgets.
G Farms Managing Director Muhammad Sanyang described the investment as a transformative milestone for both the company and The Gambia’s agricultural sector. He said the financing will enable the business to improve operational efficiency, increase production capacity and respond to growing domestic demand for quality poultry and dairy products while supporting national food security objectives.
Food security remains one of West Africa’s most pressing development priorities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), many countries in the region continue to rely heavily on imported poultry products, powdered milk and other livestock commodities to meet rising consumer demand driven by rapid population growth and urbanisation. Expanding domestic livestock production is therefore increasingly viewed as an economic strategy that strengthens food sovereignty, improves trade balances and creates rural employment opportunities.
Development finance institutions have also identified agriculture as a critical sector for accelerating economic diversification across Africa. According to the African Development Bank, agriculture employs more than 60 percent of Africa’s workforce but continues to receive relatively limited private investment compared with its contribution to economic activity. Improving access to long-term financing remains essential for increasing productivity, expanding agro-processing industries and strengthening regional agricultural value chains.
Beyond increased production, the G Farms expansion is expected to generate substantial socio-economic benefits. The project is anticipated to create new direct and indirect employment opportunities, strengthen linkages with local suppliers, improve farmer incomes and enhance the availability of affordable animal protein for Gambian consumers. Increased domestic production could also reduce foreign exchange expenditure on imported livestock products, contributing to greater macroeconomic resilience.
From a sustainability perspective, the investment illustrates how responsible private-sector financing can strengthen climate-resilient agricultural systems through improved production efficiency, modern livestock management and integrated feed manufacturing. Efficient livestock systems generally require fewer resources per unit of output, helping improve productivity while supporting more sustainable use of agricultural inputs. Strengthening local value chains also reduces dependence on imported products that may be vulnerable to international supply disruptions.
The financing aligns closely with EBID’s Growth, Resilience and Optimisation (GRO) Strategy, which prioritises investments that modernise agriculture, strengthen regional value chains, promote industrialisation and foster inclusive economic development across ECOWAS member states. The strategy recognises that sustainable agricultural transformation requires greater participation by private enterprises capable of investing in technology, innovation and productive infrastructure.
For The Gambia, the project represents an important step towards building a more competitive livestock industry capable of meeting domestic demand while creating opportunities for future regional exports. More broadly, the investment reflects a growing shift in African development finance towards supporting commercially viable agribusinesses that combine food production, rural development and economic resilience. As governments across West Africa seek to reduce food import dependence and strengthen agricultural competitiveness, strategic investments such as the G Farms expansion are expected to play an increasingly important role in delivering long-term food security, employment and sustainable economic growth.
