Cotonou: 4th edition of Consommer Local

Theme: What strategy to stimulate consumption of local goods and services in the UEMOA region?

Introduction
In order to promote the consumption of local and originating products in the Union, on October 25, 2019, the Ministers in charge of Trade, at their meeting held in Ouagadougou, took the initiative of making the month of October the month of local consumption in the UEMOA space. By local and originating products, we mean all intangible goods (services) and material goods, i.e. local, artisanal, industrial and sufficiently processed products manufactured locally or originating from a UEMOA member state.

Since 2020, in collaboration with member states and other UEMOA bodies, the Commission has dedicated the month of October to promoting the production, processing, marketing and consumption of local products from the Union. Three (3) editions of this initiative have been held by UEMOA member states at national level, and the UEMOA Commission at regional level, successively in 2020, 2021 and 2022. They consisted of public conferences and webinars, trade fairs, media communication campaigns and tasting sessions featuring local and UEMOA delicacies.

Review of past editions
Since the decision on October 25, 2019 by the UEMOA trade ministers to make October the month of local consumption, every year the Commission and member states carry out numerous activities to promote local products.

In October 2020, at national level, with the exception of Senegal, all the other member states implemented various trade promotion activities. At regional level, this first edition organized by the UEMOA Commission was marked by the official launch ceremony presided over by the President of the Commission, a public conference and an exhibition-sale that brought together some fifteen exhibitors from Burkina Faso, due to the reduced movement of people caused by the spread of the covid 19 pandemic.

For the 2nd edition, held in October 2021 under the theme: “Promotion of local consumption, a contribution to the successful implementation of the ZLECAF”, all member states embraced the initiative and staged a wide range of events, from official launches and fairs to theme days and cultural and sporting activities. At regional level, this second edition, organized by the UEMOA Commission, was marked by an official launch ceremony presided over by the President of the Commission, a public conference and an exhibition-sale that brought together 30 exhibitors from all member states.

The 3rd edition, held in October 2022 under the theme: “Consumption of local products, a lever for increased productive investment, development and regional integration”, saw strong mobilization and support from political and administrative authorities in all member states. At regional level, in addition to the events of the 2nd edition, exhibitors benefited from a training session on quality, packaging and labels. Mali was unable to take part.

Key highlights and lessons learned from the past three editions:

The following highlights and lessons can be drawn from the effective implementation of the “October is Local Consumption Month” initiative in UEMOA member states:

• The strong involvement of political authorities at the highest level. In some member states, the Head of State and Prime Minister personally presided over the event;
• Ownership of the initiative by member states, some of which already have dedicated institutions, including ministries, directorates, divisions, etc.
• A good understanding of the concept and content of “local products” at UEMOA level by member states, who are increasingly associating products from other countries of the Union with those manufactured on national territory, without distinction, in the implementation of actions within the framework of the “October, Local Consumption Month” initiative;
• The organization of the initiative around a central theme over the last two (2) editions;
• Strengthening exhibitors’ technical and management skills through specific training sessions, including a regional training session on quality, packaging and labels in 2022;
• Two (2) exhibitors and one (1) expert from each member state took part in the regional activities in Ouagadougou, with the exception of Burkina Faso, the host country, which was represented by fifteen (15) participants, including two (2) winners of the Tremplin Startups-UEMOA competition;
• The strong involvement of the private sector through the UEMOA Regional Consular Chamber and the mobilization of the Commission’s sectoral departments within a committee set up by the President of the Commission.

Organization of the 4th edition
The organization of the 4th edition of the “Month of October, Month of Local Consumption” initiative began with a regional preparatory workshop attended by some 40 national experts on April 25 and 26, 2023.

The theme chosen for this year’s event was “What strategies to stimulate the consumption of local goods and services in the UEMOA region?

This meeting led to the formulation of the following recommendations.

A- Recommendations to the WAEMU Commission :

The main recommendations made to the Commission are as follows:

• continue to raise awareness of the importance of the free movement of goods and people in the various corridors;
• analyze the possibility of each member state involving exhibitors other than those supported by the Commission;
• plan an assessment of the “Month of Local Consumption” initiative.

B- Recommendations to member states :

The main recommendations made to member states are:

• Reinforce communication actions on the concept of local consumption, which includes local products originating from the Union, in the activities planned for the 4th edition;
• consider the participation of additional exhibitors in the “Month of October, Month of Local Consumption” at regional level to those supported by the Commission. The latter will be taken in charge by the country wishing to do so;
• provide for an assessment of the “October is Local Consumption Month” initiative after the 5th edition, which will take place in 2024.

At regional level, in line with the recommendation of the regional preparatory workshop for the 3rd edition of “October, Local Consumption Month” held on May 16 and 17, 2022, to organize the October launch ceremony in member states on a rotating basis, in alphabetical order. After examination, the Commission endorsed this recommendation and opted for a rotating organization every two years, i.e. one year at headquarters and the following edition in a member state. The 4th edition is scheduled to take place at regional level from October 3 to 9, 2023, in Cotonou, Benin. The event is expected to be attended by the highest authorities of the Republic of Benin and the WAEMU Commission. Based on the concept note adopted by the National Experts, the format of the 2023 edition calls for the staging of at least five (5) events. These are :

• an official ceremony to launch the event ;
• an exhibition and sale of products and services from the Union, hosted by exhibitors including processors, traders and service providers;
• a public conference and panels on the central theme;
• a training session for exhibitors and ;
• company visits to share experiences.

Conclusions and prospects for the development of local consumption :

Barely out of the health crisis caused by the coronavirus disease, the whole world is once again faced with the food crisis caused by the Russian-Ukrainian war, which has been going on since February 24, 2022. The first lesson to be drawn from these crises is the importance of developing intra-community trade through e-commerce, on the one hand, and working to reduce the UEMOA region’s dependence on third countries for its needs in food products, raw materials and packaging, on the other.

One of the surest ways of achieving this objective is to consume goods and services produced within the UEMOA space. This is why the initiative “October, Local Consumption Month” is such a key event. The promotion of “local consumption” is not only legitimate and topical, but also has the right conditions to flourish and contribute to the development of UEMOA member states.

The Council of Ministers in charge of Trade, held on November 19, 2021 in Niamey, Niger, encouraged member states and the Commission to intensify their efforts to perpetuate the initiative and define national and regional strategies to increase the competitiveness of economies.
To implement these instructions, the member states and the Commission have embarked on the process of drawing up a regional strategy to promote products from the WAEMU region, and national strategies to promote local products.

To date, Burkina Faso and Senegal have drawn up their national strategies. Togo’s strategy is currently being finalized. Niger is also in the process of drawing up its strategy, with technical and financial support from its partners.

As for the regional component, the terms of reference were validated by the preparatory meeting for the 3rd edition of “October, Local Consumption Month” in 2022. The study is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2024, and the report validated by the next preparatory meeting for the 5th edition of “October, Local Consumption Month”, which could be held in April 2024.

The Commission