The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in conjunction with the Niger Basin Authority (NBA), plans to organize a regional workshop on integrated water resources management (IWRM) and inland fisheries in the Niger River Basin, from 27 to 29 October 2025 in Bamako, Republic of Mali. The regional workshop aims to: (i) review the current status of inland fisheries and other key agrifood systems in the Niger Basin, (ii) present the FAO intersectoral framework for integrated assessment and management of basin agrifood systems, (iii) reflect on pilot initiatives to be promoted by the two institutions in the Niger Basin and, (iv) identify joint opportunities for resource mobilization.

As part of the preparations for this important regional workshop, FAO and the NBA Executive Secretariat organized an online preparatory workshop with the Coordinators of the NBA National Focal Structures and representatives of the Ministries of Fisheries and Aquaculture from the nine NBA member countries on the morning of Tuesday, September 16, 2025.

The approximately thirty participants in this videoconference were briefed on the objectives of the Bamako regional workshop, including an overview of inland fisheries and agrifood systems in the Niger Basin, an introduction to the FAO intersectoral framework for the integrated assessment and management of watershed agrifood systems, and the identification of opportunities for pilot initiatives in this area and resource mobilization for their effective implementation. The online meeting allowed the Coordinators of the NBA National Focal Structures and the Representatives of the Ministries of Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Niger Basin to give their opinions on the preliminary contributions of their countries, to familiarize themselves with the proposed methodology and to clarify their expectations regarding their participation in the regional workshop coming up on October 27th to 29th, 2025 in Bamako. The outcomes of the technical meeting were fruitful and impacting.