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WAIIS Agribusiness TWG — summit dates & two-track deal room

WAIIS Agribusiness TWG Confirms Summit Dates and Two-Track Deal Room

The Agribusiness & Food Systems Transformation TWG has confirmed the WAIIS Summit for 16–19 November 2026 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and adopted a two-track deal room structure designed to serve projects of every size and maturity.

What was decided

The TWG formally adopted a two-track deal room approach:

Boardroom Track: for investment-ready projects that may progress toward commitments at the summit.
Deal-Room Track: for strong but not-yet-ready projects — facilitating introductions, technical support, and a clear pathway to finance.

This structure ensures the summit serves the full spectrum of agribusiness opportunities, from early-stage preparation to near-investment-ready ventures.

The pipeline is open

The WAIIS digital platform is now the single entry point for project submissions. The Agribusiness pillar is anchored by the six Freetown Communiqué commitments, including the US$1bn Agribusiness & Rice Sovereignty Facility (in preparation), a regional technical assistance facility, and work to harmonise food-safety standards and remove intra-African agricultural trade barriers.

Priority value chains include rice, cocoa, livestock, fisheries, cereals, and cassava.

What happens next

The platform opens for additional project submissions in July 2026. Project sponsors, investors, and technical partners are invited to register and submit through the WAIIS digital platform.

*WAIIS Secretariat*

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