Abuja, Nigeria – Wheat breeders, agricultural experts, and key stakeholders from West and Central Africa have gathered in Abuja for the 2nd West and Central Africa Wheat Development Network (WECAWheat) Regional Summit. The two-day event, which commenced today, brings together participants from countries such as Chad, Cameroon, Benin, Niger, Sudan, and several others to address critical challenges in wheat production and work toward achieving self-sufficiency in the region.
The summit, organized by WECAWheat, aims to explore solutions to the region’s dependence on wheat imports and foster collaboration to improve local production. Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the summit, Professor Benjamin Ubi, the Regional Coordinator of WECAWheat, underscored the importance of the event in shaping policies and strategies that could revolutionize wheat farming across West and Central Africa.
“Nigeria alone imports about six million metric tons of wheat every year, costing over $3 billion. This is money that could instead be directed towards domestic wheat research and production,” Ubi stated. He highlighted the unsustainable reliance on imports, emphasizing that wheat self-sufficiency could save the region billions while providing food security and economic growth.
The summit’s main objective is to create a practical and actionable plan that would enable countries in the region to work together to reduce their dependency on wheat imports. Experts at the summit believe that a regional approach is essential to address common challenges such as low productivity, limited cultivation areas, and the lengthy development cycle of new wheat varieties.
Professor Baba Gana Jugudum Kabir, Executive Director of the Lake Chad Research Institute, echoed these sentiments. During his remarks, he called for urgent action to boost wheat production to meet the rising demand in Nigeria and the broader region. He pointed out that Nigeria’s current wheat production meets only 5% of its domestic needs, a shortfall that poses risks to food security.
“Wheat demand is growing, and if we don’t take immediate action, the gap between local production and consumption will continue to widen. We need to invest in improving the productivity of our wheat farms, expanding the area under cultivation, and speeding up the development of high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat varieties,” Kabir stressed.
The summit has attracted a diverse array of participants, including wheat farmers, seed breeders from various universities, processors, and officials from organizations like the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT). Their combined expertise is expected to help draft a comprehensive strategy that tackles both technical and policy-related obstacles to wheat production.
The WECAWheat Regional Summit is also seen as a platform for fostering cross-border collaborations, with the hope that countries in the region will share resources, research, and innovations to address common challenges. One key outcome expected from the summit is the formulation of a framework for long-term investments in wheat research and development, which could lead to breakthroughs in crop yields and the sustainability of wheat farming in the region.
By the end of the summit, participants hope to have outlined a clear path forward that will not only increase wheat production but also enhance food security and reduce the heavy financial burden of wheat imports on West and Central African economies. This regional approach, they believe, could transform the region into a significant wheat producer in the coming years, aligning with global efforts to boost agricultural productivity and food resilience.
As the summit progresses, stakeholders remain optimistic that their collaborative efforts will lead to a sustainable and prosperous future for wheat farming in West and Central Africa.
