WAVE becomes a Regional Center of Excellence for transboundary plant pathogens

WAVE was established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a Regional Center of Excellence for transboundary plant pathogens on May 27, 2021. 

This Regional Center of Excellence was inaugurated in the presence of 5 Ministers of West and Central African governments, representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom (FCDO), the European Union, Representatives of ECOWAS, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the African and Malagasy Council for Higher Education (CAMES), the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),  Directors of plant protection services of WAVE implementing countries, scientists from national agricultural research systems, African universities, the private sector, WAVE technical partners as well as the Ivorian and international press.

The WAVE Regional Center of Excellence for Transboundary Plant Pathogens is an important scientific and technical platform at the service of African farmers. The Center has been designed to respond effectively to transboundary plant pests and viral diseases’ evolving threat on the continent’s food security. According to the FAO, these plant pathogens significantly affect agricultural productivity in Africa by causing annual yield losses of 40% of food crops.

With state-of-the-art laboratories, this regional center is an essential pillar in the fight against plant viral and pest diseases. It will contribute to the reinforcement of WAVE’s mandate, which is to ensure the surveillance, prevention and management of plant pathogenic diseases in Central and West Africa. It will also enable ECOWAS and regional authorities to provide farmers with appropriate means to protect their crops.