The West and Central Africa Wheat Development Network (WECAWheat) has called on member governments to prioritise enacting and enforcing policies that support strategic investments in wheat production in the region.

WECAWheat made the call in a communiqué issued at the end of its Second Regional Summit in Abuja on Monday.

The summit sought a wheat transformation for sustainable food security and economic growth in the West and Central Africa Region.

Participants were drawn from member countries of the Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Lake Chad, and Togo.

Experts drawn from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT), and others were physically and virtually at the summit.

They said these measures were vital to addressing immediate food security challenges and bolstering the region’s economic resilience.

The network urged governments in wheat-growing regions to rapidly develop irrigated and rain-fed wheat production, utilising 20–40 per cent of currently underutilised land resources to boost short-term productivity.

Participants also recommended that extension services immediately roll out appropriate technologies at scale, enhancing farmer skills and driving productivity across the wheat value chain.

They proposed that regional governments, particularly in ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), harmonise policies to support sustainable wheat production, value chain development, and regional wheat trade.

They also recommended innovation in wheat farming with a focus on improving soil health, deploying climate-smart farming techniques, and using sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate the impact of environmental constraints on wheat production.

Participants urged governments to upgrade infrastructure and regulatory frameworks to improve access to markets for wheat seeds, grains and wheat-based products.

They said that facilitating regional and international trade in wheat could generate economic growth and stabilise food supplies in the medium term of four to seven years.

They called on scientists to advance research into high-yielding, climate-resilient wheat varieties and promote sustainable pesticide use.

(NAN)