West African wheat experts meet in Abuja, Nigeria over production challenges

Wheat breeders and other stakeholders from West and Central Africa have converged in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for the 2nd West and Central Africa Wheat Development Network (WECAWheat) Regional Summit 2024. Wheat experts from Chad, Cameroon, Benin Republic, Niger Republic, Sudan and other countries have arrived Abuja for the summit, which begins today. Speaking at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, the Regional Coordinator of the WECAWheat, Professor Benjamin Ubi, said this 2nd edition of the conference will among other things, seek policy reforms that will promote sustainable wheat production across the region. He said the outcome of the summit will offer a workable blueprint that would harness a regional approach to wheat self-sufficiency across the entire sub-region. He said Nigeria imports about six million metric tons of wheat annually costing the country over $3 billion, which could be used for wheat research and production locally thereby making the country ...