Efforts to reduce Africa’s heavy reliance on imported wheat gained momentum at the third Regional Wheat Summit held in N’Djamena, where stakeholders from across West and Central Africa called for accelerated investment in production, research and regional cooperation.

The summit was convened under the West and Central Africa Wheat Development Network and brought together policymakers, agricultural researchers, development partners and private sector actors under the theme focused on scaling innovation and strengthening sustainable wheat systems.

Rising demand, persistent import gap

Wheat consumption across West and Central Africa continues to rise sharply, driven by population growth, urbanisation and changing dietary patterns. However, local production has remained far below demand, leaving many countries dependent on imports and exposed to global price shocks and supply chain disruptions.

This dependency has become a growing food security concern, particularly in the context of climate change, geopolitical instability and fluctuating global grain markets.

Research and innovation at the centre of transformation

Participants highlighted advances in agricultural science, particularly the development of heat-tolerant wheat varieties, as a key breakthrough for expanding production in challenging climatic conditions.

Improved irrigation systems, mechanisation, and climate-smart farming practices were also identified as essential tools for increasing yields and reducing production risks.

Institutions such as the International Centre for Agriculture in the Dry Areas, the African Development Bank and CGIAR were among key partners supporting innovation and scaling efforts.

Policy alignment and investment gaps

A key outcome of the summit was a call for governments to prioritise wheat within national agricultural strategies to strengthen food sovereignty and reduce import dependence.

Delegates stressed that increased funding for agricultural research, stronger seed certification systems, and improved distribution networks are critical to ensuring farmers have access to high-quality inputs.

They also emphasised the need for greater private sector participation and investment in production, storage, processing and marketing infrastructure to improve competitiveness across the wheat value chain.

Inclusion and regional cooperation

The summit highlighted the importance of including women and youth in wheat production systems, noting their role in driving agricultural innovation and rural employment.

Stronger regional collaboration was also identified as essential, with proposals to expand the existing WECAWheat platform into a continent-wide initiative aimed at improving knowledge sharing and scaling successful models across Africa.

Ethiopia highlighted as a model

Ethiopia was cited as a leading example of successful wheat sector transformation, following significant gains in domestic production driven by policy support, investment and public-private partnerships.

Delegates recommended structured exchanges, study tours and knowledge transfer programmes to replicate successful approaches in other African countries.

Toward a more resilient wheat system

The summit concluded with the “N’Djamena Call,” a collective commitment to strengthen Africa’s wheat sector through expanded irrigation, improved seed systems, deeper research collaboration and stronger regional integration.

Participants also endorsed scaling up proven agricultural innovations identified under regional food systems resilience programmes.

Senegal was confirmed as the host of the next Regional Wheat Summit, signalling continued momentum in efforts to build a more resilient and self-sufficient wheat sector across Africa.

Overall, the discussions underscored a growing consensus: reducing wheat import dependence will require coordinated action across policy, science, investment and regional trade systems to build a more secure and competitive agricultural future for the continent.