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CORAF has taken an important step in the transition from National Specialization Centers (NSCs) to Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs). As part of the West African Food Systems Resilience Program (PRSA/FSRP), a regional workshop was held in Niamey, Niger, from June 14 to 16, 2023. The aim of the workshop was to report on the results of the evaluation of the National Specialization Centers (NSCs) in their maturation process into Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs), and to update the investment plans for the maturation and consolidation of the centers.

Evaluation of the National Centers of Specialization

The recent evaluation of the National Specialization Centers (NSCs) has a dual purpose: to assess the state of implementation of the action plans that were validated in 2018, and the conditions for any relaunch with a view to continuing the migration dynamic towards the Regional Centers of Excellence (RCEs). The seven (7) centers concerned by the recent evaluation are the centers on (i) Fruits and Vegetables in Burkina Faso; (ii) Rainfed, Irrigated and Deep Submergence Rice in Mali; (iii) Livestock in Niger; (iv) the new center on bio-aggressor management in Togo, the centers on (v) Root and Tuber Crops in Ghana; (vi) Mangrove Rice in Sierra Leone and (vii) Dry Cereals in Senegal.

"We have decided to give countries responsibility for a certain number of priority value chains through comparative studies of these value chains. This strategic assessment is part of a shared ambition by CORAF and ECOWAS to have an impact on agricultural development in the West African region. Above all, it aims to ensure that these centers remain adapted to the changing realities of agriculture in the region", said Dr Nieyidouba LAMIEN, Program Manager at CORAF and coordinator of component 2 of the FSRP at CORAF.

During the workshop, evaluations of seven centers of specialization were reviewed, along with updated investment plans for the maturing of existing centers and the development of future ones.

Towards regional R&D Centers of Excellence

In response to the need to pool resources for agricultural research and development in the West African region, nine (9) NSCs were created around the priority sectors identified in a study commissioned by CORAF. These are: CRE Céréales Sèches (Senegal), CNS Riz (Mali), CRE Racines et Tubercules (Ghana), CNS Bananes-Plantains (Côte d'Ivoire), CNS Fruits et Légumes (Burkina Faso), CNS Aquaculture (Nigeria), CNS Maïs (Benin), CNS Riz de Mangrove (Sierra Leone), CNS Bétail et Viande (Niger).

As part of the process of supporting the transformation of NHAs into regional centers of excellence, CORAF had commissioned two assessments of the maturity of these NHAs into RECs, in 2015 and 2017 respectively. This assessment had identified the progress made by each NSC towards its development into a REC, two of which have been transformed into RECs, Senegal and Ghana.

Among the centers evaluated in 2023, the Burkina Faso Fruit and Vegetable Center has been awarded the status of Regional Specialization Center (CRS). The center has demonstrated its ability to respond to

rigorous criteria of an ECOWAS Regional Center of Excellence. It will help improve the productivity of fruit and vegetables, including mangoes, onions and tomatoes.

For Dr. Vianney Tarpaga, researcher at the Institut National de Recherche Agricole (INERA) in Burkina Faso and Coordinator of the Fruit and Vegetable Specialization Center, it's a success on two counts: "We're delighted to see our regional specialization center become a center of excellence," he said, adding that the commitment of researchers and political players has been crucial in this process.

At the end of the workshop, participants validated the evaluation reports of the National Centers of Specialization and updated the investment plans for the maturation and consolidation of existing centers. In addition, the Regional Center of Excellence for Roots and Tubers in Ghana and the Regional Center of Excellence for Dry Cereals in Senegal maintained their status.

The transformation of the National Specialization Centers into Regional Centers of Excellence demonstrates the region's commitment to agricultural innovation and sustainability, while offering an optimistic outlook for agricultural development in West Africa.