WAVE: A Key Player in Science Diplomacy at UNESCO Africa Week 2025
From May 19 to 21, 2025, the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris came alive with the sounds and colors of African culture, science, and solidarity during the UNESCO Africa Week.. This year's theme was: "Global Solidarity for the Restitution and Restoration of African Heritage through Culture, Education, and Science."
The Regional Centre of Excellence WAVE (Central and West African Virus Epidemiology), invited by the Permanent Delegation of Côte d’Ivoire to UNESCO, stood out through its high-level contributions. The program’s executive director participated in a distinguished panel on the theme: "Leveraging Science Diplomacy to Achieve Global Solidarity for the Restitution and Restoration of African Heritage." WAVE also presented its work on ex situ conservation through in vitro culture and the restoration of cassava varieties in Côte d'Ivoire.
Advocating for Food Sovereignty and Plant Health
In his address, Professor Justin Pita, the Executive Director of WAVE, highlighted the center’s efforts to increase crop productivity and ensure its sustainable protection through collaborations at the local, national, regional, and international levels. This approach is deeply rooted in science and diplomacy, as it establishes essential connections across the plant health value chain. WAVE places science at the heart of societal challenges, such as food and nutrition security, which are intricately tied to financial stability. In essence, WAVE is science diplomacy in action.
Professor Pita further emphasized the strategic role of scientific research in protecting Africa’s plant heritage, underscoring the critical connection between plant health, food security, and agricultural sovereignty. He presented WAVE’s work in restoring and enhancing threatened plant resources, particularly in the context of climate change and the spread of viral plant diseases.
Diplomatic Engagements and African Collaborations
Beyond his presentation, the Executive Director seized the opportunity to engage with numerous influential figures, opening the door to strengthened partnerships aimed at promoting plant health across the continent.
Diplomatic Engagements and African Collaborations
WAVE's participation in this celebration is a pivotal moment in recognizing science as a tool for diplomacy and international cooperation. Through its active presence, WAVE reaffirms its leadership in developing African-led solutions to continental challenges, particularly in preserving natural heritage, enhancing agricultural resilience, and promoting innovation.
By embracing the 2025 theme, WAVE solidifies its position at the intersection of science, education, and culture and demonstrates Africa's capacity to contribute to global discourse.
Capacity Building on Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD): WAVE Mission to Uganda
From May 13 to 17, 2025, a strategic training mission took place in Uganda. The mission brought together WAVE teams from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, and Côte d'Ivoire. It was conducted in collaboration with the National Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) in Namulonge. The mission aimed to bolster surveillance and prevention capabilities against CBSD, a growing threat to food security in Africa.
Mission Objectives :
The mission focused on:
• Enhancing technical skills in field identification and diagnosis using practical tools
• Training in survey techniques for phytosanitary monitoring of cassava pests and diseases
• Sharing strategies for CBSD prevention and control, particularly to curb its westward spread into West Africa. • Raising awareness of major cassava pests and diseases in Uganda, particularly CBSD, one of the region's most devastating viral diseases.
• Raising awareness of major cassava pests and diseases in Uganda, particularly CBSD, one of the region's most devastating viral diseases.
A Vital Crop Under Threat
Cassava is a staple food for over 800 million people worldwide. In Uganda, more than 70% of rural households grow cassava, which accounts for up to 22% of their income. However, pests and diseases severely compromise production, notably Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) and Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD).
CBSD is primarily spread by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and infected cuttings. CBSD can cause yield losses of up to 100%, rendering tubers unfit for consumption or trade and worsening food insecurity.
Integrated Disease Management Approach
The training sessions covered:
• Symptom identification on leaves, stems, and roots (e.g., chlorosis, necrosis, and deformities)
• Integrated disease management, including the use of tolerant varieties (e.g., NASE, NAROCASS), phytosanitation, crop isolation, and the removal of infected plants
• Vector control: monitoring whitefly populations, introducing natural enemies, and implementing crop rotation techniques.
Strengthening Regional Collaboration
This mission fostered connections among scientists from Central, West, and East Africa, bridging the gap between regions and facilitating the exchange of practical knowledge and experience. This achievement is a significant milestone in preparing Central and West African countries for a potential CBSD incursion.
Through enhanced phytosanitary surveillance, early detection, and response capabilities, WAVE reaffirms its dedication to plant health and sustainable food security in Africa. In the face of transboundary threats, regional scientific cooperation is more essential than ever.
WAVE at SARA 2025: A Strong Presence to Champion the BIORISKS Project
The 7th edition of the Salon de l’Agriculture et des Ressources Animales (SARA), held from 23 May to 1 June 2025 in Abidjan, brought together thousands of agricultural stakeholders from across Africa and beyond. Among the key participants was WAVE (Central and West African Virus Epidemiology), which stood out through its dynamic involvement in the BIORISKS project.
A Space for Awareness and Scientific Dialogue
Located in the heart of Pavilion 4 in the institutional area, the WAVE stand attracted a diverse group of visitors, including public institutions, researchers, farmers, students, and technical partners. The exhibition provided a platform to showcase the BIORISKS project, which focuses on anticipating and managing biological risks to enhance farmers’ resilience to climate change in West and Central Africa.
WAVE Teams in Action
Beyond the institutional display, WAVE staff created a lively atmosphere at the stand through meaningful interactions and live demonstrations. Their active engagement enabled the sharing of field experience, presentation of scientific project advances, and forging of new partnerships.
Strengthening Synergies for Plant Health
As biological threats are transcendent and become more complex, WAVE's participation in SARA 2025 underscored the importance of a collaborative, regional approach to combating emerging plant diseases. This approach aligns with CORAF's and its partners' commitment to promoting sustainable, resilient, and evidence-based agriculture.vidence-based agriculture.
About the BIORISKS Project
Funded by the European Union, the BIORISKS project is coordinated by CORAF and implemented by WAVE. The project aims to increase production and stabilize yields and incomes for key food and fruit crops by controlling viral cassava diseases, fall armyworms in maize, and fruit flies in mangoes. The project empowers national stakeholders and regional networks to effectively manage biological risks.
WAVE, INSAH and AGRHYMET: A Regional Scientific Alliance for Plant Health in West Africa
In the growing threat of transboundary pathogens to West African agriculture, regional cooperation has become a strategic priority. Within this framework, the Regional Center of Excellence WAVE, the Sahel Institute (INSAH), and the AGRHYMET Regional Climate Center (CCR-AOS) of CILSS have stepped up their collaboration.
A High-Level Tour to Build Scientific Bridges
From June 5 to 8, 2025, WAVE hosted an INSAH (Mali) delegation at its headquarters, marking a significant leap in fostering a robust regional partnership. This mission followed two prior high-level visits:
• On May 5–6, 2025, a WAVE delegation led by Professor Justin Pita was received at the AGRHYMET Regional Climate Center (CCR-AOS) in Niamey.
• On May 12–13, 2025, another WAVE delegation, led by Professor Fidèle Tiendrebéogo, undertook a strategic visit to INSAH in Bamako.
These reciprocal missions laid the foundation for focused collaboration on plant health. They reflect the three institutions' shared commitment to establishing a regional, integrated vision of plant disease surveillance, biological risk management, and early warning systems.
Technical and Operational Synergies
Throughout its visit to WAVE, the INSAH delegation explored the center’s technological platforms and diagnostic laboratories. They also engaged with WAVE’s scientific teams regarding tools for monitoring emerging and persistent viral diseases.
These discussions provided insight into several priority areas for collaboration.
A Shared Vision for Food Security
WAVE, INSAH, and AGRHYMET share a common belief that plant health is critical to resilient agricultural systems and food security in the Sahel region and beyond. INSAH plays a regional role in agricultural policy, AGRHYMET specializes in agrometeorological monitoring, and WAVE has the capacity for field-based diagnostics and research. These organizations form a complementary and strategic alliance.
This dynamic illustrates a model of proactive, structured scientific cooperation that serves farmers, policymakers, and agricultural ecosystems across West Africa.