The Federal Government has unveiled a digital platform designed to strengthen surveillance and response to transboundary plant diseases across West and Central Africa.
The platform, known as the WAVE Rapid Response Decision Support Tool, was launched during the three-day Central and West African Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) Regional Convening held in Abuja.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the regional meeting was aimed at strengthening collaboration to protect crops, farmers’ livelihoods and food security across the continent.
“Plant health is food security. Without healthy crops, we cannot guarantee sufficient food, improve farmers’ incomes, or achieve sustainable economic development. This is why the work of WAVE is so timely and important,” Abdullahi said.
He said transboundary pests and diseases, including Fall Armyworm, Cassava Brown Streak Disease, Banana Bunchy Top Virus and Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease, continued to threaten agricultural productivity, livelihoods and trade across the region.
The statement signed by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Head, Department of Information in the ministry, and dated July 22, 2026, quoted the minister as saying that climate change was accelerating the spread of the diseases, making early detection and coordinated responses increasingly important.
Abdullahi said the unveiling of the digital tool was in line with Paragraph 14 of the Abuja Declaration, which calls on member states to domesticate regional plant health protocols and invest in digital surveillance systems.
He said the declaration also required member states to strengthen surveillance and early warning systems, promote Integrated Pest Management, expand diagnostic and laboratory capacity, improve emergency response mechanisms and support research and innovation.
According to the Minister, the new platform would enable governments to make faster, evidence-based decisions during disease outbreaks and deploy limited resources through targeted interventions.
He said the tool would also strengthen early warning and emergency response systems while supporting digital agriculture and data-driven policymaking across the region.
Nigeria, he disclosed, had been selected as the demonstration case for the tool as part of efforts to modernise agriculture and strengthen national pest surveillance systems.
Abdullahi acknowledged the partnership with the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) and other national, regional and international institutions supporting plant health systems across Africa.
He said protecting plant health required the participation of governments, researchers, universities, extension workers, development partners, private sector organisations, farmer associations and local communities.
“It requires the active participation of researchers, universities, extension workers, development partners, private sector organisations, farmer associations, and local communities,” he said.
The Minister reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural sector through technology, integrated pest management, agricultural biosecurity and strategic partnerships.
He urged participants to “exchange knowledge openly, challenge conventional thinking, and build stronger partnerships that will continue long after this meeting concludes.”
Abdullahi also unveiled the WAVE Research Logo, which he described as representing scientific excellence, innovation, collaboration and resilience.
He said the logo represented “renewed hope for stronger regional cooperation, faster disease detection, better surveillance systems, and more resilient food systems across our continent.”
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said transboundary pests and plant diseases did not respect national borders, requiring a coordinated regional response.
“The challenges posed by transboundary pests and plant diseases know no national boundaries. Our response must therefore be collective, coordinated, science-driven, and sustained,” Ogunbiyi said.
He urged participants to use the meeting to exchange knowledge, strengthen partnerships and develop practical solutions for a more resilient and food-secure West and Central Africa.
Ogunbiyi said the ministry remained committed to strengthening national plant health systems, promoting integrated pest management, enhancing agricultural biosecurity and developing strategic partnerships to support sustainable agricultural development and food security.
The Executive Director of WAVE, Prof. Justin Pita, said the initiative would focus on protecting food security by predicting and controlling viral diseases affecting staple root and tuber crops, including cassava, yams and sweet potatoes.
The convening brought together ministers, commissioners of agriculture, heads of National Plant Protection Organisations, WAVE country directors, representatives of international and regional organisations, members of the diplomatic community and other stakeholders from West and Central Africa.
The highlight of the event was the launch of the WAVE Rapid Response Decision Support Tool, which integrates real-time surveillance data, scientific analysis and predictive modelling.