While Moringa oleifera Lam. is gaining importance in Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, it is unclear whether research is following the quick pace of its development on the continent. Therefore, this article analyzes the landscape of research dealing with moringa in Africa. This systematic review draws upon 299 eligible articles identified through a search carried out on the Web of Science in April 2023. Research on M. oleifera is rather recent in Africa but interest is increasing among scholars. While the research field is multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral, the literature seems to focus on biological and environmental sciences. Moreover, research is performed mainly in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, and Ghana. The analysis suggests a significant potential contribution of moringa to food security and nutrition, climate change mitigation/adaptation, farming systems resilience, and livelihoods. Its versatility and diverse applications and uses make moringa particularly interesting for developing countries, such as African ones. However, this review also underscores some factors hindering its development. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen research on moringa to unlock its potential in Africa. Investments in research, innovation, and development can help address the many challenges that Africa faces and contribute to the transition towards sustainable and resilient food systems.

While Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) originates from Africa and the list of producers is topped by African countries, it is not clear whether research is developed enough to support crop promotion in the continent. Thus, this systematic review of 180 articles presents a comprehensive summary of research on Bambara groundnut (BGN) in Africa. The paper addresses bibliographical metrics, the geographic distribution of the research and themes covered (viz., food and nutrition security, climate resilience, and livelihoods). The analysis shows that BGN can help address different challenges in Africa, such as food and nutrition insecurity and poverty. However, it also highlights gaps in the research from geographical and thematic standpoints. Geographically speaking, the most important producers of BGN in Africa are not sufficiently covered in the research; instead, it is mainly carried out in Nigeria and South Africa. Thematically speaking, the gaps are related to economics and social sciences, the use of BGN in animal production, processing and marketing, irrigation, contribution to climate resilience and livelihoods, and health benefits. Collaborative research and knowledge sharing, including among producing countries and those leading the research field, are highly needed to unlock the potential of BGN and boost its contribution to sustainable development in Africa.

The consistently low yield turnout of maize on farmers’ fields owing to drought and the nutritional challenges attributable to the consumption of white endosperm maize pose a major threat to food and nutritional security in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of newly developed extra-early maturing orange hybrids under managed drought and well-watered conditions, compare the outcomes of multiple-trait base index and multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index selection procedures, and identify drought-tolerant hybrids with stable performance across contrasting environments for commercialization in SSA. One hundred and ninety orange hybrids and six checks were evaluated under managed drought and well-watered conditions at Ikenne for two seasons between 2021 and 2023. A 14 × 14-lattice design was used for the field evaluations under both research conditions. Drought stress was achieved by the complete withdrawal of irrigation water 25 days after planting. Results revealed significant differences among the hybrids under drought and well-watered conditions. Grain yield, ears per plant, and plant aspect under managed drought were correlated to the same traits under well-watered conditions, suggesting that the expression of these traits is governed by common genetic factors. Twenty-nine hybrids were identified as top-performing drought-tolerant hybrids by the multiple-trait base index and the multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index. Of the selected outstanding 29 hybrids, 34% were derived from crosses involving the tester TZEEIOR 197, demonstrating the outstanding genetic potential of this inbred line. Further analysis of the 29 selected hybrids revealed TZEEIOR 509 × TZEEIOR 197 as the hybrid that combined the most drought-tolerant adaptive traits. However, the hybrids TZEEIOR 526 × TZEEIOR 97, TZEEIOR 384 × TZEEIOR 30, TZEEIOR 515 × TZEEIOR 249, TZEEIOR 510 × TZEEIOR 197, TZEEIOR 479 × TZEEIOR 197, and TZEEIOR 458 × TZEEIOR 197 were identified as the most stable hybrids across drought and well-watered conditions. These hybrids should be extensively tested in multi-location trials for deployment and commercialization in SSA.

A growing body of evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic affected not only the functioning of food supply chains but also the performance and outcomes of agri-food systems. In this context, this paper analyses the scholarly literature dealing with the impacts of the pandemic on West African agriculture and food systems. A search carried out on the Web of Science in March 2023 returned 176 records and 87 eligible documents were included in the systematic review. The bibliometric analysis suggests a decreasing interest in the research field. Moreover, a large share of the eligible articles are authored by researchers based outside West Africa. There is a research gap, especially in Cabo Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, Niger and Togo. Studies focus on the crop production subsector and consumption stage. The pandemic affected all four dimensions/pillars of food security (viz. availability, access, utilisation/use, and stability). However, most of the analysed documents focus on food access (economic accessibility and physical accessibility). Moreover, COVID-19 affected all the dimensions of agri-food systems (viz. environmental, economic, social, and political) but the analysed articles focus on the pandemic’s socio-economic impacts, especially those relating to food security and health. The promotion of research on the impacts of the pandemic on agri-food systems in West Africa is paramount to designing the evidence-based policies needed to improve the preparedness of the region for current and future crises and shocks.

Bioinformatics, an interdisciplinary field combining biology and computer science, enables meaningful information to be extracted from complex biological data. The exponential growth of biological data, driven by high-throughput omics technologies and advanced sequencing methods, requires robust computational resources. Worldwide, bioinformatics skills and computational clusters are essential for managing and analysing large-scale biological datasets across health, agriculture, and environmental science, which are crucial for the African continent. In Burkina Faso, the establishment of bioinformatics infrastructure has been a gradual process. Initial training initiatives between 2015-2016, including bioinformatics courses and the establishment of the BurkinaBioinfo (BBi) platform, marked significant progress. Over 250 scientists have been trained at diverse levels in bioinformatics, 105 user accounts have been created for high-performance computing access. Operational since 2019, this platform has significantly facilitated training programs for scientists and system administrators in west Africa, covering data production, introductory bioinformatics, phylogenetic analysis, and metagenomics. Financial and technical support from various sources has facilitated the rapid development of the platform to meet the growing need for bioinformatics analysis, particularly in conjunction with local 'wet labs'. Establishing a bioinformatics cluster in Burkina Faso involved identifying the needs of researchers, selecting appropriate hardware and installing the necessary bioinformatics tools. At present, the main challenges for the BBi platform include ongoing staff training in bioinformatics skills and high-level IT infrastructure management in the face of growing infrastructure demands. Despite these challenges, the establishment of a bioinformatics platform in Burkina Faso offers significant opportunities for scientific research and economic development in the country.

The centre of origin of Bambara groundnut (BGN; Vigna subterranea L.) is Western Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to its high nutritional value and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, this neglected and underutilised species has recently gained significant attention. However, BGN production faces several challenges, including a lack of quality varieties. This study describes a selected core collection based on phenotypic traits, investigates relevant selection criteria and identifies a set of landraces according to participants’ preferences. A core collection of landraces was generated, described, and then subjected to participatory varietal selection. Through individual semi-structured interviews, key selection criteria were identified. Focus group discussions were organised to explore group criteria and to support and validate information from personal interviews. The varietal selection involved choosing three landraces per participant. The results highlighted that seed colour, seed size, cultural value, market value, seed taste, storage, and seed cooking duration were the main selection criteria; however, specific trait preferences varied by gender and participants. Two of 14 selected BGN landraces were considered by the panel of evaluators to be most suitable for recommendation to growers and breeders. They can be disseminated in BGN production regions and used for plant breeding.