According to the most recent analysis of the Cadre harmonisé, some 5.2 million people in the Sahel and West Africa are currently in need of food assistance. They could be 9.6 million during the next lean season in June-August 2018, if appropriate measures are not taken. Read on

Prices are a key determinant of access to food in West Africa as households rely on markets for two-thirds of their food supply. Food prices in sub-Saharan Africa are 30 to 40% more expensive than in the rest of the world at comparable levels of GDP per capita. They vary greatly across countries – from -28% in Mauritania to +14% in Ghana compared to the West African average. Read on

On 30 August, the CILSS Agrhymet Regional Centre celebrated the fourth edition of its master’s programme in food and nutrition security. Twenty-five students, including four women, graduated in Niamey, Niger. The majority of students benefitted from a scholarship within the ECOWAS-sponsored Support Program for Food and Nutrition Security in West Africa (PASANAO). Read on

In its contribution to the OECD Yearbook, the Sahel and West Africa Club Secretariat recalls that Nigeria’s food crisis requires structural responses to restore trust and build an inclusive, resilient society throughout the country. The Nigerian crisis reflects the importance of inclusion. What started as a localised Nigerian crisis quickly grew into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Beyond the immediate humanitarian emergency, the Nigerian crisis requires three long-term response strategies. Read on