The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a regional innovation hub in Dakar, Senegal, aimed at accelerating sustainable, locally-led solutions to address hunger and malnutrition in West and Central Africa. This hub, the third of its kind globally, will work with governments, private sector leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, civil society, and communities to drive innovations that can have a transformative impact on food security and livelihoods, contributing to the UN’s goal of Zero Hunger.
The Dakar hub will develop tailored solutions aligned with national and regional priorities, focusing on strengthening humanitarian preparedness and response, national home-grown school meals, and resilient food systems. Leveraging WFP’s extensive operational footprint, the hub will complement existing programs while adopting both proven and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in tackling food insecurity.
WFP’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa, Margot van der Velden, emphasized that innovation is essential to scale solutions, overcome operational challenges, and improve the lives of communities. The hub will rely on partnerships with public, private, and philanthropic actors and explore creative financing models to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
West and Central Africa face persistent challenges, including conflict and extreme weather, which have displaced millions and disrupted livelihoods. More than 11 million people in the region are forcibly displaced, driving hunger with nearly 12 percent of the population exposed to acute food insecurity over the past five years. WFP has been working with governments to scale innovations that improve local food production, strengthen resilience, and reduce reliance on humanitarian aid.
The hub will build on successful initiatives such as School Connect, a digital tool for monitoring school meals across 15 countries; Ignitia, which provides weather forecasts to 2.7 million smallholder farmers in Mali and Ghana; Farm2Go, which enhances market access and productivity for farmers in Guinea; and SCOUT, a platform that optimizes crisis response and logistics, saving millions annually. These initiatives demonstrate the potential of technology-driven, locally-led solutions to improve food security and resilience.
WFP plans to use the innovation hub to scale these proven solutions, bringing together communities, governments, the private sector, innovators, and civil society to build resilient food systems and accelerate measurable progress toward Zero Hunger. An initial investment of USD 4.5 million over three years will support the hub’s establishment and help develop up to 15 transformative, ready-to-scale innovations with the potential to impact millions across West and Central Africa.
