WEF Nexus in Africa Initiative in Brief

A water-energy-food (WEF) nexus workshop was held at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Nigeria on June 26 and 27, 2018.

Organizing partners included IITA, University of Ibadan (Nigeria), International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (Burkina Faso), Pan African University Institute for Water and Energy Sciences (Algeria), United Nations University and PACET at UNU-EHS (Germany) and Penn State (USA). The workshop involved over 60 participants from the U.S. and ten African countries, representing 23 academic, multilateral, government and private sector organizations.

The primary objectives were to build an alliance committed to developing a significant WEF nexus program in Africa, and to explore possible partnerships with institutions and individuals interested in immediate collaboration around specific Nexus research, education or outreach programs.  A major outcome of the workshop was the determination that a distributed center or network was necessary to make the most effective use of existing capacity, leverage local and regional expertise and resources and provide a mechanism for identifying and seeking resources for new capacity needs

The workshop concluded that an integrated systems approach is necessary for optimal use of resources, building resiliency in the water-energy-food system and for sustainable development.  The Nexus approach is seen as a foundation for economic development, with positive outcomes for human and environmental health.  There is the potential for additional benefits in terms of gender equity, community development, youth employment and entrepreneurship. This website stands a resource tool and clearinghouse for collaborative sharing information, promoting discussion and hosting webinars and other learning opportunities.