The WAVE Regional Center of Excellence (WAVE CRe) is a scientific and technical platform that aims to increase food production in Central and West Africa, in a sustainable manner, by developing effective methods for the control and management of transboundary plant pathogens, as well as preventing the incursion of exotic plant diseases into new areas. Launched in 2015 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom, WAVE conducted a successful first phase that resulted in the donors granting the program a second phase in 2019 and extending its geographical scope. In 2021, the WAVE program was established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as a Regional Center of Excellence for transboundary plant pathogens which will empower smallholder farmers to protect their crops. Headquartered in Côte d’Ivoire, WAVE relies on a network of universities, national scientific and biotechnological research centers in 10 Central and West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Togo and Sierra Leone).