The bambara groundnut [Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc. (Fabaceae)] is a legume mainly cultivated by women, for the nutritional quality of these seeds. It is a so-called minor culture and the improvement of the plant and its popularization remains to be promoted. The objective of this present work is to evaluate the genetic variability of bambara groundnut accessions. The experiment was carried out according to a completely randomized block device with four replications. Twenty-two (22) characters including four (4) phenological, four (4) morphological and fourteen (14) related to yield were evaluated for accessions characterization. Descriptive analysis showed significant differences. The coefficients of variation ranged from 3.51% (maturity date) to 38.87% (shell weight). Significantly high values (CV˃20%) for 8 of the metric parameters were observed. Pod weight per plant and seed weight per plant (r=0.943), yield in kg/ha (r=0.943); seed weight per plant and yield in kg/ha (r=0.999) showed the strongest correlations. The phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were high for dry biomass weight (PCV=42.23%; GCV=28.40%), shell weight (PCV=63.46%; GCV=22.46%) and 100-seed weight (PCV=25.57%; GCV=25.25%). Maturity date (95.77%) and 100-seed weight (99.84%) had high heritabilities. Broad-sense heritability and genetic gain are high for 100-seed weight (H2=99.84%; GA=52.58%). The Ascending hierarchical classification produced four groups of which group 4 is the most efficient in yield with short (20.58cm) early accessions (80.32 days). Groups 1 and 2 include, late accessions (~22cm) with respectively maturity dates (DM=85.67 days and DM=86.53 days.

The 2024 Edition of the PRESASS was organized from April 22 to 26, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria, by AGRHYMET Regional Climate Center for West Africa and the Sahem (AGRHYMET RCC-WAS) of the CILSS, in collaboration with ACMAD, the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), WMO and the West African River Basin Organizations. .......Generally a wet rainy season is expected in 2024 over the Sahelian belt, with late to normal starting dates of the agricultural season in the Sahel-Central and early to normal s in the Sahel-West and East; late to normal ending dates of the agricultural season; short dry spells at the beginning of the season in the Sahel-West and medium to long dry spells in the Sahel-East and generally long dry spells towards the end of the season over the entire Sahelian belt; and above-average runoff in the main Sahelian river basins.......