A team comprising Prof. E. Y. Danquah (WACCI), Prof. S. K. Offei (WACCI), Prof. Vern Gracen (WACCI/Cornell), Dr. Ronnie Coffman (Cornell), Mr. Stefan Einarson (Cornell) and Dr. Rufaro Madakadze (AGRA) has held discussions at the Cornell University on the second phase of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI). The Centre received US$5,781,857 from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and US$533,643 from the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP) for the initial phase of WACCI. Currently, 36 students are enrolled in the five-year PhD Plant Breeding Programme at WACCI. Funding for the second phase will ensure the sustainability of the project beyond its initial five years. At the end of the meeting, a proposal to position WACCI as a Centre of Excellence in the sub-region was developed. This was to be presented to AGRA and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).