Although sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is gaining importance in West Africa, it remains uncertain whether the research is adequately advanced to support the promotion
of this crop in the region. Consequently, this systematic review of 125 articles provides a detailed overview of studies focused on sweet potatoes in West Africa. The paper explores various bibliometrics, the research geographic spread, and the topics discussed (e.g., food security and nutrition, climate resilience, livelihoods). The study indicates that sweet potato has the potential to address multiple issues in West Africa, including food and nutrition insecurity (especially micronutrient deficiencies, e.g., vitamin A) as well as
poverty. However, it also reveals significant research gaps in terms of geographical and thematic areas. From a geographical perspective, research is primarily conducted in
Nigeria and Ghana. From a thematic perspective, there are deficiencies in areas like economics and social sciences, applications in animal husbandry, marketing, use of
leaves, irrigation methods, and impacts on climate resilience and livelihoods. There is a pressing need for collaborative research and knowledge exchange among nations to fully
realize the potential of sweet potato and develop its value chains to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development across West Africa.

neglected and underutilized species; NUS; orphan crop; I. batatas; sweetpotato; Sahel; tuber; climate change; food security; SUSTLIVES