Food safety and security remains a major concern in developing nations. Groundnuts rank the second globally in oil seed production after soya beans and the 11th most important crop for human intake. Limited productivity against the potential of existing crops due to biotic, abiotic, market and policy factors causes the poor food production trends. This work uses a systematic review approach to determine the productivity of groundnut as a major food crop in Africa for the last 10 years and the role of influencing factors. The extracted data is summarized creating a feasible proposal on how the productivity and quality of the crop could be improved to meet the food security need. West Africa regions like Nigeria (3.3t) and Senegal (1.1t/) having the highest productivity. Among the top 11 producers of groundnuts in Africa, West Africa accounts for 55% of these nations. In East Africa, Sudan has the highest production of 2.04t over the 10 years. Despite being the second continent in the size or area under production of groundnut, Africa has the lowest average yields per hectare (1 t/ha), compared to America (3 t/ha) and Asia (1.8 t/ha). Poor seed quality, diseases, pests, and post-harvest challenges like mycotoxins account for the low yield and quality of groundnut in Africa. There are similar trends of fungal and viral diseases in all regions of Africa. Development of improved varieties and policies in the region and improved agronomic inputs are feasible practices for attaining cultivars that resist the yield and quality limiting parameters.

Keywords: Aflatoxins; Diseases; Food safety; Food security, Mycotoxins, Variety