West Africa is a center of origin and diversity of pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], but this diversity is neither well-understood nor fully accessible to and exploited by NARS breeders and farmers. The objective of the present study was to multiply and initially characterize 281 pearl millet accessions from all over West and Central Africa, with the final aim of promoting a more systematic and targeted exploitation of genetic diversity in adapted germplasm in West African pearl millet improvement programs