[Abuja, Nigeria – April 3, 2023] – The Agricultural Research and Innovation Fellowship for Africa (ARIFA), a flagship program of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), has inducted its first set of fellows in Nigeria. The program aims to produce a new fit-for-purpose workforce to re-engineer the African agri-food sector and provide the change factor for rapid agricultural transformation in Africa.
ARIFA is implemented in partnership with Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). The inducted fellows were trained at Brazilian universities, notably Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Universidade Federal de Goiais, Universidade Federal de Lavras and Universidade Federal de Itajuba.
The induction ceremony was officiated by the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Arch Sonny Echono, and the Executive Director of FARA, Dr Yemi Akinbamijo. Both institutions’ commitment towards this program’s success is highly commendable.
Held on the margins of ongoing training on Innovation System thinking as a post-training component of ARIFA, the induction ceremony was attended by Directors from TETFund Centers of Excellence, designated ARIFA institutions, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), ARIFA Faculty Focal Leads, and other stakeholders from Nigeria’s Agricultural Research for Development (AR4D) landscape. The fellows are expected to form part of a national pool of scholars supporting at least thirteen TETFund ARIFA Innovation Platforms across the county. Their expertise is expected to increase the productivity of over 24,000 farmers.
The event was a celebration of the program’s success, a recognition of the fellows’ achievements and the launch of the establishment of Innovation Platforms.
Dr Akinbamijo and Arc. Echono encouraged the fellows as they prepare to be part of the TETFund ARIFA Innovation Platforms across the country, where they will be supported to put their newly acquired skills and knowledge into practice. The ARIFA program is a vital step towards realizing the vision of transforming Africa’s agricultural sector and ensuring food security on the continent.
For more information, please contact:
Dr Abdulrazak Ibrahim
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