The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), in collaboration with the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and its partners, wishes to inform all registered participants, partners, exhibitors, sponsors, speakers, media representatives and the general public of an important change of venue for the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW9) and the 10th FARA General Assembly.

New Venue: Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria
Dates: 27–30 July 2026 

This venue change replaces the previously announced Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.

All other arrangements remain unchanged, including the event dates, theme, programme, side events, exhibition, General Assembly, registration and participation arrangements.

The Abuja Continental Hotel provides an excellent conference environment with world-class meeting facilities and hospitality services that will ensure a seamless experience for all delegates while supporting the delivery of one of Africa’s premier agricultural research, innovation and agribusiness platforms.

The four-day programme will continue as planned, featuring high-level opening and plenary sessions; the Science and Partnership for Agriculture Conference (SPAC); parallel technical sessions aligned with the four thematic areas; ministerial and donor dialogues; side events; exhibition and networking opportunities; Nigeria Day activities; and the 10th FARA General Assembly.

Under the theme “Innovation and Partnerships for Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa,” AASW9 will convene policymakers, researchers, farmers, private sector leaders, development partners, youth, women, investors and civil society organisations from across Africa and beyond to advance partnerships and practical solutions for transforming African agrifood systems.

FARA appreciates the understanding and continued support of all participants and partners as preparations enter the final stages. We remain committed to delivering a memorable, impactful and well-organised Africa Agriculture Science Week.

Participants are encouraged to update their travel and accommodation arrangements accordingly and continue following official AASW9 communication channels for further event updates.

We look forward to welcoming delegates to Abuja Continental Hotel from 27–30 July 2026 for another landmark edition of Africa Agriculture Science Week.

Media Contacts

AASW9 Secretariat
Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Email: aasw@faraafrica.org Copying babugri@faraafrica.org, nuhuyusuf2005@gmail.com and spennaneach@faraafrica.org
Website: www.faraafrica.org

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9 July 2026, Tamale, Ghana

The COINS project is holding a three-day engagement in Tamale, Ghana, bringing together farmers, researchers, extension actors, local authorities, members of the Participatory Learning Platform, and other stakeholders to reflect on project results and strengthen pathways for sustainable land management in smallholder farming systems.

The workshop is taking place at the University for Development Studies campus in Tamale as part of the final dissemination and closing activities of the COINS project – Co-developing Innovations for Sustainable Land Management in West African Smallholder Farming Systems. The project seeks to address land degradation and the challenges faced by smallholder crop-livestock farming systems in semi-arid West Africa through context-specific, scalable and climate-resilient sustainable intensification pathways.

Participants of the COINS workshop engage community members in Savelugu and Tolon on Integrated Soil Fertility Management and sustainable land management practices

The first two days of the engagement focused on community-level interactions in Savelugu and Tolon, where project teams engaged farmers and community members on Integrated Soil Fertility Management practices and related sustainable land management innovations. The field engagements provided an opportunity for community members to share their experiences, validate project messages and reflect on how the promoted practices respond to local farming realities.

Through these community visits, the COINS team created space for direct dialogue with farmers and local actors. Presentations, demonstrations and feedback sessions allowed participants to discuss lessons from the project, including the relevance, adoption and possible scaling of Integrated Soil Fertility Management approaches in the Northern Region.

On 9 July 2026, the engagement continued in a workshop setting at the UDS Guest House Conference Room. The session brought together members of the Participatory Learning Platform, consortium partners, researchers, extension officers, local authorities and other stakeholders for presentations and discussions on the project’s research findings. The day’s programme included an overview of the COINS project, presentations of key research results by consortium members, discussion of the synthesis report, a roundtable on project results, and a survey of participants’ views on Integrated Soil Fertility Management.

Stakeholders participate in the COINS wrap-up engagement and technical presentations at UDS, Tamale.

The Tamale workshop is expected to generate stakeholder feedback on the project’s findings, support validation of results, and contribute to discussions on post-project continuity and scaling of sustainable land management practices. It also provides a platform for strengthening collaboration among researchers, farmer groups, extension officers, government representatives and development partners.

COINS is implemented by a consortium of German and African institutions, with partners including the German Aerospace Center, WASCAL, CSIR-SARI, University of Bonn, University of Ghana, University of Hohenheim, Ruhr University Bochum, ZALF, UNU institutions, IPAR, MANOBI Africa and ACRE Africa. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space under the Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa initiative.

The workshop forms part of broader efforts to ensure that research findings are not only presented to stakeholders but are also validated, contextualised and translated into practical actions that can support resilient livelihoods, improved soil fertility and sustainable land governance in West African smallholder farming systems.

See more on the COINS Workshop in Tamale via: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCYPGw

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The Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) is the continental apex organization for agricultural research and innovation in Africa and serves as the technical support organization of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) on matters concerning food and agricultural research and innovation. FARA coordinates continent-wide actions aimed enhancing the deployment of science, technology and innovation (STI) towards the continent’s attainment of its agri-food system transformation targets as laid out in the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme  (CAADP) strategy.

Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, FARA works closely with numerous actors including the AUC and AUDA-NEPAD; regional economic communities; ministries responsible for food, agriculture, STI, trade and natural resource management; national, regional and continental agricultural research and extension organizations; farmer organizations at all levels; higher education institutions and their networks; CGIAR centres; development partners; private sector actors in food and agriculture and civil society actors.

FARA’s programme is organized into four clusters: (i) innovation to impact partnerships and systems; (ii) knowledge management, digitalization, communication and learning; (iii) institutional capacity strengthening and foresight, and (iv) science policy and investments.

FARA is seeking a dynamic and accomplished expert and leader to head its Knowledge Management, Digitalization, Communication and Learning Cluster.

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Director of Research and Innovation this Cluster Leader will provide strategic and technical leadership for: (i) the organization’s knowledge management agenda which sets out to ensure that knowledge generated by FARA and its partners is effectively captured, managed and shared to support agricultural transformation across the continent; (ii) continental level actions aimed at advancing digitalization within the agrifood ecosystem; (iii) enhancing communication and visibility of FARA and the impact of food and agricultural research and innovation on economies and society; and (iv) supporting organizational learning for FARA and key partners.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Provide strategic leadership for FARA’s, knowledge management, digitalization, communication, and organizational learning functions.
• Develop and strengthen systems for knowledge management, digital collaboration, organizational learning plus the preparation and dissemination of high-quality communication products
• Develop and implement integrated communication, branding, visibility and stakeholder engagement strategies aligned with FARA’s Strategic Plan.
• Oversee FARA’s corporate identity, website, digital platforms and social media presence to strengthen institutional visibility and stakeholder engagement.
• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with the African Union system, Regional Economic Communities, agricultural research, extension and education institutions at all levels, CGIAR Centres, development partners, the knowledge management for agricultural development (KM4AgD) network, farmer organizations, media and the private sector.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of communication, knowledge management and learning initiatives, ensuring continuous improvement and organizational impact.
• Contribute to institutional resource mobilization through strategic positioning, visibility and the development of high-quality communication and knowledge products.
• Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous learning.
• Perform any other duties assigned by Management .

 Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Knowledge Management, Development Communication, Information Science, Digital Media or a related discipline.
• A PhD in a relevant discipline will be an added advantage.

Professional Experience

The successful candidate should possess:

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in knowledge management and development communication, with roles in supervising digitalization and organizational learning or a related field, with at least five (5) years in a senior leadership or management role.
• Proven experience establishing and managing knowledge management systems, digital platforms and organizational learning initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing organizational communication, branding and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Strong experience leading multidisciplinary teams
• Excellent writing, editing and presentation skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific and technical information into compelling communication and knowledge products for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in media relations, advocacy, partnership development and stakeholder engagement at national, regional or international levels.
• Experience managing knowledge management platforms, digital communication platforms and social media campaigns.
• Experience working with regional, continental or international organizations, particularly within the African Union ecosystem, CGIAR, continental or regional research, innovation or education networks / organisations, or similar institutions, will be a distinct advantage.
• Demonstrated experience supporting resource mobilization through strategic communication and partnership engagement.

 Core Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Knowledge management in the agri-food system domain
• Strategic communication, corporate branding and reputation management.
• Digital communication and social media management including communication analytics and performance measurement.
• Science writing and editing.
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership development.
• Domestication of digital transformation strategies in the agrifood domain
• Organizational learning
• Project development and execution

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic leadership with proven planning, organizational and decision-making skills, plus a strong results and accountability orientation.
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation and networking skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to influence at senior policy and institutional levels.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• High standards of integrity, professionalism and diplomacy.

Language Requirements

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are essential.
• Working knowledge of French and/or Portuguese will be a strong advantage.

Application Submission

Interested applicants must submit an applications comprising a cover letter, a detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV), contact details of three (3) professional referees and any other supporting documents considered relevant to the application. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to participate in the next stage of the recruitment process

Applications should be submitted electronically to [recruitment@faraafrica.org] and addressed to Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director of FARA, No. 7 Flower Avenue, New Achimota, Mile 7, Accra, Ghana,  Tel: +233 302 772823/744888. Submissions must be received  no later than 14h00 GMT on  Thursday, 30^th July 2026.

FARA Affirmative Action Statement on Recruitment: there is no discrimination based on gender race, religion, ethnic orientation, disability, or health status.

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Accra, Ghana | 1–3 July 2026

The CIRAWA Agroecology Conference 2026 concluded in Accra with a renewed call for stronger partnerships, evidence-based policies, and greater investment in agroecology and nature-based solutions as pathways to transforming Africa’s food systems.

Held under the theme “Agroecology and Nature-Based Solutions for Sustainable Food Systems in Africa,” the conference convened scientists, policymakers, development partners, private sector representatives, farmer organizations, civil society, and academia from across Africa and Europe to exchange knowledge, showcase innovations, and develop practical pathways for scaling agroecological transformation.

A High-Level Gathering for Africa’s Food Systems Transformation

The conference officially opened with representation from the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana. Hon. Dr. Alex Segbefia, Chief of Staff, Dr Miriam Rahinatu Iddrisu, Policy Advisor – Social Sector, and Dr Hamza Bukari, Policy Advisor – Economic Sector, represented H.E. Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice President of Ghana, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and food systems transformation.

Hon. Dr. Alex Segbefia, Chief of Staff, Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana

Participants also included representatives from the European Union, UNESCO, IUCN, FARA, CORAF, CARTIF, the University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), World Vision, Amaati, and several research and development organizations.

Their collective presence underscored the growing recognition that no single institution can address the complex challenges of food insecurity, climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation alone.

Science Meets Indigenous Knowledge

Throughout the three-day event, keynote presentations highlighted the importance of combining scientific research with indigenous knowledge systems to accelerate agroecological transitions.

Participants networking and exchanging knowledge

The conference explored how nature-based solutions can improve agricultural productivity while restoring ecosystems, strengthening soil health, conserving biodiversity, and enhancing resilience to climate change. Sessions also examined how education, innovation, and community participation can drive long-term agricultural transformation.

FARA Champions Healthy Soils and Circular Agriculture

One of the conference highlights was the keynote delivered on behalf of FARA Executive Director Dr. Aggrey Agumya by Prof. Oluwole Fatunbi, Acting Director of Research and Innovation.

Prof. Wole Fatunbi, Ag. Director of Research and Innovation, FARA

The presentation, titled “Soil Health, Agro-Waste and Circularity – Recycling: Nature’s Pathway to Healthy Soil,” emphasized the importance of restoring soil fertility through circular approaches that transform agricultural waste into valuable resources.

The keynote reinforced FARA’s commitment to promoting healthy soils as the foundation of resilient food systems and sustainable agricultural productivity across Africa.

Rich Scientific Exchange

The conference featured an extensive programme of scientific sessions covering key themes critical to Africa’s agricultural future, including:

• Agroecological technologies and practices
• Nature-based solutions
• Soil health and circularity
• Metrics, indicators, and monitoring systems
• Agroecology transitions
• Policy, scaling, and gender integration

Research Poster Presentation Sessions

Poster exhibitions, technical discussions, and interactive workshops provided additional opportunities for participants to share research findings, practical experiences, and innovative solutions from across the continent.

From Knowledge Sharing to Action

Beyond scientific presentations, participants engaged in policy dialogues and collaborative workshops designed to bridge the gap between research and implementation.

A section of audience at the Opening Plenary Session

Sessions focused on strengthening partnerships for agroecology, developing holistic approaches to assessing agroecological systems, scaling successful practices, and advancing digital decision-support tools for sustainable crop planning.

These discussions reinforced the importance of translating scientific evidence into practical actions that benefit farmers, communities, and national food systems.

Partnerships at the Centre of Transformation

A recurring message throughout the conference was that successful agroecological transitions depend on collaboration.

Team Members of Local Organizing Committee

Organizers acknowledged the collective efforts of institutions including CIRAWA, CORAF, FARA, IUCN, UDS, World Vision Ghana, EPA Ghana, Amaati, FIDEP, the European Union, and numerous project partners whose collaboration made the conference possible.

Participants also recognized the leadership of conference organizers, keynote speakers, moderators, rapporteurs, communications teams, logistics personnel, and volunteers whose contributions ensured a successful event.

A Shared Vision for Africa

Reflecting on the outcomes of the conference, organizers noted that the three days had delivered far more than presentations. The event fostered meaningful scientific exchanges, practical demonstrations, policy reflections, exhibitions, workshops, and stronger partnerships dedicated to advancing agroecology across Africa.

A section of audience at the Day 2 Plenary Session

Participants left with a shared commitment to ensure that the conference recommendations translate into concrete actions capable of supporting resilient farming systems, sustainable food production, improved livelihoods, and healthier ecosystems.

Looking Ahead

As Africa continues to confront the interconnected challenges of climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity, the CIRAWA Agroecology Conference has reinforced the importance of investing in science, innovation, partnerships, and locally adapted solutions.

For FARA and its partners, the conference represents another important milestone in advancing agricultural research for development and strengthening Africa’s transition toward resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems.

The partnerships forged, knowledge exchanged, and recommendations developed during the conference are expected to contribute to future policies, research programmes, and investments that place agroecology at the heart of Africa’s agricultural transformation agenda.

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Tamale, Ghana | 7 July 2026 — Policymakers, researchers, practitioners, civil society actors, agricultural extension officers, farmers, and members of the Ghana Participatory Learning Platform are meeting today at the University for Development Studies Guest House Conference Room in Tamale for the DecLaRe final dissemination workshop.

The workshop forms part of the validation, dissemination and exit activities of the regional projects funded under the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space initiative on “Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa.” The initiative brings together the DecLaRe, COINS and INTERFACES projects, which have supported multi-stakeholder dialogue, joint learning and evidence generation for sustainable land management in Northern Ghana and the Savannah Region.

DecLaRe, which stands for Decision Support for strengthening Land Resilience in the face of global challenges, focuses on generating evidence and decision-support recommendations to strengthen land resilience and promote scalable innovations in crop production and animal husbandry in northern Ghana and northern Benin. The project is implemented by a consortium of African and German institutions, including the University of Kassel, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, University of Hohenheim, University of Göttingen, University of Parakou, University for Development Studies and WASCAL.

The Tamale workshop provides a platform for partners and stakeholders to review key research outputs, validate policy briefs and knowledge products, and discuss how research findings can inform policy, practice and local decision-making. The programme includes presentations on DecLaRe achievements, dissemination and validation of policy briefs, discussions on household survey insights, and presentation of the synthesis report of the FONA-funded projects.

A key feature of the workshop is its participatory approach, which allows stakeholders to provide feedback on the relevance, applicability and implementation potential of the project’s research outputs. Through plenary discussions, question-and-answer sessions and participatory validation processes, participants are expected to help refine the knowledge products and strengthen their usefulness for sustainable land management interventions.

The workshop is expected to contribute to improved uptake of research findings by decision-makers, practitioners and local actors, while strengthening collaboration among institutions working to build more resilient land-use systems in Ghana.

The DecLaRe dissemination workshop is the first in a series of related closing and validation workshops taking place in Tamale in July 2026, followed by the COINS workshop and the INTERFACES workshop.

Turn knowledge into action. Enrol in the E-Certificate in Sustainable Land Management in Africa and gain the skills to restore landscapes, strengthen land governance, and support climate-smart solutions across Africa. Apply by 24 July 2026: https://e-learning.faraafrica.org/Learn/register/

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The training serves as a pre-event capacity building initiative toward the CIRAWA Agroecology Conference 2026 (July 1-3, 2026) and is organized under the Regional Multi-Actor Research Network (RMRN) initiative. It brings together researchers and technical experts from across Africa to strengthen their capacity to apply Earth Observation (EO) technologies in agroecological research, policy development, and sustainable land management.

Building Digital Capacity for Africa’s Agroecological Transition

Agroecology is increasingly recognized as one of the most promising pathways for transforming Africa’s food systems. By integrating ecological principles into agricultural production, agroecology supports improved soil health, biodiversity conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.

However, scaling agroecological practices requires more than sound agricultural knowledge. Researchers and decision-makers also need accurate, timely, and spatially explicit data to monitor landscapes, assess crop performance, evaluate biodiversity, and understand environmental change.

Earth Observation technologies—including satellite imagery, remote sensing, and geospatial analytics—provide exactly these capabilities. Yet across many African institutions, limited technical capacity has constrained their widespread adoption.

The RMRN-CIRAWA training addresses this challenge by equipping participants with practical skills to integrate EO technologies into agricultural research and innovation systems, ultimately improving research quality, policy relevance, and development impact.

A Strategic Partnership for Research Excellence

The training reflects a growing collaboration between European and African institutions working to strengthen scientific capacity for sustainable agriculture.

Led by Earth Observation specialists from the European Commission Joint Research Centre (EU-JRC), the programme is coordinated by FARA and RUFORUM, who are responsible for logistics, documentation, and knowledge sharing.

Together, the partners aim to build a new generation of researchers capable of using digital technologies to solve complex agricultural and environmental challenges facing Africa.

Nine African Countries Represented

The training programme brings together 14 agricultural experts from the RMRN network representing: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

By bringing together researchers from diverse agroecological zones, the training creates opportunities for peer learning, regional collaboration, and long-term scientific partnerships that extend beyond the workshop itself.

From Theory to Practice

Unlike conventional technical workshops, the training adopts a highly practical learning model.

Participants begin by exploring the fundamentals of satellite remote sensing, land-use mapping, and Earth Observation applications in agriculture before progressing to hands-on exercises using industry-standard tools such as Google Earth Engine (GEE) and QGIS.

The curriculum enables participants to process satellite imagery, generate land-cover maps, and interpret spatial datasets that can support research, extension, and policy formulation.

Real African Case Studies

A distinctive feature of the programme is its emphasis on real-world African applications.

Participants will work on practical case studies focusing on:

• Crop type classification
• Landscape-level crop diversity
• Cocoa and coffee mapping
• Agroforestry characterization
• Land-use analysis
• Shade cover estimation using canopy height data

Hands-on exercises draw on examples from Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire, enabling participants to apply Earth Observation techniques to actual agricultural production systems using Sentinel-2 imagery and machine learning approaches such as the Random Forest classifier.

Supporting Better Research and Better Policy

The training goes beyond technical skills.

Participants are expected to strengthen their ability to interpret geospatial information and translate scientific evidence into policy recommendations that support sustainable agriculture.

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Understand key Earth Observation concepts relevant to agroecology.
• Access and process satellite datasets, including Sentinel and Landsat imagery.
• Apply EO techniques to monitor agroecological systems.
• Develop research proposals integrating Earth Observation technologies.
• Strengthen collaborative research networks across Africa.

Advancing Africa’s Digital Agriculture Agenda

Digital innovation is rapidly reshaping agricultural research worldwide.

Earth Observation technologies now support climate-smart agriculture, early warning systems, soil health assessment, crop monitoring, biodiversity conservation, and landscape restoration. As African countries seek to improve food security while responding to climate change, these technologies are becoming indispensable.

Through initiatives such as the RMRN-CIRAWA training, African researchers gain access not only to cutting-edge tools but also to collaborative networks that promote innovation, knowledge exchange, and evidence-based decision-making.

Looking Ahead

The Earth Observation Training marks an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s scientific capacity to accelerate agroecological transformation.

By combining advanced geospatial technologies with collaborative learning, the programme empowers researchers to generate actionable evidence that supports farmers, policymakers, and development partners across the continent.

As preparations continue for the CIRAWA Agroecology Conference 2026, the training demonstrates the shared commitment of FARA, EU-JRC, RUFORUM, and the RMRN initiative to building resilient agricultural systems through science, innovation, and regional collaboration.

The knowledge and partnerships developed during these two days will continue to influence research, policy, and sustainable agricultural development well beyond the conference—helping shape a more food-secure, climate-resilient, and environmentally sustainable future for Africa.

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I am Dr. Ethelyn Echep Forchibe, an early career scientist, Entomologist, researcher and educator who leverages advanced training from diverse international institutions to drive agricultural innovation across Africa. My work is deeply rooted in integrated crop protection, sustainable pest management, and biodiversity conservation. I am equally passionate about empowering and mentoring the next generation of agricultural scientists; thus, I serve as a lecturer at The University of Bertoua (Higher Institute for Agriculture, Wood, Water Resources and the Environment – ISABEE) and the Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda (School of Tropical Agriculture and Natural Resources – STANR).

Beyond the lab, my perspective is shaped by my role as an agribusiness entrepreneur dedicated to processing indigenous foods, to ensure that my scientific findings translate directly into practical, real-world food systems.

The Spark: A Mentorship Built on Indigenous Foods

My journey to the continental stage in Accra truly began a few years ago. In 2023, driven by a desire to bring traditional crops back into the spotlight, I together with Dr. Nkafu Therese organized a DAAD-Alumni seminar titled “African forgotten foods: should we eat local?” I was honored to have Prof. Wole Fatunbi, the Director of Research and Innovation at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), join as our key speaker. Prof. Fatunbi has been an incredible mentor to me since my Master’s degree, providing steadfast guidance that has continuously yielded fruit in my professional life. True to his mentorship, he reached out to follow up on my progress in the underutilized species sector. Impressed by my ongoing findings, he personally extended an invitation for me to present our recent research at a major continental gathering in Ghana.

The Selection: From Invitation to the Big Stage

Thanks to that recommendation and the relevance of our research, I received an official, fully sponsored invitation from FARA and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations to attend the Continental Conference on the Integration of Neglected and Underutilized Crop Species into the Food System in Africa, held from June 9–11, 2026, at the Alisa Hotel in Accra, Ghana. I was selected to make a scientific intervention under the young professionals’ poster session, and my poster theme was: Diversity and consumer perception of Neglected and Underutilise Crop Species (NUS) in the North West Region of Cameroon. The challenge was exhilarating: having to condense our intensive field research into a single poster and deliver a high-stakes, rapid-fire 5-minute pitch to a room of leading experts.

The Experience: High-Level Synergy in Accra

Arriving at the Alisa Hotel, the atmosphere was charged with a shared urgency and purpose. The event brought together high-level agri-food leaders, policy makers, and scientists from all corners of the continent, all focused on a critical mission: halting rapid genetic loss and mainstreaming Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) to secure climate resilience and food security. Participating in this hybrid, multilingual forum allowed me to engage deeply with the current continental situation of NUS, regional roadmaps and policy frameworks. Reviewing national value chains, cultivation strategies alongside brilliant minds from both English and French-speaking delegations was an unforgettable masterclass in cross-border scientific collaboration.

The Award and Way Forward: A Validation and a Vision

The absolute pinnacle of the conference came during the awards ceremony. I am incredibly proud to share that I was awarded 1st Place for the Best Poster Pitch Presentation in the Young Researcher Category. Receiving a certificate signed by leaders from both the FAO and FARA including Prof. Fatunbi himself was a deeply validating moment for my research path. While our study highlighted important insights regarding NUS, overall awareness of these crops sits at just 33%, heavily restricted by barriers like lack of availability, preparation knowledge and deeply rooted cultural beliefs. This recognition acts as fuel for the journey ahead to address these perceptual and practical barriers. Moving forward, my goal is to expand our research across wider regions and keep advocating for policy makers to incorporate NUS into national agriculture strategies and nutrition policies to build resilient food systems.

My Deepest Appreciation

An achievement like this is never a solo effort, and my heart is full of gratitude: To FARA and the FAO, thank you for the full sponsorship, your trust, and for creating a platform that amplifies the voices of young African researchers. To Prof. Wole Fatunbi, thank you for your years of invaluable mentorship, for believing in my work since my days as a Master’s student, and for opening the door to this incredible milestone. To my co-authors and research team, a massive thank you to Glenn-Neuville Akwenui (my first undergraduate student), Akwa Nerine Kecha, and Dr. Ignatius Azeteh, as well as our field assistants whose hard work during data collection made this insight possible. Above all, I thank my family. Balancing the demands of professional life while serving as a wife and mother is only possible because of your boundless love and unwavering support. This win belongs to all of us!

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Accra, Ghana, 16 June 2026

Ghana has taken a bold and potentially transformative step towards building a knowledge-driven economy, with the official launch of the Ghana National Research Fund at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.

I had the privilege of representing the Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Dr Aggrey Agumya, at this landmark national event. Dr Agumya leads FARA as Executive Director and Head of Mission, advancing the organisation’s continental mandate for agricultural research and innovation.

The launch, themed “Resetting Ghana: Financing Research for National Transformation,” was attended by the President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama; the Minister for Education, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu; the Deputy Minister for Education, Dr Clement Apaak; the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie; and other high-level dignitaries.

Also present were representatives of the British High Commission, UNESCO, the World Bank, Parliament, Vice-Chancellors and senior members of universities and other research institutions, development partners, and other stakeholders in Ghana’s research and innovation ecosystem. The breadth of participation demonstrated that research financing is no longer the sole concern of universities and laboratories. It is increasingly recognised as a national development imperative.

From Commitment to Catalytic Investment

A defining moment of the launch was President Mahama’s announcement of an immediate GH¢100 million catalytic allocation to support the Fund’s operationalisation in 2026. The President further pledged his direct support for the Fund’s broader resource mobilisation agenda.

The allocation is expected to support competitive research grants, doctoral and postdoctoral programmes, digital grant-management infrastructure, and innovation initiatives aligned with Ghana’s national development priorities. The President also directed the Ministry of Education, GETFund, and the GNRF Governing Board to ensure the transparent, accountable, and results-oriented use of the resources.

This commitment is both significant and timely. For decades, research funding in Ghana has been fragmented, unpredictable and heavily reliant on external funding. Such dependence can distort research priorities, disrupt long-term programmes and weaken the ability of national institutions to investigate problems requiring sustained attention.

The Ghana National Research Fund, established under the Ghana National Research Fund Act, 2020 (Act 1056), provides a statutory framework for mobilising, managing and allocating sustainable funding for research, innovation, technology development and research infrastructure across the sciences, humanities and other fields of national endeavour.

The Fund’s governing documents appropriately characterise research financing as national infrastructure rather than a discretionary expenditure. They identify five national research missions for 2026–2030: food-systems transformation; climate and environmental sustainability; health innovation and biosecurity; digital and industrial transformation; and governance, policy and social systems.

These priorities recognise that research must ultimately improve productivity, livelihoods, public services, resilience and national competitiveness.

Strong Institutional Foundations

The Chair of the Governing Board, Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, highlighted the Fund’s institutional progress to date, including the development of its five-year strategic framework for 2026–2030 and the acquisition of office premises in East Legon, Accra.

The strategy sets out a vision for building a world-class research and innovation fund capable of powering Ghana’s transformation. Its priorities include research talent development, transparent, competitive funding, innovation and industry partnerships, evidence-informed policymaking, sustainable financing, and institutional strengthening.

These are strong foundations. However, the Fund’s long-term success will be judged not only by how much money it mobilises, but also by the quality, accessibility and practical utility of the knowledge generated through its investments.

Knowledge Management Must Be Built Into the Fund

For the GNRF to deliver sustained national impact, knowledge management must be embedded in its design and operations from the beginning.

Research funding should not end when a project report is submitted or a journal article is published. The Fund must support the entire knowledge-to-impact pathway: identifying national knowledge needs, generating and validating evidence, documenting findings, preserving research outputs, translating technical evidence into accessible formats, sharing knowledge with relevant users, and tracking its application.

A robust knowledge-management architecture would help the Fund avoid duplication, connect researchers working on related challenges, retain institutional memory, and make previous findings accessible to new research teams. It would also enable government, industry, farmers, civil society organisations, and communities to use research evidence more effectively.

This will require interoperable institutional repositories, national research directories, communities of practice, open-access publishing mechanisms, data-governance standards, and systems for capturing lessons from both successful and unsuccessful research investments.

Recognition and incentive systems will also be essential. Researchers should be recognised not only for publications in academic journals but also for data sharing, policy engagement, public communication, interdisciplinary collaboration, mentorship, and demonstrable contributions to social and economic transformation.

Connecting Science with Open Knowledge

The Fund should explore strategic collaboration between Ghanaian scientists and established open-knowledge platforms and communities, including the Wikimedia movement.

Such collaboration could make verified Ghanaian research more discoverable and usable for citizens, students, journalists, policymakers and practitioners. Researchers could collaborate with open-knowledge professionals to improve publicly accessible information on Ghanaian crops, biodiversity, health innovations, climate systems, cultural assets, technologies and historical scientific contributions.

This is not a call to replace scholarly publishing or to compromise research integrity. It is an opportunity to complement academic communication with carefully governed, multilingual, and publicly accessible knowledge products.

A publicly financed research system must consider how its outputs can benefit the widest possible range of users. Appropriate safeguards would, of course, be required to protect personal data, intellectual property, sensitive ecological information, national security and commercially valuable innovations.

The objective should be responsible openness: making knowledge as open as possible while protecting information that must legitimately remain restricted.

Indigenous Knowledge Must not be Marginalised

Ghana’s research future cannot be built solely around formal scientific institutions while neglecting the accumulated knowledge of farmers, fisherfolk, pastoralists, traditional healers, artisans, processors and local communities.

Indigenous and local knowledge systems have long supported seed selection, soil management, biodiversity conservation, weather interpretation, food processing, natural resource governance and community health. They are particularly important for climate adaptation and food systems resilience.

The GNRF should therefore support research models that bring scientists and communities together as partners in co-creation of knowledge. Indigenous knowledge holders should not merely be treated as respondents from whom information is extracted. They should participate in defining research questions, interpreting findings, and determining how resulting knowledge and benefits are used.

Clear ethical protocols will be required to ensure prior informed consent, appropriate attribution, protection against misappropriation, and equitable benefit-sharing. This would enable the Fund to strengthen scientific inquiry while respecting Ghana’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

Gender-Responsive and Inclusive Research Financing

The Fund also has an opportunity to address structural inequalities within the national research ecosystem.

Its competitive funding mechanisms should deliberately expand opportunities for women scientists, early-career researchers, people with disabilities, researchers outside the largest universities, and innovators working in underserved regions. Gender sensitivity should not be reduced to counting the number of women participating in research projects.

Funding assessments should examine whether research questions, methodologies, teams and intended benefits adequately reflect the diverse realities of women, men, young people and marginalised groups.

Transparent peer-review systems, mentorship programmes, career re-entry support, accessible application processes and disaggregated monitoring data would help the Fund build a more inclusive national research community. Excellence and inclusion should reinforce each other rather than compete.

FARA Stands Ready To Partner

The establishment of the GNRF is directly relevant to FARA’s continental mandate. FARA is Africa’s apex organisation for coordinating and advocating for agricultural research and innovation. It serves as a technical arm of the African Union Commission and the African Union Development Agency on agricultural science, technology and innovation.

FARA therefore applauds the Government of Ghana for this exemplary, bold and visionary initiative.

Of particular importance to FARA is the recognition of food-systems transformation as one of the Fund’s five national missions. Ghana’s agricultural sector faces interconnected pressures from climate variability, land degradation, post-harvest losses, shifting diets, youth unemployment, limited value addition and unequal access to technology. These challenges require coordinated, adequately financed research that links agriculture to nutrition, markets, the environment, digitalisation and social policy.

FARA stands ready to collaborate with the GNRF on areas including agricultural research priority-setting, knowledge management, institutional capacity development, foresight, research-to-policy engagement, innovation scaling, digital knowledge infrastructure, and the mobilisation of continental and international partnerships.

Through its relationships with national agricultural research systems, subregional organisations, universities, farmer organisations, development partners and the African Union, FARA can also help link Ghana’s experience to wider African learning and cooperation.

The objective should not be simply for Ghana to adopt models developed elsewhere. Ghana can build a credible national institution whose experience can serve as a learning point for other African countries seeking sustainable, nationally owned research-financing systems, similar to what the government of South Africa is doing through the National Research Fund (NRF).

A Continental Opportunity

Across Africa, persistent underfunding of research has constrained scientific sovereignty and reinforced dependence on externally developed technologies, evidence and policy solutions. President Mahama rightly emphasised that economic sovereignty cannot be separated from a nation’s capacity to generate knowledge and solutions to its own challenges.

The GNRF can help reverse this pattern, but sustained success will require more than an initial allocation. Government financing must be predictable. Industry must invest in research partnerships. Philanthropy and development partners must align with nationally defined priorities. Universities must strengthen accountability and interdisciplinary collaboration. Researchers must communicate beyond academic audiences. Communities must have a meaningful voice in shaping research agendas.

Equally important, the Fund must be protected from political interference and short-termism. Competitive awards should be governed by transparent criteria, rigorous peer review, public reporting, and credible conflict-of-interest safeguards.

Turning a National Milestone into Lasting Transformation

The launch of the Ghana National Research Fund marks an important national achievement. The President’s GH¢100 million commitment provides vital initial momentum, while the Fund’s strategy, governance arrangements and national missions set a promising direction.

The next task is to convert this momentum into a durable institution that supports excellent research, values all legitimate knowledge systems, and ensures that evidence reaches the people and institutions able to apply it.

By embedding knowledge management, responsible open knowledge, indigenous knowledge, gender equality, accountability and strategic partnerships into its operations, the GNRF can become more than a financing institution. It can become a central pillar of Ghana’s national transformation and a model for the African continent.

FARA congratulates the Government and people of Ghana, the Ministry of Education, and the Governing Board and management of the Ghana National Research Fund on this historic milestone. We stand ready to contribute to the Fund’s success and to help translate Ghana’s experience into shared learning on agricultural research, innovation and knowledge-driven development across Africa.

About the author

Benjamin Abugri is the Lead Specialist for Knowledge Management, Digitalisation and Learning at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa. He represented FARA’s Executive Director, Dr Aggrey Agumya, at the official launch of the Ghana National Research Fund in Accra on 16 June 2026. The views expressed reflect a knowledge-management and agricultural research-for-development perspective.

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By ⁠Kingsley Adusei Amakye

A three-day conference jointly organized by the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has concluded with a renewed commitment to unlock the potential of Africa’s opportunity crops through stronger policies, research, investment and regional collaboration.

A few Opportunity Crops on display at the Regional Consultation Meeting

The initiative also builds on growing continental momentum following the Kampala Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme Declaration, which calls on African Union Member States to promote the production and consumption of nutritious traditional and indigenous crops through supportive policies, regulatory reforms and targeted financing mechanisms.

Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA

Hon. John Setor Dumelo, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ghana

Dr. Chikelu Mba, FAO Plant Production and Protection Division

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The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has urged African countries to intensify efforts to diversify its crops and adopt sustainable agricultural production systems in order to meet a projected 50 percent increase in food demand by 2050.

Speaking at the opening of a three-day ‘Regional Consultation on Opportunity Crops in Africa’ in Accra, Dr Chikelu Mba, Deputy Director of the Plant Production and Protection Division at the FAO, stated that global food production must increase significantly to ensure food security for a growing population.

Dr. Chikelu Mba, FAO Plant Production and Protection Division

According to him, FAO estimates indicate that the world will need to produce 50 percent more food than 2012 levels, equivalent to about 9 billion tonnes, to feed the global population adequately by mid-century.

“Every year, FAO, IFAD, the World Food Programme, and UNICEF come together to take stock of the state of food security and nutrition in the world. Isn’t it sobering that in Africa, food insecurity and malnutrition continue to go up?” Dr Mba assessed.

He stressed that achieving food security and improved nutrition on the continent requires the transformation of Africa’s cropping systems to make them more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive.

“At least 80 per cent of all food consumed globally is plant-based, making crop production central to food security,” he said.

Dr Mba explained that the FAO’s strategy is built on three key pillars: seed systems, agronomy, and plant health, supported by innovations, biotechnology, and sustainable agricultural mechanisation.

Focus on Opportunity Crops

The regional consultation, organised by the FAO in partnership with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), brought together policymakers, researchers, development partners, private-sector actors, civil society organisations, farmer groups and regional institutions.

The meeting aims to accelerate the integration of neglected and underutilised crop species into Africa’s food systems.

A few Opportunity Crops on display at the Regional Consultation Meeting

These crops, increasingly referred to as “opportunity crops”, include millet varieties, sorghum landraces, fonio, bambara groundnut, indigenous vegetables, and other traditional crops deeply rooted in African food cultures.

Despite their nutritional value and climate resilience, they remain under-researched, underfunded, and poorly represented in formal seed, research, and market systems.

Scientific Investment Required

The Executive Director for the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Dr Aggrey Agumya, advocated for stakeholders to embrace science as a pivotal point in leading the transformation of the sector, thereby moving away from “promise to prosperity through sentiment alone.”

Dr. Aggrey Agumya, Executive Director, FARA

“Opportunity Crops require robust scientific investments in germplasm conservation, breeding, seed systems, agronomy, mechanisation, value addition, nutrition science, market intelligence, and digital advisory systems. We must generate evidence that demonstrates not only their climate resilience and nutritional superiority but also their economic viability. Science provides the bridge that transforms these crops from being locally admired to becoming globally competitive, from subsistence commodities to profitable enterprises.”

Addressing Key Challenges

Dr. Mba cited findings from FAO’s Third Report on the State of the World’s Plant Genetic Resources, which revealed that only 13 underutilised crop species have been prioritised for commercialisation across sub-Saharan Africa.

He identified several barriers hindering the development of these crops, including the absence of national strategies, poor documentation, inadequate investment in human and institutional capacity, limited postgraduate training opportunities, and persistent skills gaps.

“Our native foods matter because of their high nutritional value, climate resilience, and potential to drive economic empowerment,” he said.

He called for stronger policy support, increased investment in research and development, value addition, market development and strategic partnerships to unlock the full potential of opportunity crops across the continent.

Ghana Leveraging Indigenous Crops

Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, said Ghana is leveraging indigenous and underutilised crops to transform agri-food systems, improve nutrition and build resilience to climate change.

He noted that although African communities have cultivated nutritious and climate-resilient crops for generations, many of these crops have received limited attention in research, policy, investment and commercial agriculture.

Hon. John Setor Dumelo, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Ghana

According to Mr Dumelo, “opportunity crops” offer significant benefits, including healthier diets, improved climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, increased farmer incomes and more inclusive rural development.

“For Ghana, this agenda is particularly important. The transformation of our agri-food systems requires that we harness the full potential of our agricultural biodiversity whilst creating opportunities for farmers, processors, traders, and agribusinesses,” he stated.

He highlighted Ghana’s contributions to the continental agenda through the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), particularly the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (SARI).

He further disclosed that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with the FAO, has implemented the “Support to Women Fonio Value Chain Actors in Ghana” project. This initiative seeks to elevate fonio “from a neglected and underutilised species to a more competitive and commercially viable value chain capable of standing alongside established staples such as rice and maize.”

The consultation is expected to generate recommendations for strengthening policy, research, and investment frameworks to promote opportunity crops as a pathway to food security, climate resilience, and sustainable agricultural development across Africa.

Source: CitiNewsRoom.com

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