The Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience (ACECoR) hosted by the University of Cape Coast, Ghana has issued out a call for Applications into its MPhil and PhD Programmes for 2019/2020 academic year. Programmes offered are; Integrated Coastal Zone Management, Fisheries Science, Oceanography and Limnology.
Application deadline is 8th July, 2019. Interested applicants should kindly visit https://acecoradmissions.ucc.edu.gh/ to apply
The African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases (ACEGID) hosted by Redeemer’s University, Nigeria is organizing training workshops on Molecular Biology Genomics and Next Generation Sequencing from May 20- June 14 and May 6-31, 2019 respectively at the Redeemer’s University.
Courses under Molecular Biology and Genomics include; Molecular Bilogy theory, Laboratoty techniques, PCR primer designs, Sanger Sequencing Statistic, Data visualization, among others.
For Next Generation Sequencing, courses include; Library Construction, MiSeq operation, Science information, Bioinformatics analysis,Next generation sequencing, qRT-PCR and Career development.
All who seek to enhance their understanding and also pursue a career in Genomics are kindly requested to apply.
For more information, visit https://acegid.org/
The much-anticipated opening ceremony for the Africa Centres of Excellence for Development Impact Project was held on the morning of Wednesday 20th February 2019 at Kempinski Hotel in Djibouti City, Djibouti. Dr Saida Chideh Soliman was the madam of ceremonies. In attendance were the President of the Republic of Djibouti H.E. Mr Ismail Omar Guelleh, the First Lady of the Republic of Djibouti, The Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Research in Djibouti, H.E. Dr Nabil Mohamed Ahmed, the Secretary General of the Association of African Universities, Prof Etienne Ehouan Ehile, the Djibouti World Bank Country Representative, Mr Atou Seck, and the French Development Agency Deputy Manager for Education, Vocational Training and Employment Sector, Ms Valerie Tehio.
Remarks by the Secretary General of the AAU
Professor Etienne Ehouan Ehile applauded the President of the Republic of Djibouti for taking time out of his busy schedule to participate in the ACE IMPACT Official Opening Ceremony. He said that this confirmed the President’s commitment to the Education Agenda in Djibouti and Africa as a whole. He also thanked the Government of Djibouti for supporting the hosting of the 2019 ACE meetings. He reminded the audience about the African Union Commission Policies and International Development Policies that promote the growth of education. He reiterated that strategic investments in Higher Education were critical for national development. On a lighter note he asked the President to ‘always remember the gratitude of the higher education stakeholders when he hears the cock crowing every morning’. Please Click Here for the Full Speech of the AAU Secretary General
Remarks by the Representative of the French Development Agency
Ms Valerie Tehio the Deputy Manager for Education, Vocational Training and Employment Sector made remarks on behalf of the French Development Agency (AFD). She said that the AFD was honoured to be part of this event and the ambitious ACE IMPACT program. AFD looks forward to contributing to the success of the ACE IMPACT project – through complementary support for regional networking and funding of technical experts to support selected ACEs. She concluded by wishing the participants successful meetings.
Remarks by the Djibouti World Bank Country Representative
Mr Atou Seck thanked all the participants for coming to Djibouti to attend the scheduled meetings. He also thanked all the institutions represented for their willingness to collaborate. He paid tribute to Mr Andreas Blom for his well-documented efforts towards strengthening African Universities. He mentioned that Djibouti was selected as an emerging Centre of Excellence in Africa in the field of logistics and transport within the faculty of engineering. He predicted that in future people would come to Djibouti to learn about transport and logistics or to do cutting edge research in the areas of transport and logistics.
Remarks by the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Djibouti
H.E. Dr Nabil Mohamed Ahmed welcomed the participants to “Djibouti the land of encounters, the land of peace and the land of engagements”. He expressed his joy that this event had materialized as per his vision. He paid tribute to the World Bank and AAU for supporting the Government of Djibouti to hold the ACE meetings in Djibouti City. He also congratulated the University of Djibouti Vice Chancellor for successfully spearheading the associated planning and logistics. He emphasized that it was the responsibility of Africans to work hard and ensure that educational institutions were effective and that the certificates given were recognized internationally. He said that Africa needed to catch up in the area of applied new technologies. Djibouti needs to optimize the transport chain by harnessing technology. Djibouti must exploit its competitive advantage as a transport hub. There is also an urgent need to increase the number of Djiboutian women Professors
The Message from the Honourable President of the Republic of Djibouti
His Excellency Mr Ismail Omar Guelleh the President of the Republic of Djibouti congratulated the organizers and the participants for the holding of the conference and the launch of the ACE IMPACT Project. He thanked the partners for positioning Higher Education to support the socio-economic development of African countries. He voiced his delight that Djibouti was now a member of the restricted club of ACE universities. He reminded the audience that he was a firm believer in providing African solutions to African problems. Therefore, he was thrilled that the ACE Djibouti would focus on logistics and transport. The President said that the transport sector was the “lungs of Djibouti”. Djibouti was ready to exploit its strategic location. There was a need to digitize the transport and transit procedures for the Djibouti transport sector. He underscored that scientific and technical development was therefore key. He ended his remarks by stating that he believed in the capacities of African countries, the youth and African researchers. He officially declared the conference opened.
Links to some photos.
At least 450 Higher Education stakeholders (representing over 30 nationalities) gathered in Djibouti to attend a string of meetings under the banner of the Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project from 18 – 26 February 2019. The various meetings included the Project Steering Committee Meetings for the ACEI Project and the new ACE IMPACT Project, the 10th ACE I workshops and the ACE IMPACT Bootcamp.
On the 18th February 2019 the day zero activities were at the Kempinski Hotel and they focused on the 14th Project Steering Committee Meeting for ACE I and the 1st ACE IMPACT Project Steering Committee Meeting. Here is the 14th ACE I PSC Meeting Agenda (English); 14th ACE I PSC Meeting Agenda (French) and the ACE Impact PSC Meeting Agenda (English)
Day one activities were hosted by the University of Djibouti on the 19th February 2019.
In his opening remarks, Mr Andreas Blom, ACE IMPACT Task team Leader with the World Bank welcomed all the participants and encouraged them to use the opportunity to engage and learn from their colleagues. He also praised the ACEI institutions for the amazing results that they had achieved to date. The ACE IMPACT Project, valued at over USD350 million, is a result of the success of the ACEI Project. The World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD) in collaboration with the African governments, have conditionally identified 44 ACEs (26 new ones and 18 from ACE I); 5 Emerging Centres; and 5 Colleges and Schools of Engineering for funding through this new phase called “ACE IMPACT”.
Professor Djama Hassan Mohamed, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Djibouti also welcomed all the participants – saying that despite all the problems that abound, the African continent was changing. He called for strong bonds of collaboration between and among the Centres of Excellence. He emphasized the need for universities to actively mentor their students, expose them to quality research and allow them to explore new frontiers of knowledge.
The plenary on “Creating Strong Regional Networks” was chaired by Prof Fahmi Ahmed and facilitated by Gen Xavier Michel. This session exposed the ACE Centers to selected and relevant regional networks that they could learn from or collaborate with.
Please find links to some files that may be of interest to you
The Association of African Universities (AAU), the Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU), of the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project, is pleased to announce the conditional selection of 44 centres of excellence in 12 participating countries in West and Central Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo) under the ACE for Development Impact (ACE Impact) Project.
West and Central African countries, with support from the World Bank and the Association of African Universities, launched the regional Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project in 2014. Building upon the successful implementation of the ACE 1 Project, the World Bank is supporting the current ACE Impact Project which is focused on scaling up postgraduate education and applied research that are fundamental to economic growth in the region. Further, the supported universities should meet global standards for quality of education, recruit students across the region and collaborate with other African universities. The total investment across the countries is expected to reach USD 300 million, with funding from the World Bank and Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD).
An independent team of evaluators, consisting of members from the African educational and scientific community supported by diaspora and global technical experts, reviewed 105 proposals that were submitted to the RFU by higher education institutions from the participating countries. Proposals were subjected to several stages of evaluation including: (i) desk reviews in which each proposal was reviewed by two experts in Accra, Ghana; (ii) external evaluation in which each proposal was remotely assessed by a subject matter specialist, and (iii) a site & leadership evaluation in which a team of experts visited shortlisted proposal sites to ascertain the readiness of the institutions in terms of governance, leadership, and infrastructure.
At the end of the rigorous and transparent evaluation exercise, the following proposals have been conditionally selected as centres of excellence by the ACE Impact Ministerial Project Steering Committee at its meeting in Accra, Ghana, on Friday, 2nd November 2018. This Committee consisted of five Ministers in charge of Higher education and seven high-level government representatives from the participating governments.
The final selection of the Centers is conditional upon: (i) the approval of the financing from the external financiers (World Bank and the French Development Agency) and availability of sufficient financing for all the proposals; (ii) the selected universities incorporate the recommendations of the evaluators into their implementation plans, and (iii) the universities demonstrate sufficient capacity to manage the funds for their intended purpose. For the selected centers where all of these conditions are met, it is planned that they will be approved for funding by April 2019.
| S/NO. | PROJECT TITLE | LEAD INSTITUTION | COUNTRY | TOPIC | DISCIPLINE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXISTING CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE THAT HAVE BEEN CONDITIONALLY SELECTED FOR RENEWAL | |||||
| 1 | CEA EN SCIENCES MATHEMATIQUES, INFORMATIQUE ET APPLICATIONS | University of Abomey Calavi | Benin | Applied math & statistics | STEM |
| 2 | CEA POUR LA FORMATION ET LA RECHERCHE EN SCIENCES ET TECHNOLOGIES DE L’EAU, L’ENERGIE ET L’ENVIRONNEMENT EN AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST ET DU CENTRE (CEA-2IE) | 2iE | Burkina Faso | Water, energy and environment | STEM |
| 3 | CEA MINES ET ENVIRONNEMENT MINIER (CEA-MEM) | INP-HB | Cote d’Ivoire | Mining | STEM |
| 4 | CEA CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE, BIODIVERSITE ET AGRICULTURE DURABLE (CEA-CCBAD) | Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny | Cote d’Ivoire | Climate change | Agriculture |
| 5 | CEA: STATISTIQUE ET ECONOMIE QUANTITATIVE | ENSEA | Cote d’Ivoire | Statistics & quantitative economics | Soc./Econ Sci. |
| 6 | REGIONAL WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION CENTRE KUMASI (RWESCK) | KNUST | Ghana | Transport | STEM |
| 7 | WEST AFRICAN CENTRE FOR CELL BIOLOGY OF INFECTIOUS AND NON- COMMUNICABLE DISEASES (WACCBIP + NCDS) | University of Ghana | Ghana | Cell biology of infectious e diseases | Health |
| 8 | WEST AFRICA CENTRE FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT (WACCI) | University of Ghana | Ghana | Crop Improvement | Agriculture |
| 9 | ACE IN GENOMICS OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES (ACEGID) | Redeemer’s University | Nigeria | Genomics of infectious diseases | Health |
| 10 | ACE FOR NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES AND FORENSIC BIOTECHNOLOGY (ACENTDFB) | Ahmadu Bello University | Nigeria | Neglected tropical diseases | Health |
| 11 | ACE FOR REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INNOVATION (CERHI) | University of Benin | Nigeria | Reproductive Health | Health |
| 12 | ACE IN DRY LAND AGRICULTURE (CDA) | Bayero University, Kano | Nigeria | Dryland Agriculture | Agriculture |
| 13 | CENTRE FOR FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH (CEFTER) | Benue State University | Nigeria | Food tech and research | Agriculture |
| 14 | ACE: OAU ICT-DRIVEN KNOWLEDGE PARK (OAU-OAK) | OAU | Nigeria | Digital Development | STEM |
| 15 | CENTER FOR OILFIELD CHEMICALS RESEARCH (CEFOR) | University of Port Harcourt | Nigeria | Oil and gas | STEM |
| 16 | CEA MATHÉ-MATIQUES, INFORMATIQUE ET TIC (CEA-MITIC) | Univ. Gaston Berger | Senegal | Digital Development | STEM |
| 17 | CEA POUR LA SANTE DE LA MERE ET DE L’ENFANT (CEA-SAMEF) | Université Cheikh Anta Diop | Senegal | Maternal & infant health | Health |
| 18 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE REGIONAL SUR LES SCIENCES AVIAIRES (CERSA) | Université de Lomé | Togo | Poultry science | Agriculture |
| NEW CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE THAT ARE CONDITIONALLY SELECTED | |||||
| 19 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE AFRICAIN POUR L’EAU ET L’ASSAINISSEMENT (C2EA) | Université Abomey Calavi | Benin | Water & sanitation | STEM |
| 20 | CENTRE DE FORMATION, DE RECHERCHE ET D’EXPERTISES EN SCIENCES DU MEDICAMENT | Université de Ouaga I | Burkina Faso | Pharmaceutical Science | Health |
| 21 | CEA ET INNOVATION BIOTECHNOLOGIQUES POUR L’ELIMINATION DES MALADIES A TRANS-MISSION VECTORIELLE (CEA/ITECH-MTV) | Université Nazi Boni | Burkina Faso | Biotech for eliminating vector transmitted diseases | Health |
| 22 | ACE FOR POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION | University of Buea | Cameroon | OBGYN -Medical education | Health |
| 23 | CEA: VALORISATION DES DECHETS EN PRODUITS A HAUTE VALEUR AJOUTEE (VALOPRO) | INPHB | CDI | Waste management and value-added | STEM |
| 24 | REGIONAL TRANSPORT TRAINING AND RESEARCH CENTRE | KNUST | Ghana | Transport | STEM |
| 25 | ACE:REGIONAL CENTER FOR ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY (RCEES) | University of Energy & Natural Resources | Ghana | Power | STEM |
| 26 | WEST AFRICAN CENTER FOR WATER, IRRIGATION AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE | University of Development Studies | Ghana | Water & irrigation | STEM |
| 27 | AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN COASTAL RESILIENCE (ACECoR) | University of Cape Coast | Ghana | Coastal Degradation | STEM |
| 28 | WEST AFRICA GENETIC MEDICINE CENTRE | University of Ghana | Ghana | Genetic medicine | Health |
| 29 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE AFRICAIN POUR LA PREVENTION ET LE CONTROLE DES MALADIES TRANSMISSIBLES (CEA PCMT) | Université Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry | Guinea | Prevention & control of transmittable diseases | Health |
| 30 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE REGIONAL SUR LES PRODUCTIONS PASTORALES : VIANDE, LAIT, CUIRS ET PEAUX (CERPP) | Université Abdou Moumouni | Niger | Livestock | Agriculture |
| 31 | AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON TECHNOLOGY ENHANCED LEARNING (ACETEL) | National open university of Nigeria | Nigeria | Digital Development | STEM |
| 32 | COVENANT APPLIED INFORMATICS AND COMMUNICATION | Covenant University | Nigeria | Digital Development | STEM |
| 33 | ACE: AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON NEW PEDAGOGY IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION (ACENPEE) | Ahmadu Bello University | Nigeria | Engineering education | STEM |
| 34 | AFRICA CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE: PUBLIC HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGICAL RESEARCH | University of Port Harcourt | Nigeria | Nursing | Health |
| 35 | ACE: CENTRE FOR POPULATION HEALTH AND POLICY | Bayero University | Nigeria | Nursing | Health |
| 36 | AFRICAN CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR MYCOTOXIN AND FOOD SAFETY | Federal University of Technology Minna | Nigeria | Mycotoxin and food safety | Health |
| 37 | ACE: DRUG RESEARCH, HERBAL MEDICINE DEVELOPMENT AND REGULATORY SCIENCE | University of Lagos | Nigeria | Herbal medicine and regulation | Health |
| 38 | CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR INNOVATIVE AND TRANSFORMATIONS STEM EDUCATION (CITSE) | Lagos State University | Nigeria | STEM Education | Education |
| 39 | ACE FOR SUSTAINABLE POWER ANS ENERGY DEVELOPMENT (ACE_SPED) | University of Nigeria Nsukka | Nigeria | Power | STEM |
| 40 | CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN FUTURE ENERGIES AND ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEMS | Federal University of Technology Owerri | Nigeria | Renewable energy | STEM |
| 41 | CEA « AGIR » EN ENVIRONNEMENT ET SANTE | Université Cheikh Anta Diop | Senegal | Env & Health | STEM |
| 42 | CEA AGRICULTURE POUR LA SECURITE ALIMENTAIRE ET NUTRITIONNELLE (CEA AGRISAN) | Université Cheikh Anta Diop | Senegal | Food security & nutrition | Agriculture |
| 43 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE REGIONAL POUR LA MAITRISE DE L’ELECTRICITE (CERME) | Universite de Lome | Togo | Power | STEM |
| 44 | CENTRE D’EXCELLENCE REGIONAL VILLES DURABLES EN AFRIQUE (DOUNEDON) | Université de Lomé | Togo | Urban Design | Soc./Econ Sci. |
Following the success of the first phase of the ACE Project, the World Bank and governments of participating countries recognized the need to escalate the success and expand the benefits accrued to the Centres and their countries. Consequently, the third phase of the Project titled the ACE for Development Impact (or simply ACE
Impact) has been approved by World Bank. There are 12 participating countries; including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Ghana, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, Togo, Niger and Nigeria.
ACE Impact seeks to increase the quality and relevance of post- graduate education in selected universities through regional specialization, applied research, upfront university-industry linkage and better regional and international
coordination.
In September this year, a Call for Proposals was advertised in national newspapers in the participating countries. Subsequently, a hundred and ten (110) proposals were submitted to AAU by the higher education agencies of participating countries consisting of new and renewal proposals (from existing ACEs).
These proposals were carefully reviewed by experts in the various thematic fields of Health, Agriculture, Environment, Social Sciences and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Following the desk and remote panel evaluations, 65 proposals were shortlisted, and onsite visits were undertaken to the higher educational institutions which submitted them. The goal was to find out more about the institutions in terms of their readiness and commitment to host the potential Centres of Excellence.
To finalize the process will be the selection of the ACE Impact Centres of Excellence by the Project Steering Committee at its meeting at the AAU Secretariat, Accra, Ghana on November 2, 2018
The West African Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), one of the Centres under the African Centres of Excellence (ACE) Project hosted by the University of Ghana on August 24, 2018 commissioned its new multi-purpose office. The edifice was constructed with funds from the World Bank through the ACE Project.
The building was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Finance Mr. Ken Ofori-Attah and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu.
In his address, the Mr. Ken Ofori-Attah commended WACCI for its efforts towards transforming agriculture in Ghana. He noted that, the Centre’s contribution of agriculture to the Ghanaian economy could not be underestimated hence “makes it heart-warming to see this multipurpose building being commissioned”
Also present was the World Bank Country Manager for Ghana, Dr. Henry Kerali, who also applauded WACCI for a good job done. He said, “We are very proud to be associated with this Project. The foremost Centre in Post graduate training and research in Africa.” He also highlighted some major achievements of ACE Project saying, 6500 MSc and 1600 PhD graduates with 25% regional representations as well as 17000 short term courses. He also hinged on International and national accreditations received by the ACEs and external revenue generated to ensure the sustainability of the Project.
He further commended WACCI for its singular success stating, International Accreditation of the Centre’s programmes, its enormous publications and partnerships with other institutions and corporate bodies. He urged the Centre to implement policies and programmes to attract more regional students and female students
Speaking at the event, Miss Nodumo Dhlamini who led the AAU team on behalf of the Secretary General noted that, “the African Centres of Excellence Project places emphasis on results and the commissioning of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement Multipurpose Building is one of the key results of the ACE project being implemented by WACCI.” As the Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU) for the Project, the Association of African Universities (AAU) commended the efforts of the government of Ghana and the World Bank as well as AAU’s immense support to the Project.
The West African Centre for Crop Improvement is one of the twenty- two Centres of Excellence under the World Bank funded ACE Project. The Centre seeks to address the challenges of the agricultural sector in Africa, with a further aim of improving the socio-economic growth of the continent. Since its inception in 2007, WACCI has grown to become the largest PhD warding Center in Plant breeding in Africa with 66 PhD graduates.
Other dignitaries present was the Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Ghana Dr Sagre Bambang, World Bank Ghana representative for the ACE Project Mrs. Eunice Ackwerh as well as stakeholders of the Academic Community, students and well wishers.
The Pan African Materials Institute (PAMI),one of the Centres under the World Bank funded ACE Project warmly invites all including students and faculty in Material Sciences to its fifth Pan African School of Materials (PASMAT V) and Second Mathematics and Science for Sub Sahara Africa (MS4SSA II) from August 19- 25, 2018 and August 19 – September 1, 2018 respectively at the African University of Science and Technology (AUST) campus| Abuja, Nigeria.
For further enquiries, interested participants should visit www.pami.aust.edu.ng
The Africa Center of Excellence for Food Technology and Research (CEFTER) hosted by Benue State University, Nigeria calls for Abstract and participation in its West and Central Africa Post- Harvest Congress and Exhibition (WCAPHCE 2018) themed “Upscaling of Post Harvest activities in West and Central Africa” from September 17- 21, 2018 at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, Nigeria.
This Congress seeks to enumerate constrains and proffer solutions to post harvest challenges along the value chain for various crops and also promote knowledge in addressing the food system for healthy and sustainable diets.
All individuals and industries in the Agriculture and Food Technology sector are warmly invited to participate. For Registration and other details please contact Dr. Sylvester Adejo via email soadejo@gmail.com or +234(0)80545557652
Others who are interested in exhibiting their products should also contact the number below by 31st August, 2018.
Peter Dawa
+234(0)706 796 7665
The West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has graduated its first cohort of MPhil students under the ACE Project. The Center on July 20 graduated nine (9) MPhil and 14 PhD students.
The first graduating cohort of 9 MPhil Seed Science and Technology students were enrolled under the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence (ACE) project in August 2015. This 2-year innovative programme was developed in recognition of the dire need of the ailing seed industry in West and Central Africa.
In an interview, Professor Eric Y. Danquah, the founding Director of the Center noted that WACCI is exerting huge impact across the African sub-region and has shown in eleven years that quality plant breeding education is undoubtedly a smart development investment. The Centre continues to produce the much needed human resources who are at the forefront of agricultural transformation and plant breeding activities across sub-Saharan Africa. He stated that, these graduates have been equipped with entrepreneurial skills to enable them set-up and manage seed businesses which will ultimately transform the seed industry in the sub-region.
He also added, “WACCI is evolving into an Agriculture Innovations and Entrepreneurship institution to generate game-changing products needed for the inclusive transformation of African agriculture and urged Governments of Africa and development partners to prioritize institutions like WACCI for sustained core funding in order to transform agriculture in Africa.”
Prof. Danquah further noted that, a multipurpose building to be completed in August 2018 will provide world class research, teaching and learning facilities needed to attract strategic partners from around the world to make WACCI a preeminent global institution for world class agricultural research and training.
The West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), hosted by the University of Ghana is one of the Agriculture Centers under the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Project. The Centre has since inception, enrolled 114 PhD students in Plant Breeding and 36 students in MPhil Seed Science and Technology. A total of 66 PhD and 9 MPhil students would have graduated from the WACCI programme. Also, as the pre-eminent Centre for plant breeding education in Africa, WACCI has over 60 improved varieties of staples such as maize, sweetpotato, rice, cassava, groundnut, cowpea and taro with the potential of increasing Africa’s food production have been released by our graduates in their respective home countries.
