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Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa
University of Ghana Legon Receives US$5 Million AGRA Grant
August 06, 2007
Accra Daily Mail
By Theresa Boateng
Summary
The University of Ghana, Legon, has received a US $5 million support from Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), to establish the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI) project. The grant forms part of AGRA’s programmes designed to improve Agriculture in the West African Sub-region. The WACCI project, a partnership programme between the University of Ghana and Cornell University in USA seeks to train 40 PhD students in plant breeding and genetics...
The project will receive the necessary facilities and support to equip its trainees in improving food crops and increasing yield in West Africa. University of Ghana has been selected to host the programme following the institution’s effectiveness in teaching, outstanding resources and innovative approaches in plant breeding, genetics and biotechnology...
AGRA is a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation working across the African continent to improve the livelihood of people.
© Copyright 1999 - 2007AD. Accra Daily Mail. All Rights Reserved.
AGRA Officials Visit University
August 3, 2007
University of Ghana; Public Affairs Directorate
Front row: A.T. Konu, Peter Matlon, K. Yankah, Joe DeVries, Prof. Danquah; Back row: Kwame Akuffo-Akoto, S.K. Offei
The Interim President of the Program for a Green Revolution in Africa (ProGRA), Dr Peter Matlon, the Director for Program for African Seed Systems (PASS), Dr Joe DeVries and the Finance and Admin Director (ProGRA), Mr. Kwame Akuffo-Akoto have recently visited the University and were received by Prof. Kwesi Yankah, Acting Vice-Chancellor. The visit was to update the university on the activities of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
AGRA, a broad-based partnership between the Rockefeller and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations is helping millions lift themselves out of poverty and hunger by dramatically improving the productivity, food security, and livelihoods of small-scale farmers across Africa. Under the chairmanship of former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Alliance is working side-by-side with farmers to improve food production in ways that promote equity and protect the environment.
The University of Ghana recently benefited from a $5 million project support grant for the establishment of a West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement to train 40 PhDs in plant breeding.
Present at the meeting were Professors Eric Danquah, Dean, International Programmes, Professor Kwame Offei, Dean, School of Agriculture, Mr. Ted Konu, Registrar, and Mrs. Stella Amoa, Ag. Director, Public Affairs.
University of Ghana © 2005
University of Ghana and the U.S. $5 Million Support Grant
August 6, 2007
Ghanaian Chronicle; EDITORIAL
Summary
...As the Chinese proverb says that it is better to teach the person how to fish than giving him the fish for his or her stomach, the activities of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and that of the Rockefeller Foundation, is giving the correct impetus to the above Chinese proverb to help the people of Africa in terms of agricultural produce to feed themselves.
For the US$5 million project support grant from AGRA to the University of Ghana, Legon for the establishment of a West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has come at the right time.
We see the whole scenasio as a great achievement for the University of Ghana to be selected to house WACCI because of its outstanding resources coupled with its innovative approaches in teaching and research in the areas of plant breeding, genetics and biotechnology...
...this WACCI project has come at a good time when the government has instituted a pilot project to promote root and tuber production and marketing in 14 Municipalities and Districts of six Regions of the country. And once again, there was collaboration from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and Ghana's Ministry of Agriculture...
We need to eat and if we are being helped, we should be very conscious of how the money voted for the project would be used. Currently, the country is about to face a serious food shortage in the Northern parts of our country and this is where our agricultural institutions and the Universities are needed most.
Copyright © 2007 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
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