The Government has commended the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and its implementing partner African Management Institute (AMI) for strengthening the leadership capacity in agriculture food systems through Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) Programme.
Speaking during the graduation of Cohort 3 of CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme, Principal Secretary (PS) for Agriculture, Dr Kiprono Ronoh, noted that the organization has demonstrated its dedication to equipping emerging leaders with the skills and vision needed to drive agricultural transformation across the continent.
“This initiative directly supports efforts aimed at building a resilient, competitive and inclusive agricultural sector by governments across Africa,” Dr Ronoh said in a keynote speech read on his behalf by the Secretary of Administration in the State Department of Agriculture, Mr Rashid Khator.
He lauded the crucial role played by public and private sector partnerships in transforming agri-business systems by fostering collaboration and networking through strategic partnerships and shared platforms.
“We need a critical mass of highly trained leaders capable of applying and extending their leadership skills to drive innovation, enhance capacity and foster sustainable food production systems,” stated Dr Ronoh.
A total of 40 delegates from eight African countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ghana – were awarded certificates during the graduation ceremony after completing 16 months of rigorous training that also involved experiential learning.
Prior to the graduation, the delegates presented demonstration projects and showcased innovative solutions to Food System challenges across the sector.
AGRA Vice President, Center for Technical Expertise, Jonathan Said, challenged the graduands to apply the skills acquired to transform food systems in their respective countries.
“The responsibility of taking this leadership training forward is with all of us,” he remarked, urging them to maintain their newly acquired collaborative networks, even as AGRA continues to lend the critical support of training more leaders on food systems.
AGRA Regional Director for East and Southern Africa region, Prof Jean Jacques Muhinda, who spoke on behalf of AGRA Vice President for Programme Delivery, Prof Hamadi Boga, echoed Mr Said’s sentiments imploring graduands to go back to their countries and share what they had learnt.
“Reach out to your country offices and coach your colleagues. It is only when there is transformation that donors will troop in. We need to get into existing government programmes, influence ministries responsible for agriculture, public service and partner with the private sector and civil society and share knowledge,” Muhinda said.
CALA is a premier AGRA-led initiative designed to build the capacity of leaders in agriculture to sustainably transform food systems in Africa. It supports agriculture sector leaders to deliver top national priorities in African agriculture and nutrition security dockets.
The graduation of Cohort 3 learners was, therefore, a significant milestone in CALA’s journey to empower Africa’s agri-food leaders.
Others who addressed the graduation ceremony were Ms Rebecca Harrison, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, African Management Institute, Dr Yifru Bekele, AGRA’s Head State Capability and Mr Dan Ochieng, Board Chair, African Network of Professional Facilitators.
By Michael Omondi
