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Who we are
The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) is a partnership between the University of Ghana (UG) and Cornell University, USA that was established in June 2007 with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) at the University of Ghana to train Plant Breeders in Africa working on the improvement of African crops train in local environments for farmers in Africa. The Centre has expanded its scope to train Seed Scientists in Africa.
What we do
WACCI is training Plant Breeders and Seed Scientists for the sub-region on classical plant breeding and complementary molecular biology technologies needed for efficient development of superior and adaptable crops. WACCI is one institution among many that are working towards eradicating food insecurity in the sub-region through the training of the people needed to breed and to improve access to high quality seeds to improve food security crops for the rural farmers who currently cultivate unimproved low yielding varieties. WACCI is contributing the needed human resources for the strengthening breeding and seed science programmes of the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in SSA.
News Highlights
The Founding Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) and Chair of the Governing Board of the Ghana National Research Fund (GNRF), Prof. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, has urged Ghana to transform its food systems through science and innovation.
He made the call during his keynote address, themed “From Genes to Generations: Rethinking Food Systems for a Sustainable Africa,” at Ho Technical University (HTU) during the Food, Agriculture, Technology and Sustainability Conference.
Prof. Eric Danquah, Founding Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, has been recognised as one of Ghana’s 100 Most Influential People at the Ghana 100 Most Influential People Awards (MIPA), organised by the Business Executive Group.
The award ceremony, held on November 28, 2025, at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC), sought to honour individuals whose work has demonstrated excellence, innovation and contributed to Ghana’s development.
Dr. Pearl Abu, Team Lead of the Maize Breeding Programme at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, has been awarded the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea Fellowship Programme for Young Women Scientists in Africa 2024.
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Student Population
176
Alumni
20
Countries
Events
Mar 24
Venue: Online
Time: 09:00 a.m.
