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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
2 October 2024
The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana on September 24, 2024, held an orientation ceremony for its 10th cohort of MPhil in Seed Science and Technology students at the Centre’s Auditorium.
This cohort consists of 14 students, including 8 females and 6 males, from 5 African countries namely Ethiopia, South Sudan, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. With the addition of these new students, the total enrolment in the Centre's MPhil in Seed Science and Technology Programme, since its inception in 2015 is 109 students from 13 African countries.
11 September 2024
Africa must prioritise agriculture for sustainable development, says 2022 Africa Food Prize Laureate. THE 2022 Africa Food Prize laureate and Founding Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana, Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah has emphasised the urgent need for African governments to allocate more resources to agricultural research and development.
11 September 2024
China-Africa Partnership Program to Advance Agricultural Research and Rice Production. Ghana’s Ambassador to China, H.E. Dr.Winfred Nii Okai Hammond has emphasised that Africa needs to shift from being a net food importer to achieving self-sufficiency by improving productivity and investing in technology. Speaking at a workshop at Zhejiang University on August 22, 2024, Dr.
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Student Population
167
Alumni
20
Countries
Events
Apr 12
