
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

Mr. Evans Larbi, an alumnus of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, and Chief Executive Officer of Beit Farms Ghana, has been honoured with the Youth in Agriculture Award at the 2025 Millennium Excellence Awards.

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, is proud to announce that Professor Kenneth Fafa Egbadzor, a distinguished alumnus, has been appointed Director of Research and Innovation at Ho Technical University (HTU).
Prof. Egbadzor enrolled in the WACCI PhD in Plant Breeding programme in January 2011 and graduated in 2014. His research titled “Genetic Control and Breeding for Seed Size and Colour in Cowpea,” made a significant contribution to cowpea improvement in Ghana.

The President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, has reaffirmed the importance of academic collaboration between Germany and Africa during a visit to the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana.
Accompanied by three officials, Prof. Mukherjee toured the Centre, praised its achievements and engaged in discussions about future opportunities for academic and research funding.
270
Student Population
176
Alumni
20
Countries