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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.

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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.

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News Highlights

11 July 2025

WACCI Hosts Research Symposium to Mark the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA)

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana commemorated the Day of Scientific Renaissance of Africa (DSRA) with a research symposium themed “Seed to Impact – Highlighting the Journey from Seed Funding to Tangible Outcomes.” The event highlighted groundbreaking research by WACCI faculty and celebrated the role of scientific research and innovation in advancing agriculture across Africa

1 July 2025

WACCI’s Researcher Wins Climate Resilience Grant to Boost Nutrient Efficiency in Cereal Crops

Dr. Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu, Lecturer and Team Lead, Rice Improvement Programme at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, is co-leading a new collaborative research project with Professor Uta Paszkowski of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Cambridge.