The third cohort of nine students and a fourth cohort student of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), graduated from the University of Ghana, Legon, with PhDs in Plant Breeding on July 24, 2015 at the Great Hall of the University. The fourth cohort student, Dr. Egbadzor Kenneth Fafa, completed his PhD thesis research a year ahead of his scheduled completion date enabling him to graduate ahead of his colleagues.
Eight out of the ten students from the graduating cohort were sponsored by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and two, by the Generation Challenge Programme (GCP). The graduates are from seven West, East and Central African Countries namely Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana.
Dr. Samuel Ofori Onwona, the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony, in his speech challenged the graduates to put integrity first in all they do. He further reiterated that integrity can be very costly but it pays far beyond its cost and that it is always a net gain to live a life of integrity
The degrees were conferred on the students by His Excellency Mr. Kofi Annan Chancellor of the University of Ghana.
Present at the graduation ceremony were representatives from the Program for Africa’s Seed Systems, AGRA including Dr. Rufaro Madakadze, Program Officer, Education and Training, Mrs. Caroline Adala-Oremo, Assistant Program Officer, Education and Training, Dr. Issoufou Kapran, Program Officer, Seed Production and Dissemination, Mrs. Regina Richardson, Associate Program Officer, Commercialisation.
WACCI graduates in group photograph with some AGRA and WACCI officials