News Highlights

Dr. Joseph Adjebeng-Danquah, an alumnus of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has been appointed as the Deputy Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI).

Dr. Danquah was a member of WACCI’s third PhD cohort, enrolling in 2010 and graduating in 2015. His doctoral research focused on “Genetic Studies of Physiological and Morphological Traits Associated with Drought Tolerance in Cassava Genotypes.”

Prof. Maxwell Darko Asante, an alumnus of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has been appointed as the Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI). Prof. Asante was a member of WACCI’s first cohort of the PhD in Plant Breeding and has since become a prominent figure in agricultural research and innovation.

Call for Mentors: VACS Capacity Mentorship Program Hosted by the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, Legon.

University of Ghana’s WACCI Selected as Key Hub for the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Capacity Building Program

Following 17 years of leadership in agricultural research, capacity building and the promotion of climate-smart agricultural solutions, the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), one of the World Bank Africa Centres of Excellence at the University of Ghana, is poised to lead efforts in advancing agricultural resilience across the continent.

The Founding Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI),  University of Ghana, Prof.  Eric Yirenkyi Danquah has been elected President of the Food for West Africa (FOOD4WA).

His election took place at the Tropical Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on November 7, 2024.  Speaking at the event, Prof. Danquah expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the network and emphasized his commitment to advancing it’s mission of driving transformative impact for the region’s agricultural future.

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, in partnership with USAID-AGRA Partnership for Inclusive Transformation in Africa (PIATA), has introduced farmers to a hybrid maize variety, Aburo Legon, aimed at addressing food security challenges and improving livelihoods. Aburo Legon is white-kernel single cross hybrid maize developed by WACCI and released in 2017.

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, has officially welcomed its new National Service Persons (NSPs)  for the 2024/2025 academic year. The ceremony, held at the Centre's auditorium, introduced 11 new NSPs, comprising 8 females and 3 males, who will have the opportunity to work with WACCI for a year.

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.

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.

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.