News Highlights

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.

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, in collaboration with National Seed Trade Association of Ghana  (NaSTAG) , Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research- Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI) held a two-day Seed Growers Training Workshop from August 13-14, 2024, in Koforidua.

Fifteen students from the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) graduated from the University of Ghana on August 10, 2024, during a ceremony held at the Cedi Conference of the University of Ghana.

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) held a send-off dinner on August 10, 2024, to honour Prof. Pangirayi Tongoona, Associate Director of Breeding Programmes, as he concluded a decade of exceptional service at the Centre.

The event was attended by staff, students and alumni of WACCI, as well as colleagues and friends of Prof. Tongoona, who gathered to celebrate his outstanding contributions to WACCI and the field of plant breeding across Africa.

WACCI’s Team Lead for Rice Improvement Programme awarded UNESCO-TWAS Grant.

Dr. Mavis Owusuaa Osei-Wusu, a Lecturer and Team Lead for the Rice Improvement Programme at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), has been awarded a UNESCO-TWAS 2024 Grant for African Scientists. This prestigious grant, valued at USD 41,000.00, will support Dr. Osei-Wusu's research on the “Identification of genes for the development of salinity-tolerant rice for enhanced food security in Ghana using molecular tools."

Prof. Eric Danquah to serve on the External Advisory Council (EAC) of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cereals (CRCIL).

The Founding Director of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) Prof. Eric Danquah has been appointed to serve on the External Advisory Council (EAC) of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cereals (CRCIL) at Kansas State University.

Scientists, especially those in the agriculture sector, have been advised to safeguard their innovations through Intellectual Property (IP) to ensure sustainability. 

Dr Daniel Dzidzienyo, the Deputy Director, Administration, Teaching and Learning, the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, who gave the advice, said the processes involved in innovations required much resources and painstaking investigations hence the need to protect them to reap the benefits.

Celebrating 17 Years of Excellence at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI)

This June, we celebrate a remarkable milestone—the 17th anniversary of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana. From its inception in June 2007, WACCI has grown into one of Africa's leading institutions for plant breeding education at the PhD level and a shining example of excellence in training Africans for Africa.

Prof. John Derera, Senior Director of Plant Breeding and Pre-Breeding at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), recently paid a working visit to the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) to explore potential areas of collaboration between WACCI and the CGIAR.