By Professor Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, PhD Cantab
Founding Director, West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana
Africa Food Prize Laureate, 2022 | GCHERA World Agriculture Prize Laureate, 2018
Inaugural President, African Plant Breeders Association (APBA), 2019 - 2023
Eighteen years ago, on June 1, 2007, something remarkable happened at the University of Ghana. A US$5 million credit from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), then ProGRA, hit the university’s accounts. That single transaction marked the beginning of a dream long in the making—the founding of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI)—with a clear mission: to train a new generation of African plant breeders, in Africa, for Africa.
The idea for WACCI was conceived in 2006 during collaborative discussions at Cornell University, USA, involving an international team of like-minded scientists and institutional leaders. Those early engagements laid the intellectual foundation for what would become a transformative initiative for African agriculture. Cornell became a founding partner, providing academic guidance, institutional mentorship, and critical support that helped shape WACCI’s early development.
At the time, I was Dean of International Programmes at the University of Ghana, responsible for promoting the university’s global partnerships. On that day in June 2007, we opened a WACCI account at Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd and set out to establish a financially autonomous centre within the then College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences. As Principal Investigator (PI) of the project, I had the privilege of leading a bold new experiment in agricultural capacity development.
From that humble beginning, with AGRA’s initial investment growing to US$11.5 million, WACCI delivered extraordinary results: 53 PhDs in plant breeding trained for eight countries—Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. Even before the original 10-year grant expired, WACCI’s success drew global recognition. Through a competitive and merit-based selection process, the World Bank designated us as one of its Africa Centres of Excellence, awarding two successive grants totalling US$13.5 million to strengthen and scale our efforts.
Eighteen years on, WACCI has become one of the world’s premier institutions for PhD-level education in plant breeding. We have trained 120 PhD scientists from 15 African countries, with 40 more currently in progress. Our alumni have released over 280 improved crop varieties in 10 countries, published nearly 300 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals, and attracted over US$70 million in research and development funding for agricultural transformation in their home countries. In parallel, WACCI itself has mobilized over US$40 million in direct funding to support its core programmes, infrastructure, and institutional growth. We have invested in world-class infrastructure—including modern biotechnology and genomics laboratories, seed testing facilities, training rooms, ICT upgrades, and a fully equipped recording studio for digital learning and outreach. These assets not only support cutting-edge research and education but also make WACCI a magnet for global partnerships and a hub for scientific excellence in Africa.
In 2015, we expanded our academic offerings with the launch of a Master’s programme in Seed Science and Technology. This became possible through generous support from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), which provided scholarships for our students. With 60 graduates so far, the programme is now strengthening seed systems across West Africa and becoming a sought-after postgraduate pathway.
Today, WACCI is not just surviving—it is thriving. It has matured into a semi-autonomous centre within the College of Basic and Applied Sciences at the University of Ghana. Fully integrated into the university system, WACCI now stands as a strategic academic unit, aligned with the University’s vision for research excellence, innovation, and internationalisation. This formal recognition affirms WACCI’s sustainability and reinforces our commitment to training the next generation of agricultural leaders on the continent.
At our WACCI 3.0 launch in Silver Spring, USA, we unveiled a bold new chapter. We pitched for and won the right to host a Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) hub—emerging as the only university-based hub selected through a global competition.
We are now working with forward-looking partners to equip early- to mid-career African scientists with cutting-edge skills in new breeding techniques and scientific leadership. At the heart of this phase is a deliberate effort to prepare the next generation of leaders—so that WACCI not only endures, but evolves, expands, and remains relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Africa stands at a crossroads. Climate change, escalating food imports, and a burgeoning youth population challenge us to act boldly. The time is now to scale institutions like WACCI—to ensure that Africa can feed itself and secure the future of its people.
As we celebrate our 18th anniversary—and our founding month—we pay tribute to all our partners, sponsors, and champions since 2007. Thank you for believing in us.
But this is also a call to action. We are seeking new partners, fresh energy, and bold visionaries who believe in the power of African-led solutions to African problems. If you are committed to food sovereignty, to nutrition security, and to real, lasting change in Africa, then walk with us.
Let us grow this seed into a forest.
