Last week marked a pivotal moment for youth-led agricultural transformation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As part of the official launch ...
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Last week marked a pivotal moment for youth-led agricultural transformation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As part of the official launch ...
Aline Mugisho is the Executive Manager for the Innovative Youth in Agriculture Project (I-Youth) at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Before joining IITA, she worked as a Senior Project Manager for the European Youth Education Centre (EJBW) in Germany where she is also completing her doctoral studies at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt. She previously worked as a Senior Consultant on various programs funded by the US Agency for International Development, integrating gender and youth in agriculture such as Food Security Programme (FSP) and Food Security (FS). She holds a master’s degree in Forced Migration Studies from Wits University and a Bachelor’s in Journalism and Communication. She has additional experience in project management, education, monitoring and evaluation, humanitarian assistance, conflict mediation and reconciliation, community development, and capacity building.
E-Mail : a.mugisho@cgiar.org
Oluyemisi Iranloye is the Founder/CEO of Psaltry International Company Limited, a leading cassava processing company based in Nigeria that serves multinationals such as Unilever and Nestlé. Under her leadership, Psaltry has become a global leader in producing cassava starch, flour, glucose, and is the first in Africa to produce cassava-based sorbitol.
The business impacts over 100,000 farm families, raising their income from less than $1 per person per day to $10 per person per day, and fosters job creation, directly and indirectly employing about 1,000 individuals. Through the Psaltry Foundation, Oluyemisi promotes girls’ education and gender equality in rural communities. The foundation has awarded 19 scholarships, including one to Robiat Fasasi, a young woman living with a disability. Her mentorship program, launched in 2023, has helped over 1,000 aspiring agripreneurs build practical skills for modern, sustainable farming.
She earned a B.Sc. in Biochemistry from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, and later obtained an M.Sc. from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She has received national and international recognition, including honours from the U.S. Secretary of State, the Nigerian Federal Government, and the AGRA Women Agripreneurs of the Year Award (WAYA).
E-mail : Yemisiiranloye20@gmail.com; yemisi@psaltryinternational.com
Most recently, Dr. Ndavi served as the Global Lead Technical Specialist at IFAD, where he provided fiduciary and strategic oversight for a global Research for Development (R4D) portfolio designed to generate evidence for food systems transformation.
His expertise lies in navigating complex institutional transitions—most notably leading the CGIAR system’s organizational shift toward multi-year, impact-driven investment models. A recognized authority on Public-Private-Producer Partnerships (4P), Dr. Ndavi has been instrumental in establishing influential regional research networks across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Dr. Ndavi’s governance experience is extensive; he has served on the CGIAR System Council and the Boards of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR). He holds a PhD from Selwyn College, University of Cambridge, where he was elected a Bye-fellow in recognition of his outstanding academic contributions.
E-mail : malu.ndavi@gmail.com
Dr. May-Guri Sæthre has 25 years’ hands-on experience working in the international agricultural research for development (R4D) landscape, with a special focus on Africa. She has extensive experience and understanding of agricultural production systems in both tropical and temperate climates, including practical and theoretical expertise in food and nutrition security and food safety, and more recently in circular bioeconomy.
Presently she works as an independent international consultant assisting the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), HQ in Ibadan, Nigeria, where her main tasks are resource mobilization and technical backstopping of projects. Dr. Sæthre also serves as a member of the Steering Committee of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment (VKM), where she presently chairs the VKM Panel on Plant Health.
Dr. Sæthre was part of the former executive leadership at IITA, serving as Deputy Director General Research for Development, where she among others led the institutes pan-African R4D portfolio, contributed to IITA’s permanent establishment in the Sahelian countries as well as spearheading strategic R4D initiatives such as circular bioeconomy and biorisk management. She has also worked as a special adviser to R4D donors such as the Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad). Before joining IITA in 2017, Dr Sæthre was a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), specializing in plant health, integrated pest management (IPM) and agricultural entomology.
She earned her PhD in agricultural entomology from the Agricultural University of Norway in 2002, and her MSc in horticulture (specializing in various crops, genetics, and economy) from the same University in 1993.
E-mail : maygurisaethre@gmail.com
Kanigula Mubagwa, MD, PhD, is Emeritus Full Professor of the KU Leuven, Belgium, and former Rector (Vice-Chancellor) of the Université Catholique de Bukavu, DRCongo.
He was Lecturer (Physiology) at the Univ. of Zimbabwe, Research Fellow (Pharmacology) in Farmington, CT, USA, and worked as Scientific Associate before his appointment as academic staff of the Faculty of Medicine, KULeuven, teaching Human Physiology. He served as Visiting Professor in various universities in DRCongo, as Honorary Professor at the Univ. of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, as Director of the International Center for Advanced Research and Training (ICART) and as Coordinator of the Interuniversity Postgraduate Medical Training in Bukavu.
His research work is in the fields of cardiac physiology and of nutrition. He practiced Emergency Medicine and also worked with vulnerable women wanting to convert to agriculture and food processing. Founder of FAST-Africa (Foundation for the Advancement of Science and Technology in Africa), he is Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS)’ Academy.
E-mail: Kanigula.mubagwa@kuleuven.be
Dr. Debo Akande is a distinguished international development leader with over 20 years of strategic leadership experience. He leads the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Agribusiness Management globally, focusing on public-private and development institution management, industrial agriculture, rural development, and agribusiness for economic development.
He has senior management experience in all three institutions of work – the public, private, and development sectors, at the highest corporate and governance levels. He is a Director at the IITA Partnership for Delivery Directorate with oversight of 17 countries in Africa. He leads a Portfolio that includes all IITA agricultural strategies that embed private-sector initiatives into agricultural development programs in Africa, including industrial agriculture, technology innovations, mechanization, urban agriculture, and zero-hunger programs. He combines this role at IITA with the position of the Pioneer Director-General of the trailblazing Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency and the Executive Adviser to the Oyo State governor on Agribusiness and International Development Cooperation, responsible for developing strategy, policy, designing, and implementing the state’s international development cooperation and Agribusiness programs.
He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Hertfordshire, specializing in Agribusiness Strategy and Management. He also earned a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in International Development. Diplomas in International Environmental Law at the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Switzerland, and Agribusiness Management from the African University, Nigeria. He was trained in Climate Change Management at Oxford University, United Kingdom; Food Security Policy at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Bank; and Negotiation, Conflict Analysis, and Management at the United States Institute of Peace, United States, among others.
E-mail : a.akande@cgiar.org/ayekooto@aol.com
Jason Scarpone is the Vice President of International Raw Materials (IRM) and Chairman of COMESA’s Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA.) Formerly the President and founding CEO of The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), Jason now serves as an Executive Member of the AFAP Board.
A senior industry and international development specialist with over 30 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing economic recovery and development programs for Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the United States. Jason has successfully implemented large-scale agricultural and rural development programs with a long-lasting positive impact. He has specialized in public-private partnerships that link production, policy, and marketing, with special attention to post-conflict and post-crisis environments. Throughout his career, Jason has developed a thorough understanding of industry institutions, regulations, and compliance requirements. He has managed the proposal development, implementation, and reporting of programs funded by donors such as AGRA, BPRM, CIDA, CORDAID, DFID, EAR, ECHO, FAO, IFAD, OFDA, OTI, SV, TACIS/PHARE, UNDP, UNHCR, USAID, USDA, WFP, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, numerous commercial banks, and private donor sources, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
E- mail : js@irm.com
Mitima Hamani Djuma is a senior development and agribusiness leader with over twenty-one years of managerial experience in international organizations, with a strong focus on program and project management, partnership development, and resource mobilization across humanitarian, development, finance, and agribusiness sectors.
He currently serves as Director of Partnership for Agribusiness at the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), where he leads strategic engagement with private sector actors, development partners, and investors to mobilize resources and accelerate Africa’s agricultural transformation.
He has built a solid track record of leading complex operations across multiple countries, including Cameroon, Mali, South Sudan, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he has developed multi-year strategic plans, managed multicultural teams, and strengthened institutional resource mobilization systems.
Throughout his career, he has held senior leadership positions in international organizations, including serving as Country Director, where he successfully expanded funding portfolios and established strong pipelines of financial and institutional resources. He also served as Director of Social Investment at Equity BCDC, where he built the department from the ground up, recruited over 50 staff, and designed a fundraising strategy that secured over $500 million through a five-year MoU. His experience also includes partnership work with DFID during his tenure with Save the Children, particularly on preventive interventions against Ebola in West Africa.
He plays a key role in advancing strategic partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms for agricultural transformation, with a strong commitment to strengthening investment flows, institutional collaboration, and sustainable agribusiness development across Africa.
Position: Director of Partnerships in Agribusiness
Email: D.Mitima@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Kinshasa/DRCongo
Helsen Jan Achilles is a senior agricultural development and administration professional with four decades years of international experience spanning agricultural production, research-for-development, and institutional management across Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the Pacific.
He currently serves as Director of Administrative Services at the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), where he oversees operational, administrative, and logistical functions, ensuring effective support to the Institute’s programs and strategic initiatives across Africa.
He holds an Ir. Degree in Tropical Agriculture from the Catholic University of Leuven and an MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of London, providing him with a strong foundation in both technical agronomy and agricultural economics.
Over the course of his career, he began by leading agricultural production initiatives in Dominica following a major hurricane, before joining the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), where he contributed to research-for-development programs in the Comoros and Yemen. He later served as Principal Agronomist at the African Development Bank (AfDB), supporting agricultural development programs across Sub-Saharan Africa. His experience also includes extensive work in West and East Africa as well as Small Island Developing States in the Pacific, combining field-based expertise with institutional and program management roles.
His work reflects a sustained commitment to strengthening agricultural systems, supporting institutional efficiency, and advancing research-to-development approaches that enhance resilience and productivity in diverse global contexts.
Position: Director of Administrative services
Email: J.Helsen@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Kalambo/DRCongo
David Bugeme Mugisho is a senior agricultural development professional with over fifteen years of experience across public and private agricultural sectors, with a strong focus on agricultural transformation, policy engagement, and evidence-based program implementation in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He currently serves as Director of Programs at the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), where he oversees the design, coordination, and implementation of programs aimed at advancing Africa’s agricultural transformation and strengthening partnerships with national, regional, and international stakeholders.
He holds a master’s degree in Crop Production and a PhD in Plant Protection from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kenya, complemented by advanced training in agricultural acarology and plant protection biotechnology from Ohio University (USA) and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with several international research and development institutions, including IFPRI, IITA, FAO, GIZ, TETRATECH, and World Vision. He previously served as Advisor to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Prime Minister’s Office of the DRC and as Director of Country Advisory Services at AALI. His work has included multi-stakeholder dialogue facilitation, policy analysis, agricultural research and education, resource mobilization, and project management, with notable contributions in areas such as value chain analysis, revival of Arabica coffee in South Kivu, skills mapping of public officials, and assessment of mining impacts on agriculture.
He has authored several peer-reviewed publications and continues to contribute to evidence-based agricultural development initiatives that strengthen the link between research, policy, and practice to improve food security, agribusiness development, and rural livelihoods across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Position: Director of Programs
Email: D.Bugeme@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Kalambo/DRCongo
Pacifique Kahasha Birindwa is a senior public sector leader with more than twenty years of experience in agricultural transformation, policy coordination, and sustainable development, with a focus on food security, agribusiness development, and rural transformation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He currently serves as Co-President of the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), where he contributes to institutional governance, strategic partnerships, and the advancement of agricultural transformation initiatives across Africa. He also serves as Special Adviser for the Green Corridor Kivu–Kinshasa Initiative and “Chargé de Mission” to the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He holds a background in public administration and development leadership, with strong experience in governance systems and multi-stakeholder coordination.
In his role as Presidential Adviser, he supports the implementation of national programs such as the “Agenda de la Transformation Agricole (ATA-RDC)”, ensuring coordination between ministries, provincial authorities, and development partners.
Position: Co-President
Email: P.Kahasha@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Kinshasa/DRC
Nadine Sanginga is a development professional with over fifteen years of experience in resource mobilization, donor engagement, and strategic partnership management across global development institutions and Africa-focused organizations, with a strong focus on agricultural transformation and agribusiness development.
She currently serves as Technical Adviser at the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), attached to the Directorate of Partnership for Agribusiness, where she provides high-level advisory support to strengthen institutional partnerships, advance agribusiness initiatives, and secure funding for programs that accelerate agricultural transformation and inclusive growth.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Economics and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
She previously worked with major international organizations including the World Bank Group, CGIAR, ILRI, and AGRA, where she played a pivotal role in designing strategic initiatives, facilitating high-level donor dialogues, and coordinating complex networks of stakeholders to advance sustainable agricultural development and resilient food systems in Africa
She is a global citizen with a passion for agriculture-led development specifically on the African continent.
Position: Agribusiness Advisor
Email: S.Nadine@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Nairobi/Kenya
Paul Lester Woomer is an agronomist and soil scientist with more than three decades of international experience in agricultural research and rural development and currently serves as a Technical Advisor at African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI), attached to the Directorate of Programs. He holds a Ph.D. in Agronomy and Soil Science from the University of Hawai‘i (1990), where his doctoral research focused on the introduction of rhizobia to tropical soils to enhance biological nitrogen fixation and soil fertility. In his current role at AALI, he provides high-level technical guidance on program design, implementation, and capacity-building initiatives, helping integrate science-based agricultural solutions into development programs across the continent.
For over 20 years, Woomer has lived and worked in Africa, leading initiatives to deliver improved land management technologies to smallholder farmers. His work has spanned research, technology development, and capacity building, with particular emphasis on soil fertility, legume systems, and sustainable cropping practices.
Woomer led the development of the MPNES computer program, a tool for estimating rhizobial populations in soils, and was co‑founder of the UNESCO Rhizobium Ecology Network of East and Southern Africa. He also designed the MBILI maize‑legume intercropping technology and investigated the role of grain legumes within integrated management strategies against striga, a major parasitic weed affecting cereal production in sub‑Saharan Africa.
Within the N2Africa project, Dr. Woomer serves as an Inoculant Delivery Specialist for East and Central Africa, supporting the production of extension and training materials designed to promote the adoption of inoculants and legume technologies among smallholder farming communities.
Woomer’s work reflects a sustained commitment to science‑for‑development, the translation of research into practical impact on the ground, and the empowerment of farmers and extension systems with context‑appropriate technologies that improve productivity, soil health, and rural livelihoods.
Position: Technical Advisor
Email: P.Woomer@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Nairobi/Kenya
Emmanuel Nteranya Sanginga is one of the foremost leaders in international agricultural research and development, with over four decades years of experience advancing science-based solutions for sustainable food systems, soil health, and agribusiness across Africa. A champion of empowering the next generation of African scientists, his work at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, and policy continues to shape the continent’s agricultural landscape.
He holds a PhD in Agronomy and Soil Microbiology and currently serves as President of the African Agricultural Leadership Institute (AALI) and Coordinator of the Presidential Advisory Council for the National Food and Agriculture Pact (CCP-PNAA/DRC). He also served as Special Envoy for Feed Africa at the African Development Bank and held advisory and leadership roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IAEA, and the Rockefeller Foundation.
Sanginga is Director General Emeritus of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), where he previously led a transformative restructuring that positioned the Institute as the leading international agricultural research center in tropical Africa. Under his leadership, IITA expanded operations across 18 countries, increased its budget and staff, and delivered innovative solutions addressing food security, nutrition, and youth employment.
He has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous honors, including the Sven Brohult Award and the Order of the Rising Sun (Gold & Silver Star) from the Emperor of Japan, recognizing his global contributions to agricultural innovation and development.
A lifelong mentor and advocate for youth and women in agriculture, he continues to foster a strong pipeline of African scientists and agripreneurs, translating science into impact, strengthening institutions, and advancing inclusive agricultural transformation across Africa.
Position: President
Email: N.Sanginga@aa-li.org
Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya