Mr. Benjamin Abugri, Cluster Lead Specialist for Knowledge Management, Digitalization, and Learning at FARA, joined experts from across the continent for a pivotal Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop organized by the African Union Commission (AUC) and AUDA-NEPAD. The three-day event, held from March 5 to 7, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya, marked a major step toward preparing for the 5th Biennial Review (BR) cycle under the Malabo Declaration on Agricultural Transformation.
Dr. Janet Edeme – Head, Rural Economy Division in the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission
The workshop aimed to build the capacity of regional experts on the newly updated BR tools and data systems, focusing on enhanced coordination, improved data quality, and refined indicators.
As a participant and contributor, Mr. Abugri delivered a 20-minute presentation sharing key lessons and challenges supporting several countries across the Southern Africa region (including Botswana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Eswatini, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe), particularly under the leadership of CCARDESA, the lead institution for AR4D in the SADC region. These reflections were drawn from extensive engagements during the previous BR cycles and are expected to inform broader continental efforts.
Dr Godfrey Bahiigwa – Director of Agriculture and Rural Development · African Union Commission (Outgoing)
Key Challenges Identified:
Data Gaps and Reliability: Many countries still face persistent data quality and availability issues.
Coordination Deficiencies: Weak national-level coordination limits the effectiveness of reporting processes.
Investment Shortfalls: Low levels of agricultural investment hinder progress towards Malabo targets.
Limited Youth Engagement and KM Systems: Youth involvement in agriculture remains minimal, and many countries lack formal Knowledge Management (KM) systems.
Cross-Cutting Lessons:
Strengthening national data systems and coordination mechanisms is critical.
Boosting agricultural investment and infrastructure remains a priority.
Fostering youth engagement and integrating KM into national digital policies are essential for sustainable impact.
There’s a growing need to mainstream KM systems and align them with national policy frameworks.
Strategic Recommendations:
Robust Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) systems at the country level.
Establishing National Knowledge Management Partnerships and Communities of Practice (CoPs).
Encouraging peer learning and collaboration among African countries.
Leveraging networks such as CAADP-XP4, KM4AgD CoP, YPARD, and the Agricultural Journalist Network for shared learning and capacity strengthening.
“The challenges and lessons we identified may well be common across Africa. They provide a solid foundation as we prepare for the 5th BR and the commitments under the Kampala Declaration,” Mr. Abugri noted.
FARA’s Commitment
Representing the CAADP-XP4 Consortium (FARA, AFAAS, CCARDESA, CORAF and ASARECA), Mr. Abugri reiterated FARA’s commitment, alongside the SROs and AFAAS, to support the rollout and scaling of the BR training at both regional and country levels. FARA remains ready to play a central role in supporting national and regional efforts to improve agricultural transformation through evidence-based learning, knowledge sharing, and innovation systems strengthening.
The event was a critical milestone in building continental momentum for the next (5th) Biennial Review, promoting accountability, and aligning efforts toward achieving Africa’s agricultural development goals.
With special appreciation to Ms. Bridget Kakuwa, ICKM Officer for CCARDESA.
In a move poised to transform the landscape of African agricultural knowledge sharing, leading research and innovation partners concluded the “Second Workshop to Operationalize the African Agricultural DSpace Repository” this week. The three-day workshop, hosted at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) campus in Addis Ababa from December 11 to 13, brought together partners from CGIAR and the CAADP-XP4 network. Representatives from FARA, CCARDESA, AFAAS, CORAF, ASARECA, and CGIAR experts led by ILRI worked in concert to strengthen the African Agricultural Research and Innovation Institutions Space (AARIISpace).
The event was not merely a routine meeting of technical experts. Instead, it signaled an important step in building a robust digital platform for sharing, curating, and disseminating agricultural knowledge. The workshop served as a pivotal checkpoint, enabling partners to gauge their progress since the signing of the Knowledge Management Partnership Framework at the African Agribusiness and Science Week (AASW8) in Durban. It also laid out concrete plans for using metadata standards, integrating Indigenous Knowledge, and applying AI-driven analytics to bolster AARIISpace’s capabilities.
“By mid-2025, we expect to configure, launch, and roll out AARIISpace to a wide array of regional and national stakeholders,” said Michael Victor, Head of Communications, Advocacy and Knowledge Management at ILRI. “This workshop underscores our collective commitment to building a sustainable, scalable, and inclusive platform that democratizes access to agricultural research and innovation.”
Echoing these sentiments, Benjamin Abugri, Knowledge Management, Digitalization and Learning Lead Specialist speaking on behalf of the CAADP-XP4 Consortium, highlighted that AARIISpace “will be a cornerstone of ensuring inclusive, sustainable, and scalable impact” on the continent’s agricultural sector.
The workshop’s successes rest on a strong three-year foundation of partnership and innovation. During this period, over 50 practitioners have obtained Knowledge Management certifications through the Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD) Challenges and conferences. Strategic policy dialogues and sessions—such as the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) workshop in Malawi and knowledge management training in Johannesburg—have honed the partners’ collective expertise. Knowledge-sharing fairs in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia have further spotlighted best practices and cutting-edge research outputs, while policy validation exercises have ensured that emerging strategies remain closely aligned with stakeholder needs.
In short, the workshop was the latest milestone in a vibrant ecosystem of collaborative activities. Participants leveraged ILRI’s decade-long experience with CGSpace, a proven repository platform, to shape the AARIISpace framework. The proposed common vocabularies, standardized metadata, and next-generation functionalities are all geared toward making African agricultural knowledge more accessible and usable than ever before.
Looking forward, the partners have sketched an ambitious roadmap. They have reaffirmed their commitment to the Memorandum of Understanding guiding their collaboration, extending joint activities through 2025. High on the agenda is the publication of the inaugural Africa Knowledge Management Report, as well as expanding KM4AgD Communities of Practice. Embracing subsidiarity principles, the partners plan to encourage national-level Knowledge Management policies and strategies, ensuring that insights flow smoothly from research labs to rural fields.
To cap it off, the partners aim to jointly develop funding proposals and host a global Knowledge Management Share Fair focusing on KM4AgD and AI in Africa. This event would provide a global stage for showcasing how homegrown African innovations in digital knowledge management can accelerate agricultural development.
As the workshop drew to a close, CGIAR and CAADP-XP4 Partners expressed gratitude to all participants for their dedication, expertise, and energy. The stage is now set for AARIISpace to become a beacon of agricultural innovation. However, the initiative’s full realization will require collective effort, including financial and human resources, and the sustained engagement of governments, private sector actors, and farmer organizations.
With the foundation firmly laid, the next phase of collaborative action promises to translate this synergy into tangible improvements for farmers, researchers, and policy-makers across the continent. This will ultimately cultivate a richer, more equitable harvest of knowledge and innovation for Africa’s agricultural future.
Ms. Bridget Kakuwa is Information, Communication and Knowledge Management Officer at the Center for Coordination for Agriculture in Southern Africa (CCARDESA)
Mr. Benjamin Abugri is Lead Specialist for the Knowledge Management, Digitalization and Learning Cluster at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
A pressing need for systematic knowledge exchange between CGIAR and African Regional Research Institutions has driven the creation of the Ukama Ustawi’s Learning Alliance (UULA), a dynamic partnership designed to bridge research findings and on-the-ground application. This ambitious initiative took center stage at a recent Solutions ShareFair in Addis Ababa at the ILRI Campus from 10-11 December, 2024 where diverse stakeholders convened to co-create practical solutions and strengthen Africa’s agrifood systems.
The UULA is anchored in the CGIAR-CAADP-XP4 Knowledge Management Framework and aims to enhance information flow among National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), extension workers, farmers, and policymakers. By ensuring research is not only accessible but also actionable, the Learning Alliance aspires to transform data-rich but often underutilised academic insights into tangible outcomes that address Africa’s pressing agricultural challenges.
The Solutions Share Fair aimed to highlight agricultural innovations introduced by CGIAR and its partners in Ethiopia over the last three years, assemble a targeted portfolio of solutions suited to Ethiopia’s specific agrifood conditions, and strengthen partnerships among stakeholders as CGIAR’s new research agenda takes shape. These objectives underscore the importance of multi-level engagement—from NARS to extension services and from local policymakers to regional authorities. Through the Learning Alliance, partners like CCARDESA, ASARECA, CORAF, AFAAS, and FARA demonstrated how integrated efforts can spur innovation, increase resilience, and promote sustainable development.
“Ukama Ustawi has been instrumental in connecting the CGIAR with the CAADP-XP4 network, including AFAAS, ASARECA, and other regional partners,” said Dr. Namukolo Covic, a CGIAR leader closely involved with the Learning Alliance. “The Learning Alliance serves as a network for improving Knowledge Management and ensuring that valuable research is practical and usable. This approach ensures that agricultural insights are translated into interventions that directly benefit communities.”
Dr Covic also acknowledged Mr Abugri’s recent honour: “I would like to congratulate Benjamin for winning the International Knowledge Management Award 2024., bestowed upon an international organisation as well as an outstanding personality by a jury constituted under the auspice of the Association Knowledge Management Austria. He truly exemplifies the best in knowledge acquisition and sharing.”
Mr. Benjamin Abugri, a Knowledge Management Specialist from FARA, officially opened the meeting and spoke on behalf of the CAADP-XP4 Consortium, emphasizing the focus on farmers as key drivers of agricultural transformation. He highlighted the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies, fostering inclusive collaboration, and using platforms like Dgroups to share knowledge. He also underscored strong ties with CGIAR, events like MITA for knowledge exchange, and alignment with the African Union’s CAADP Malabo agenda and Soil Initiative to ensure food security and sustainability.
Ms. Nora Hanke-Louw, Deputy Head of Office for IWMI South Africa, delivered an insightful presentation on the Ukama Ustawi (UU) initiative. She provided an overview of its impact at the initiative level. She highlighted previous Share Fairs in Southern Africa, showcasing UU’s regional reach and commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices.
Despite the wealth of agricultural research produced across the continent, much remains confined to academic journals. Recognizing this, the Solutions Share Fair provided a platform for dialogue, enabling stakeholders to discuss and refine innovations that address Ethiopia’s unique agrifood challenges. Participants worked together to curate an evidence-based, context-specific portfolio of solutions, each informed by local knowledge and inclusive of farmers’ voices. The share fair showcased Innovative technologies around Livestock feeds, seed breeding, Climate Smart Friendly and regenerative agricultural equipment and machinery, Innovations around capacity-strengthening efforts to reach women, youth, and the private sector; Gender led innovations on small ruminants such as goats in Ethiopia, a Geo Agro App that tests the Soil PH for Farmers, solar powered innovations that can be purchased in a cooperative or through the bank among others.
In addition to high-level experts, Share Fair’s panel discussions included representatives from government ministries, the private sector, and farmer organizations. Mr. Elias Awol, CEO of Smallholder Irrigation Development at the Ministry of Agriculture, underscored Ethiopia’s dedication to scaling solutions that enable smallholder farmers to adopt new technologies and farming practices. Discussions also touched on issues such as solar panel maintenance for irrigation and gender mainstreaming, as women often provide significant agricultural labor yet face barriers to resource access and decision-making.
As the event concluded, Michael Victor, Head of Communications, Advocacy, and Knowledge Management at ILRI, moderated conversations about the future and how to link current initiatives with the Scaling for Impact Science Program to ensure long-term sustainability and real-world benefits.
Mr. Michael Victor, Head of Communications, Advocacy, and Knowledge Management, led a panel discussion exploring key strategies to scale impactful science programs. The panel addressed essential questions, including the elements needed to scale impact effectively, how CGIAR can engage partners to assess national innovation demands, pathways for scaling innovations in the CCARDESA region, and a direct request to CGIAR from the demand side. The discussion highlighted the importance of collaboration, robust mechanisms, and strategic pathways to enhance food systems and drive sustainable solutions.
Prof. Nieyidouba Lanien, Programs Coordinator at CORAF, emphasized their region’s focus on sustainability and innovation. “We work on initiatives that support farmers using an innovation platform approach and adopt methods such as TAAT (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation) to ensure present and future resilience,” he said.
“The principle of subsidiarity, scaling, and reaching the last mile—the farmer—guides our work,” said Mrs Bridget Kakuwa -Kasongamulilo speaking as a panelist. “We focus on farmers because they are the key. It’s not enough to have cutting-edge technologies; we must ensure that these innovations are effectively adopted, integrated into policies, and aligned with African Union initiatives, including CAADP Malabo, to guarantee food security and sustainability.” She appealed to the CGIAR to use the SROs Network as entry points into member states since the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) mandate them to coordinate Agricultural research at the regional level.
Looking ahead, the Ukama Ustawi’s Learning Alliance will continue to foster dialogue, integrate local and indigenous knowledge, and champion the flow of proven technologies to communities that need them most. By harnessing collaborative energy, knowledge, and resources, the Alliance and its partners are laying the groundwork for a robust, equitable, and climate-resilient African agrifood system.
For the farmers whose livelihoods depend on timely, accurate, and context-specific information, and for the research institutions seeking to make an impact beyond the laboratory, the UULA and events like the Solutions Share Fair offer renewed hope that knowledge can—and will—be transformed into action.
Ms. Bridget Kakuwa is Information, Communication and Knowledge Management Officer at the Center for Coordination for Agriculture in Southern Africa (CCARDESA)
Mr. Benjamin Abugri is Lead Specialist for the Knowledge Management, Digitalization and Learning Cluster at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — December 13, 2024 — The CGIAR and CAADP-XP4 Partners successfully concluded the “Second Workshop to Operationalize the African Agricultural DSpace Repository” at the ILRI Campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This three-day event, held from December 11 to 13, brought together Knowledge Management Officers, IT and web developers from CAADP-XP4 Partners (FARA, CCARDESA, AFAAS, CORAF, and ASARECA) alongside CGIAR experts led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). The workshop reinforced partnerships and took concrete steps toward advancing the African Agricultural Research Information and Innovation Space (AARIISpace).
Key Achievements of the Workshop
The workshop provided an invaluable opportunity to:
Take Stock of Collaborative Progress: Participants reviewed achievements and challenges in implementing the Knowledge Management Partnership Framework signed during the AASW8 in Durban.
Build Capacity and Share Lessons: The sessions drew on ILRI’s decade-long experience with CGSpace, enabling the integration of Indigenous knowledge, metadata standardization, and AI-driven insights into AARIISpace.
Develop Technical Configurations: We discussed common vocabularies and functionalities for the AARIISpace platform, laying the groundwork for operational efficiency.
Set Clear Actions: A timeline to configure, launch, and roll out AARIISpace by mid-2025 was agreed upon, ensuring widespread accessibility among regional and national partners.
Speaking at the event, Michael Victor, Head of Communications, Advocacy and Knowledge Management at ILRI, and Benjamin Abugri, Knowledge Management, Digitalization and Learning Lead Specialist, speaking on behalf of the partnership, noted, “This workshop underscores our shared commitment to transforming agricultural research and innovation through knowledge management. AARIISpace will be a cornerstone of this effort, ensuring inclusive, sustainable, and scalable impact.”
Strengthening Partnerships and Knowledge Sharing
The collaborative spirit of the workshop was evidenced by the following achievements over the past three years:
Active participation in KM4AgD Challenges and conferences, resulting in over 21 certified Knowledge Management practitioners.
Engagement in strategic policy dialogues and workshops, including the GESI workshop in Malawi and KM sessions in Johannesburg.
Collaborative hosting of knowledge-sharing fairs in Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, showcasing innovative practices and research outputs.
Policy validation exercises with regional partners, ensuring alignment with stakeholder needs.
Looking Ahead: Revewed Areas of Collaboration
The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to:
Strengthen partnerships under the existing MOU, extending collaboration through 2025.
Publish the inaugural Africa Knowledge Management Report in 2025.
Expand the KM4AgD Communities of Practice through targeted activities.
Promote subsidiarity principles, fostering national-level knowledge management policies and strategies.
Jointly develop funding proposal and host a global Knowledge Management Share Fair focused on KM4AgD and AI in Africa.
Appreciation and Call to Action
CGIAR and CAADP-XP4 Partners expressed gratitude to all participants for their dedication and contributions. As AARIISpace moves toward full implementation, the partnership calls for the joint mobilization of financial and human resources to ensure the platform’s success.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Benjamin Abugri – KM, Digitalization and Learning Cluster Leader, FARA – [email protected]
Michael Victor – Communications, Advocacy and KM Lead, CGIAR-ILRI – [email protected]
About CGIAR: CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) is a global research partnership for a food-secure future, dedicated to reducing poverty, enhancing food and nutrition security, and improving natural resources and ecosystem services. The CGIAR is made of fifteen (15) Institutes with ILRI coordinating KM in this partnership.
About CAADP-XP4:
The Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme ex-Pillar 4 (CAADP-XP4) Institutions support African agricultural research and innovation systems in delivering sustainable solutions for improved productivity, resilience, and livelihoods across the continent. It is made of Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the African Forum For Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS), Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA), West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF) and Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA)
Enhancing Knowledge Management in institutions requires enforcing a national policy aimed at influencing knowledge sharing and serving as a repository of knowledge among stakeholders, key players, and the public. On 25th October 2024, the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), in partnership with the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA), held a Knowledge Management Policy Dialogue at Birchwood Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa, through the Ukama Ustawi Initiative.
The IWMI-led Ukama Ustawi (UU) Initiative is a four-year project worth approximately USD 40 million that promotes diversification for resilient agribusiness ecosystems in East and Southern Africa (ESA). The initiative is set to end in 2024 and targets 12 countries in this region: Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The main goal of the UU Initiative is to address food and nutrition security risks in the region, which stem from an overreliance on maize monoculture. The initiative instead promotes a climate-resilient, water-secure, and socially inclusive approach aimed at helping smallholders diversify and de-risk agri-food systems based on maize in the targeted countries.
The Knowledge Management Policy Dialogue brought together various agriculturalists, researchers, and knowledge management experts to deliberate on strategies for enhancing knowledge management visibility in East and Southern Africa. The event, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, was organised by the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development for Southern Africa (CCARDESA) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), with financial support of the CAADP XP4 Programme through the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The meeting’s objectives were to create pathways for policymakers to adopt knowledge-management recommendations to improve regional agricultural resilience and food security. Participants discussed developing actionable recommendations to improve knowledge management practices and their integration into policy frameworks. The meeting also aimed to promote collaboration among institutions and explore potential ways to institutionalize knowledge management strategies within agricultural practices.
In his official opening remarks, CCARDESA’s Executive Director, Cliff Dlamini, stressed the necessity of assigning roles to bring about policy shifts in agricultural policy and emphasized the importance of generating and managing knowledge as key program outputs.
Professor Dlamini stated that knowledge management is essential for advancing East and Southern Africa’s program goals focused on food resilience and inclusivity. He noted that this can only happen if adequate support for knowledge management is secured.
“Knowledge is power; it can be preserved and be valuable to policymakers. Today’s dialogue is an opportunity to engage in knowledge management efforts,” stressed Professor Dlamini.
Prof. Cliff Dlamini, Executive Director, CCARDESA
He called for more investment in organizational structures to achieve knowledge management goals. “Significant resources must be allocated to ensure visibility,” Professor Dlamini added.
He argued that while substantial knowledge has been generated to transform the agriculture sector, its dissemination to smallholder farmers needs to be more structured and supported.
This calls for a concerted effort to prioritise knowledge management, recognising its role as an institutional memory for future reference.
Professor Dlamini suggested that organisations should prioritise knowledge management roles at senior levels to increase their impact.
“We need strategic positions in knowledge management to amplify the voice of farmers and facilitate knowledge translation,” he said.
Consultant Hannock Kumwenda of Ukama Ustawi’s Learning Alliance, a knowledge-sharing network facilitated through IWMI’s partnership, presented findings from a scoping study. The research findings revealed how knowledge management could be elevated within policy frameworks.
Dr. Kumwenda highlighted the financial challenges, noting that funding for relevant institutions often relies on external sources.
Dr. Hannock Kumwenda, Consultant, Ukama Ustawi
“Financial resources are limited. Each partner funds their activities as long as benefits are clear. This calls for building on existing resources and exploring lead partnerships for effective management,” he explained.
Dr. Kumwenda emphasised that alliances gain strength when they leverage diverse strengths such as knowledge management and monitoring and evaluation—even though dedicated staff may not always be available for these functions.
Regional partner institutions are generally better equipped than national systems. For instance, some use mobile applications that improve visibility. National systems, on the other hand, tend to rely on Facebook and other accessible social media platforms. This situation highlights the need for adequate resources to maintain and update technologies.
Dr. Kumwenda noted that the gap between research and dissemination efforts in national systems continues to widen. Often, pilot projects rely on packages, and uptake slows when projects end. Investing in dissemination centres and in outreach to semi-literate farmers could help bridge this gap.
Knowledge exchange among regional bodies appears more effective, suggesting that more resources should be allocated to foster collaboration.
Dr. Kumwenda also raised the issue of effective learning alliances, explaining that what currently exists is often limited to sharing alliances of existing knowledge.
“Learning Alliances should be focused on building partnerships linked to data hubs and best practices. Models that have been tested and proven functional should be replicated,” Dr. Kumwenda said.
Professor Kingo Mchombu from the International University of Management of Namibia pointed out that a national policy is essential to influence and institutionalize knowledge management and that high-level buy-in is critical.
Professor Kingo Mchombu, International University of Management (IUM), Namibia
Professor Mchombu, a Knowledge Management Expert, cited Namibia as a case where concerted efforts led to the development of a national policy on knowledge management, recently submitted to the Office of the Prime Minister.
“The national policy was reviewed by parliamentarians, who participated in the process and contributed feedback before it was finalized for submission to the Prime Minister’s office,” he confirmed.
Once approved, knowledge management will gain significant recognition and be more easily institutionalised. This Namibian approach serves as a model worth replicating elsewhere.
Ultimately, member countries could benefit from developing national policies to strengthen their positions in knowledge management.
During the panel discussion on “Leveraging Tools for Knowledge Management and Policy Influence in Eastern and Southern Africa Region and Africa as a whole,” Mr. Benjamin Abugri, Knowledge Management, Digitalization, and learning Lead Specialist at FARA, emphasised that Knowledge Management is a vital tool for sustainable development, central to donor-funded initiatives, as agencies increasingly require KM strategies. He intimated that the success of KM depends on tools that enable effective sharing of both tacit and explicit knowledge through either open or restricted access. Therefore, these tools must align with local contexts, integrating Indigenous and traditional knowledge, particularly in Africa, where ignoring this can lead to missed opportunities. He concluded that the continuous evaluation of KM tools is also crucial, ensuring they add value, remain relevant, are timely (considering advancements like AI), and are interoperable.
Mr. Benjamin Abugri, Knowledge Management, Digitalization & Learning Lead Specialist, FARA
The Author is the Principal Agricultural Information Officer for the National Agricultural Information Services (NAIS).
In Africa, the agriculture sector contributes to the economic development and livelihood improvement of a majority of the population. In 2022, this sector contributed 17% of sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP. As a continent with a vibrant youth population and productive land, Africa possesses the potential to provide sufficient and nutritious food for its people, thereby mitigating hunger and poverty. However, challenges such as insufficient resources, climate change, inability to leverage and implement technological innovations, limited access to knowledge and many others continue to hinder advancement within the sector.
With the rise in innovation technologies, it is inherent for the sector to leverage some of these to improve agricultural yield. Innovation platforms (IPs) serve as a space for learning, experience sharing, collaboration, identification of challenges, and provision of possible solutions. These platforms bring together different stakeholders from every level of the agricultural value chain to discuss issues towards attaining a common objective. Based on data from the Observatory for Africa Agriculture Knowledge Hub, FARADataInformS, there are more than 400 agricultural Innovation Platforms established across Africa. Some countries with the highest number of IPs include Nigeria (93), Kenya (43), DRC (40) and Ghana (31). However, some of the stakeholders within these IPs lack the required capacity and resources to maintain and support the scaling of technologies and good practices for which they were formed in the first place. This is often due to low engagement among stakeholders at different levels of the value chain, discordant views and understanding of the IPs and their visions, as well as paucity of up-to-date information to allow them to thrive.
There is therefore a need to provide these stakeholders with the required capacity and opportunity to network and collaborate to ensure synergy amongst these actors. This will contribute to providing them with a better understanding of the IP model, address working in silos, and provide a close link between technology providers and those who will take up and upscale these technologies.
In a stakeholders’ training of trainers’ workshop held at the Pioneer Hotel in Tamale, Ghana, the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) through its Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (CDTO) compact and partners, including IITA, AATF, World Vegetables, FARA and CSIR-SARI, sought to address some of these IP challenges. The workshop, which was held between September 2nd and 6th, 2024, brought together over 120 stakeholders of the maize, rice, soybean, and vegetable value chains to strengthen their capacities in the establishment and management of IPs to facilitate the adoption of proven technologies for sustainable impact in the agricultural sector.
In their welcome and introductory remarks, the speakers commended the participants for their commitment and admonished them to be ambassadors in promoting good agricultural practices in Ghana.
The highly interactive sessions were filled with discussions, teamwork, case studies, and presentations, and aimed at fostering a culture of experience sharing and peer learning among participants. The modules covered included setting up an IP, governance of an IP, and resource mobilization in an IP, amongst others. Through these sessions, participants were able to understand the fundamentals of an IP, including key concepts and principles, setting up, functioning, facilitation, governance, monitoring, evaluation, and learning, conflict management, negotiation, and contracting.
Group of Maize IP Members pose for Picture during the Training workshop
Despite their significance, Innovation Platforms (IPs) cannot operate effectively without stakeholders’ ability to mobilize and manage resources. To address this, participants engaged in sessions on resource mobilization, financial models within IPs, and business plan development. Through value chain analysis exercises, participants identified key activities and stakeholders at each stage of the value chain, mapped the relationships and functions between them, and highlighted the challenges faced by each stakeholder. This practical exercise allowed participants to apply the theoretical knowledge they gained during the sessions, bridging the gap between theory and practice.
The module on conflict management sparked very interesting discussions and diverse perspectives from participants who shared their experiences on some conflicts they had been involved in and how they tackled them.
‘A difference in perception is at the heart of conflicts.’ – Dr Latifou Idrissou, Lead IP Trainer and Facilitator, University of Parakou, Benin.
The discussion on innovation versus invention brought thought-provoking examples and explanations for participants’ understanding of the two concepts.
An important workshop highlight was a session during which various Commodity Compacts (maize, soybean, rice, and vegetables) collaborated in teams to develop work plans, applying the concepts learned throughout the five-day program. These work plans enabled each group to identify key stakeholders, outline objectives, define indicators, plan activities, assign roles and responsibilities, estimate costs, set timelines, and project expected results.
Several actions common to all compacts focused on strengthening the capacity of seed producers and enhancing partnerships and collaboration across all levels of the value chain to boost yields and reduce post-harvest losses. These efforts align with the primary objectives of the training.
“If Africa is an agrarian community, we can’t rely on the West to feed us. The jobs that most of us are looking for are within our reach. All we need to do is to adopt the strategies and knowledge we have gained and within the next 12 months, we will have improved.” – Omikunle Oluwaseun Ayoola, Soybean compact representative, IITA.
“I came as a trainee and I can say that I am well equipped on how to establish, run, and govern an IP and I believe the stakeholders are also well equipped.” – Joyce Njuguna, Maize compact representative, AATF.
In his concluding remarks, Dr Abdulrazak Baba Ibrahim, Lead Specialist for Capacity Development and Future Scenarios, and the TAAT-CDTO Coordinator assured participants of the commitment of all compacts to the activities and sustainability of the IPs. To close the event, Chief Mohammed Rashad Abdulai, Secretary to the Paramount Chief of the Gukpegu Traditional Council, Tamale, commended the participants and organizers for their active participation. He emphasized the need to think outside the box to support the advancement and sustainability of Ghana’s agricultural transformation agenda.
“We must put into practice all that we have learned from here and bear in mind that there is more room to learn. To realize our full potential, we need to start self-organizing and avoid relying solely on donor agencies for support”, Chief Rashad concluded.
Author Affiliations
[1] Mabel Shu Lum is KM4AgD Fellow, Certified KM Manager for Sustainable Development and the Knowledge Management Assistant at the West Africa Civil Society Institute (WACSI)
[2] Benjamin Abugri is a KM and Project Management Practitioner and the KM, Digitalization and Learning Cluster Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
[3] Abdulrazak Ibrahim is a Scientist and Capacity Development and Futures Cluster Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA)
“
“If Africa is an agrarian community, we can’t rely on the West to feed us. The jobs that most of us are looking for are within our reach. All we need to do is to adopt the strategies and knowledge we have gained and within the next 12 months, we will have improved.” – Omikunle Oluwaseun Ayoola, Soybean compact representative, IITA.
