President of Agricultural Policy Research Network (APRNet), Prof Anthony Onoja, has stated that the team is poised to drive positive changes using cutting edge research to build capacities of African universities as well as youths, women and underserved members of the society.
APRNet was established in 2009 to facilitate the conduct of research as well as the communication and utilisation of its results in agriculture and rural development.
Onoja in an interview with LEADERSHIPWeekend in Jos said such evidence was indicated in the recent successes recorded by the APRNet team with Prof. Ibisime Etela, the executive council member working at the University of Port Harcourt.
He said early this year, they were part of the focal persons and team members that wrote the proposal which birthed the EU- funded Climate Research and Education to Advancing Green Development in Africa (Creat-GreenAfrica).
Onoja said a three-year scholarship programme was funded to the tune of 1.8 million Euros to facilitate exchange programmes (mobility) of M.Sc and PhD students as well as staff of the consortium of universities across Africa.
According to him, they also collaborated in drafting a proposal that won another consortium research grant funded by MasterCard Foundation and RUFORUM to build capacities of staff, youths, women and underrepresented groups in Africa to prepare them to be employed in decent agribusiness jobs.
He further disclosed that they were in Kampala, Uganda, for the onboarding of the Master Card Foundation/RUFORUM, Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development.
Prof Onoja also added that the 10-year initiative aimed to strengthen universities and technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to empower young Africans and their institutions in driving inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient transformations in agriculture.
