Alumni of WACCI from 15 countries and partners would converge at the University of Ghana for conversations and actions that will take the Centre to the next level.

Theme for the celebration is: “Harnessing Human Capital in Plant Breeding for the Future of Food and Nutrition Security in Africa.”

A statement issued by WACCI and copied to the Ghana News Agency said the theme reflected WACCI’s rich story of academic excellence in capacity building and commitment to shaping the future of food security in Africa through quality teaching, impact-driven research, extension and community engagement.

Since its establishment, 105 PhD and 40 MPhil students have graduated from WACCI, who have successfully released 227 improved crop varieties and attracted over $57 million to their home institutions for research and development projects.

The statement said the Centre also trained 56 Agri entrepreneurs at its Kofi Annan Enterprise Hub for Agricultural Innovation, who were scaling-up innovations through the establishment of start-ups and agribusinesses.

The celebration would open on May 31 at the Institute of Statistical Social and Economic Research Conference Room with a welcome address by Professor Eric Y. Danquah, Founding Director of WACCI, it said.

There would be interactive panel discussions featuring distinguished alumni on various topics to inform the strategic direction and sustainability of the Centre.

Founding, implementing and prospective partners, including the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Cornell University, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, University of Pretoria, King Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, and the University of Zagreb will also address the conference.

The climax of the day will be the election of the members of the WACCI Alumni Executive Committee.

The statement said key persons to illuminate the opening ceremony include Prof Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ghana; Dr Bryan Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture; Prof Eric Danquah, Founding Director WACCI, and Prof Boateng Onwona-Agyeman, Provost, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, UG.