The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) presented the Precision Agriculture (PA) Award to honour excellence in precision agriculture research, outreach, and education in Africa.
The PA Award committee evaluates all applications submitted to its Early Career and Senior Scientist divisions before deciding how to distribute the award. All individuals working for an African National Agricultural Research Institution (NARS), university, international research centre, or agricultural industry are eligible to apply. Additionally, candidates must be 40 years of age or younger at the time of application to qualify as an Early Career Scientist.
The PA Award was given in conjunction with the 2nd African Conference on Precision Agriculture (AfCPA), which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, and ten other satellite locations across North, West, East, and Southern Africa. The mission of the AfCPA is to “connect the science and practice required to put precision agriculture into action for Africa.”
This year, the PA Award committee is pleased to recognize the contributions of two Early Career Scientists. Each recipient receives a cash award of USD $2,500. The 2022 Precision Agriculture Award Recepients are:
- Dr. Mbulisi Sibanda, Senior Lecturer within the Department of Geography, Environmental Studies and Tourism, at the University of the Western Cape.
- Mr. Femi Adekoya, Managing Director, Integrated Aerial Precision Ltd, Nigeria, and Founder of the Precision Field Academy
Dr. Mbulisi Sibanda is a Senior Lecturer at the University of the Western Cape’s Department of Geography, Environmental Studies, and Tourism. His primary interests are in GIS and remote sensing research and education. He is a South African National Research Foundation (NRF) Early Career Researcher and an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of KwaZulu Natal’s Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems.
Femi Adekoya, Managing Director of Integrated Aerial Precision Ltd in Nigeria, is a trained plant health scientist, an AgricTech professional, and a seasoned practitioner in the agricultural and horticultural industries with over a decade of experience. He is passionate about agricultural innovations and technologies and has extensive experience with them.
 presented the Precision Agriculture (PA) Award to honour excellence in precision agriculture research, outreach, and education in Africa.){kind=link}