Richard Mkandawire from Malawi and Umezuruike Linus Opara from Nigeria have been honored with the inaugural Research and Innovation Competence in Agriculture Awards. These awards recognize their significant contributions to the advancement of agricultural research and capacity building across Africa’s food systems.
The Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA) and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) presented the awards during the Bank’s annual meetings held in the Bahamas.
Richard Mkandawire, the Africa Director at the Alliance for African Partnership, received the ‘Impactful and Evidence-Based Policies Award’. This accolade acknowledges his pivotal role in the creation and implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP). Mkandawire, who is also the Chair of the Malawi National Planning Commission and the Former Head of CAADP at the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), was instrumental in the design and adoption of CAADP across African nations.
Umezuruike Linus Opara, a Distinguished Professor in Post-Harvest Technology at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Agri-Sciences, was awarded the ‘Africa Research Excellence Award’. This award recognizes his groundbreaking work in developing and validating an integrated value chain approach to post-harvest research, innovation, and capacity building in Africa. Opara also serves as the Director of the UNESCO Biotechnology Centre in Nigeria.
In recognition of their achievements, Umezuruike received a $25,000 prize, while Mkandawire was awarded $10,000.
