Premiere African biosciences center for excellence gets a new director

Details

Written on Wednesday, 31 May 2017 06:40

Dr Jacob Mignouna has been appointed director of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub. Mignouna assumes the helm from Dr Appolinaire Djikeng who has held the post since December 2012.  

A plant molecular breeder and geneticist by training, Mignouna brings to the BecA-ILRI Hub a wealth of experience in leading research and managing donors’ investments in agricultural research for development spanning Africa, Europe and USA. 

He has previously served as the director for technical operations at the African Agricultural Technology Foundation, and most recently as a senior program officer and senior regional advisor for West Africa at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle, USA. 

In welcoming the new director, ILRI director general Dr Jimmy Smith said: 

'We are very pleased that Jacob has agreed to take up this challenging but exciting position as director of the BecA-ILRI Hub. He is eminently well qualified and offers great insights as to what the future of the Hub could look like, bringing high-end biotechnology to bear on Africa’s agricultural opportunities and challenges. I look forward working with him as a member of my leadership team here at ILRI.'

The chair of the BecA-ILRI Hub advisory panel Dr Eugene Terry said:

'On behalf of my colleagues who serve as members of the BecA-ILRI Hub advisory panel, and on my behalf, I warmly welcome the appointment of Jacob to this position. I look forward to working closely with him and the rest of the members of the BecA-ILRI Hub team in fulfilling the mission of enabling African science leaders to address key agricultural challenges through the applications of modern biotechnology.'  

The outgoing BecA-ILRI Hub director Appolinaire Djikeng welcomed Mignouna’s appointment saying: 

'I am delighted to pass the baton to a remarkable champion who has tirelessly contributed in very many ways to agricultural transformation and capacity building in Africa. In the recent past, I have had the opportunity to interact with Jacob and I am confident that under his leadership, the BecA-ILRI Hub will continue to deliver on its commitments–to grow and strengthen its position as a leading institution and important contributor of science for development.'

About his appointment, Jacob Mingouna said: 

'I am very excited about the opportunity to lead this premier African bioscience center. I look forward to building on the legacy of my predecessors and taking the BecA-ILRI Hub to a new horizon. I envision the BecA-ILRI Hub as the lead bioscience center addressing the food security challenges in Africa.'

____________________________________________________________________________

About the BecA-ILRI Hub

The Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub is a shared agricultural research and biosciences facility located at and managed by ILRI in Nairobi, Kenya. It provides support to African and international scientists conducting research on African agricultural challenges and acts as a focal point for learning, interaction and strategic research — enabling collaborations in the scientific community to benefit African farmers and markets within the region. The Hub was established as part of an African Union/New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) African Biosciences Initiative, which employs modern biotechnology to improve agriculture, livelihoods and food security in eastern and central Africa. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centres that are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.

http://hub.africabiosciences.org/ 

www.ilri.org

Share this post