Describing the 2011-2020 strategic plan of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) to boost the rice sector in Africa as “evidenced-based and therefore very solid and powerful,” the new Director General of AfricaRice Dr Harold Roy-Macauley urged AfricaRice staff “to be adventurous and ingenious in the way we roll out our rice science.”
He stated that although AfricaRice’s mandate covers the rice sector in Africa, it is global in its approach, because of the growing importance and opportunities of the African rice sector in the global rice market. “Rice is global and it is big business,” said Dr Roy-Macauley. “It is the white gold of the future. We at AfricaRice should consider ourselves fortunate to be in big business already.”
Dr Roy-Macauley made these remarks in his first speech to the AfricaRice staff during the handover ceremony on 12 March 2015 at AfricaRice temporary headquarters in Cotonou, Benin, in which the Interim Director General Dr Adama Traoré handed over office to him.
Dr Roy-Macauley, a Sierra Leonean national, was appointed as the new Director General of AfricaRice at an Extraordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of AfricaRice held on 6 February 2015, in Kampala, Uganda.
After thanking Dr Traoré for ably steering the Center during the interim period, Dr Roy-Macauley outlined his first priorities that include the following:
• Rendering partnerships more efficient around rice science and sector development
• Strengthening capacity for rice science and sector development
• Improving access of small-holders rice producers to markets
• Reintegrating rice science in the policy agenda of countries
• Increasing investments in rice science and sector development
To realize his vision for AfricaRice, he highlighted the need for AfricaRice Management and staff to focus on the implementation of four main pillars:
1. “Consolidation, which implies consolidating existing scientific and development activities to respond directly to the weaknesses observed in the rice value chain with special focus on integrating functional Innovation platforms (IPs) in rice value chain in the rice hubs and striking a better balance between varietal development and dissemination and agronomy.
2. Efficiency/Efficacy, which implies improving the following key systems – monitoring, evaluation and learning; data and information collection and analysis; knowledge management; information and communication; cooperate services and quality delivery; and governance policies, leading to increased credibility of AfricaRice, the interest of development partners including the private sector and their investments and the sustainable funding of AfricaRice’s activities.
3. Punctuality, which implies anticipating consequences (proactivity and rapidity), having great consideration of our clients, inspiring confidence in staff, and being polite, which will lead to improved client relationship and the reputation of AfricaRice Management.
4. Excellence, which implies being very progressive, having a sense of responsibility and a spirit of openness, and recognizing diversity, merits and talents, which will lead to improved work environment.”
Listen to AfricaRice Director General Dr Harold Roy-Macauley’s maiden address.
Sidi Sanyang speaking at the TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Jean Ekwe Dossa speaking at the TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Omar Ndaw Faye speaking at the TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Richard Appoh speaking at the TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Post-harvest and Processing Technologies -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
RiceAdvice -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
"Partnerships for efficient quality seed production and variety dissemination" -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Innovation Platforms -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
"Recensement électronique et géo-référence des acteurs de la chaine de valeur riz: cas des pays TAAT" -- TAAT Rice Compact Launch: Project Kick-Off Workshop
Welcome remarks by Dr Harold Roy-Macauley, Director General, Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) at CIPA Project Launch
Opening remarks by Ms Claudia Savarese, Associate Programme Officer, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) at CIPA Project Launch
Opening remarks by Mr Nyame Kingsford, District Director, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana at CIPA Project Launch
AfricaRice Social Scientist and CIPA Project Coordinator Josey Kamanda at CIPA Project Launch
Opening remarks by Dr Camille Koffi, Agro-Economist, Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA) at CIPA Project Launch
Ken Giller, Professor, Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), The Netherlands at CIPA Project Launch
Francisca van Dusseldorp, Coach, trainer, facilitator agent in international development cooperation, MDF West Africa, Ghana at CIPA Project Launch
Aaron Mahamah, Multi-stakeholder Platform Coordinator, MDF West Africa, Ghana at CIPA Project Launch
Confidence Duku, Postdoctoral Fellow with expertise in Hydrology, Geoinformatics (GIS), Water Science, WUR at CIPA Project Launch
Tesfahun Alemayehu Belew, PhD student, Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group (ENR), WUR at CIPA Project Launch
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