The University of Cape Coast (UCC) has participated in the 2024 Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) to renew its commitment to fostering sustainable agricultural practices that drive socio-economic growth and development across the continent.
The second triennial conference, which was held from 12th to 16th August, 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia, was on the theme: “Operationalising Higher Agricultural Education and Research Ecosystems for Innovation, Industrialisation, and Economic Development in Africa: A Call for Action”.
The five-day conference was in response to the urgent need for African governments, development partners, the private sector, and the citizenry to take action to invest in higher education that underpins the continent’s urgent development needs inclusively and sustainably.
It brought together policymakers including ministers and technical experts, higher education leaders in Africa, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, innovators, students, and farmer organizations among others.
At the event, UCC had the opportunity to showcase its innovations, products and services through an exhibition.
Opening Ceremony
The Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation of the Republic of Namibia, Dr. Itah Kandjii-Murangi, who officially opened the conference, underscored the value of harnessing the youth demographic by educating more young Africans to contribute to the development of the continent and the world.
“Other continents are struggling with an aging population yet Africa has not fully realised the potential of its young people. To do so, we must educate and skill our young people while preparing them for the emerging world of work where they will contribute to our and the world’s economic development,” she added.
She called upon scientists to ensure that Africa was not just a consumer of scientific knowledge and products but a generator of solutions that would help humanity thrive on this planet. To do that, she advised that Science, Technology and Innovation must be at the forefront of every initiative.
Dr. Itah Kandjii Murangi further tasked scientists present at the conference to discuss and provide policy information for improving last-mile delivery of science, knowledge and products that people need to make agriculture work for them.
The RUFORUM Executive Secretary, Prof. Patrick Okori, in his welcome address, said that no young person in Africa should be academically starved when there was so much capacity from African universities to explore their full potential for the sustainable development of Africa.
He, therefore, called for the right skillsets for the youth in Africa which was a prerequisite for the attainment of the Higher Education 2024 to get gainfully employed nationals to contribute to national development.
“I therefore urge you, fellow patriots, to seize the opportunity this RUFORUM is providing to partner for the noble cause of educating our people to also achieve the Africa we want,” he continued.
The various speakers at the conference agreed that African solutions were within Africa, and therefore, African institutions should work together to advance solutions for Africa.
In an interview with reporters after the conference, the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the UCC, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, underscored the need for African leaders to support and entice the youth to engage in agriculture through the right policies, access to skills, innovations and the right technologies.
According to her, there were huge opportunities in the sector, hence the need to modernise the sector to attract young people to tackle unemployment and food insecurity.
The UCC delegation was led by Prof. Rosemond Boohene, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University. Other members of the delegation included Prof. Moses Jojo Eghan, Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences; Prof. L.K. Sam Amoah, School of Agriculture and Prof. Festus Annoh Frimpong, Coordinator, TAGDve 2.0.
The rest were Mr. Gideon Abbeyquaye, Director, Directorate of Academic Affairs; Dr. Fatima Von Abubakar, Lecturer, School of Agriculture; Dr. Zikiru Shaibu, TAGDve 2.0; Mr. Kwabena Antwi-Konadu, Head, Campus Broadcasting Services (CBS), Mr. Nasir Y. Entsie, Head, Documentation and Information Section, and Mr. Fiifi Andoh-Kumi, Head, Laison Office of the Directorate of Academic Affairs.
Students on the delegation included Clement Okechukwu Attamah, PhD Agriculture Extension; Andrew Kibogo, PhD Wildlife Management and Noah Mweta, PhD Sociology.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC/ATLFMNEWS
