Instructor Guides For Plant Breeding Education In Africa

The West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) was established in the University of Ghana (UG) in June 2007 with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to train Plant Breeders for Africa. In 2015 WACCI became one of the World Bank Africa Centres of Excellence. 

 

Strategic Compass of WACCI

Vision
To be the foremost Centre for post-graduate training and research in crop improvement in Africa.

Mission
To develop the next generation of plant breeders and seed scientists needed for the transformation of Africa’s agriculture through high-quality research, teaching and learning.

Goal
The goal of WACCI is to improve food security in Africa. The approach is to equip plant breeders with the knowledge and skills to develop superior varieties of indigenous crops, using both conventional and modern technologies.

Objectives
The overall purpose of WACCI is to train the next generation of plant breeders in Africa to breed crops in national agricultural research stations for production systems in SSA. 


Specifically, the Centre seeks to:

  • significantly improve the quality of PhD level training in Plant Breeding and MPhil training in Seed Science offered to students from universities in SSA.
  • create opportunities to develop improved local varieties of the staples grown by smallholder farmers in the sub-regions, using advances in plant breeding science and molecular biology, and informed by farmers' stated preferences.
  • provide the necessary skills to direct and manage local plant breeding programmes to meet local needs, and to respond to indigenous demands.
  • develop breeding techniques appropriate to address some of the unique breeding/crop improvement objectives of the sub-regions.
  • create a de facto network of functioning plant breeders from the sub-regions.

Core Values
WACCI is guided by the following core values which underpin our operations towards achieving our objectives:

  • Excellence: WACCI will strive for excellence in all its endeavours comprising the conduct and administration of our research and teaching programmes.
  • Integrity: WACCI will demand the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct from all our members.
  • Commitment to People: Our people are our greatest asset. The WACCI community is composed of scientists, students, staff and administrators who are talented, loyal and committed to the continued success of the organisation. Building on the diversity of people and their scientific talents is key to achieving WACCI’s vision.
  • Culture of Mentoring: Nurturing the next generation of scientific leaders and workforce, as well as training in critical plant breeding are integral components of our scientific programmes of excellence.
  • Accountability: The Centre owes it to both its donors and the small holder farmers, to ensure that each dollar invested in a plant breeder goes into producing scientists that would spark an African Green Revolution.
  • Shared Governance: The Centre comprises scientists, administrators and technicians each of whom provides a perspective to be considered during the process of setting future directions and making decisions