{"id":11408,"date":"2016-09-09T07:53:45","date_gmt":"2016-09-09T07:53:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=11408"},"modified":"2016-09-09T07:55:36","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T07:55:36","slug":"delta-born-ifads-dr-nwanze-decorated-with-maiden-africa-food-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=11408","title":{"rendered":"Delta-born IFAD\u2019s Dr. Nwanze decorated with maiden Africa Food Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><code><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n <!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=10399&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was on Wednesday (September 7) awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize\u00a0 at the African Green Revolution Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.<\/p>\n<p>The Africa Food Prize Committee, chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, selected Dr. Nwanze, himself a Nigerian, for his outstanding leadership and passionate advocacy in putting Africa\u00b4s small <a href=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Nwanze.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11409\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-11409\" src=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Nwanze-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"nwanze\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Nwanze-300x180.jpg 300w, http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Nwanze.jpg 620w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>holder farmers at the centre of the global agricultural agenda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDr Nwanze is a model for how a great leader can make a difference in the lives of people on the ground,\u201d said Obasanjo. \u201cWhether that leader is the head of a global institution, a head of state or a head of small organisation, Dr Nwanze\u2019s accomplishments on behalf of African farmers are a reminder of what\u2019s possible when you combine passion, good ideas, commitment, focus, hard work and dedication.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Alongside his tireless advocacy, Dr. Nwanze is credited with reorienting IFAD\u00b4s work to focus more on making small-scale farming a viable business, as well as expanding IFAD\u2019s presence in developing countries to increase the organisation\u2019s effectiveness. The Prize also acknowledges Nwanze\u00b4s courage in reminding African leaders to go beyond promising development and change to delivering it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would like to dedicate this award to the millions of African women who silently toil to feed their families,\u201d said Dr. Nwanze. \u201cNo nation has been able to transform itself without giving women the same rights and opportunities as men. Our hope for future generations rests with African women who bear and raise our young people who will shape the African continent in the years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Congratulating the laureate, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said that Dr. Nwanze\u2019s achievements reflect extremely well the ideals the award represents, putting a bright spotlight on bold initiatives and technical innovations that can be replicated across the continent to create a new era of food security and economic opportunity for all Africans.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBy calling attention to the exemplary leadership of Kanayo Nwanze and to the compelling ideas that have guided him,\u201d said Kalibata, \u201cwe wish to encourage many others to follow in his footsteps and boldly use the opportunities available to them to change the reality of African farming \u2013 from a struggle to survive to a business that thrives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n <!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn honouring Kanayo Nwanze, the Africa Food Prize Committee could not have made a better choice as the former Yara Prize takes on its new and authentic African identity,\u201d said Svein Tore Holsether, President and Chief Executive Officer of Yara International ASA (Yara). \u201cSince its inception in 2005, the Yara Prize has honoured special people who have contributed in different ways to transform African agriculture. The first Africa Food Prize recognises an outstanding African leader who has dedicated his work to improve the lives for smallholder farmers. With 80 percent of farms run by smallholders, the key to transforming African agriculture lies in empowering the smallholder farmer, enabling rural value creation and providing jobs for rural youth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Prize recognises Nwanze for his individual leadership, but also for the results of successful efforts at IFAD in the years he has been at the helm. IFAD, a specialised United Nations agency and International Financial Institution dedicated to eradicating rural poverty, is not the same organisation today that it was in 2009, when Nwanze took office as President, according to the organisation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDespite a major global economic downturn, he succeeded in growing the Fund\u00b4s overall resources, with significant increases in commitments from member states. As a result of this overall increase in IFAD\u00b4s portfolio of loans and grants, its ongoing investments in Africa more than doubled \u2013 from $1.3 billion at the start of Nwanze\u00b4s tenure to $2.7 billion in 2015 \u2013 benefiting more than 75 million rural people,\u201d officials disclosed.<\/p>\n<p>Nwanze, it was gathered, has also presided over far-reaching changes in the way IFAD approaches its work, with a focus on shifting activities from headquarters in Rome to offices in dozens of developing countries. \u201cWith only six country offices in Africa a decade ago, these now number 20 in Africa with a total of 40 globally. The local offices have been key in reshaping IFAD\u2019s business model, increasing farmers\u2019 access to resources and improving the deployment of funds to projects,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know the difference it makes to see first-hand the value that one\u2019s work is adding to someone\u2019s life,\u201d said Nwanze. \u201cThe idea behind opening more country offices is to bring IFAD closer to the people it serves, not only to motivate our own staff, but to more effectively work with rural communities, learning from them and adapting our investments to transform the environment in which they live and work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Recent studies by IFAD\u2019s Independent Office of Evaluation show that, where country offices are present, the IFAD-funded programmes and projects are generally more efficient and effective, with stronger partnerships and policy advocacy.<\/p>\n<p>A project in Senegal started in 2008, for example, is helping wean consumers away from expensive, imported staples by supporting the production, processing, and preparation of local foods. Participating farmers now regularly supply their products to stores across the country and, to this end, have formed partnerships with private companies. IFAD\u2019s on-the-ground presence has allowed for regular follow-ups and the project has now benefitted more than 250,000 people, mainly by creating jobs and boosting incomes.<\/p>\n<p><code><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n <!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/code><\/p>\n<p>Through other projects, IFAD has pioneered methods aimed at reversing gender inequity in more than 100,000 rural households in eight African countries. Development experts cite gender inequality as one of the greatest barriers to achieving agricultural innovation and food security in Africa and other regions of the developing world. The new methods help husbands and wives find ways to overcome poverty together, declaring a truce in the tug-of-war that usually prevails over ownership and control of productive resources.<\/p>\n<p>Under Dr. Nwanze\u00b4s leadership, IFAD is also said to have taken up a more active role in the global policy dialogues. Together with its partners, it advocated for an emphasis on smallholder farmers in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted last year by world leaders, arguing successfully that these farmers have a central role to play in achieving a world free of hunger.<\/p>\n<p>As an advocate for rural communities, Dr. Nwanze has consistently called on leaders to keep food security and agriculture at the centre of development and budgetary priorities. For example, through an\u00a0open letter to the African Union Heads of State\u00a0ahead of the 23rd African Union (AU) Summit in 2014, he reminded leaders of the importance of investing in smallholder family farms and challenged them to think about the legacy they want to leave for future generations.<\/p>\n<p>He wrote, \u201cDon\u2019t just promise development, deliver it, make it happen now. Make real, concrete progress toward investment that reaches all Africans. Investments that prioritize rural people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By positioning IFAD as a major knowledge institution, Dr. Nwanze has also helped provide the development community with fresh ideas, evidence, and tools in support of policy dialogue aimed at identifying the best ways to transform rural livelihoods. On 14 September, IFAD will release its flagship publication,\u00a0The Rural Development Report 2016, which offers guidance for policymakers in making policy choices and investments aimed at eradicating rural poverty.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, IFAD has renewed and diversified sources of finance for agricultural development, gaining international recognition for its role in mobilising investment. The new global framework for development finance, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, explicitly highlights IFAD\u2019s pivotal role in channeling investment for smallholder development.<\/p>\n<p>The professional journey that led Dr. Nwanze to become a distinguished development leader started 40 years ago in agricultural research. He worked as an entomologist in two Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres, eventually becoming the director general of a third one \u2013 the Africa Rice Centre. His research background has shaped his leadership of IFAD, where he sharpened its focus on a more rigorous evidence-based approach to project design, implementation and impact evaluation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is now quite clear what must be done to transform Africa\u00b4s agriculture and feed this continent sustainably,\u201d said Obasanjo. \u201cBut all of our carefully crafted strategies, plans, and programs will accomplish little without able and visionary leaders. Kanayo Nwanze is one such leader, whose shining example, I hope, will give rise to many others.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Source: environewsnigeria.com<\/p>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><br \/>\n <!-- www.deltanewsroom.com --><br \/>\n <ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-2163942495525027\" data-ad-slot=\"1411897411\" data-ad-format=\"auto\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\/\/ <![CDATA[\n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n\/\/ ]]><\/script><\/p>\n<p><code><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.alternativeadvert.com\/show.php?z=30&amp;pl=10399&amp;ad_type=59&amp;rl=180\" width=\"300\" height=\"250\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/code><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), was on Wednesday (September 7) awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize\u00a0 at the African Green Revolution Forum in Nairobi, Kenya. The Africa Food Prize Committee, chaired by Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria, selected Dr. Nwanze, himself a Nigerian, for his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[2939,2940,2938,2937],"class_list":["post-11408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-africa-food-prize","tag-dr-agnes-kalibata","tag-ifad","tag-kanayo-f-nwanze"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Nwanze.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-2Y0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11408"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11411,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11408\/revisions\/11411"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}