meet our fellows2019 BORLAUG-ADESINA FELLOWSHIP

message from our patron

The vision of the World Hunger Fighters Foundation is to develop a new generation of young food and agribusiness

entrepreneurs to help end global hunger and promote agriculture as a business that unleashes wealth for poor farmers.

The Foundation is committed to building a better world where no person should ever go hungry. Founded and endowed by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, a globally acclaimed leader in

development, internationally recognized for his efforts to transform agriculture and food security in Africa, the non-profit organization aims to develop an army of youth who will take to

agriculture as a business and become champions for ending global hunger.

Africa has 65 percent of all the uncultivated arable land left in the world to feed the estimated 9 billion people by 2050. Therefore, what Africa does with

agriculture will determine the future of food in the world.

In less than 30 years, Africa will also have the largest population of youth in the world. This is why the Borlaug-Adesina Fellowship aims to develop a new generation

of young food and agribusiness entrepreneurs to help end global hunger and promote agriculture as a business that unleashes wealth for poor farmers.

These young leaders will develop new technologies, champion public policy and, develop viable businesses in the field of agriculture. They will be driven by values

of integrity, service and dedication to a hunger-free world.

The best investment for Africa is to make its young people more creative and innovative to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit. I strongly believe that the future

millionaires and Billionaires of Africa will come out of the Agriculture Sector.

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina2017 World Food Prize Laureate

Patron, World Hunger Fighter’s Foundation

DR. NORMAN BORLAUG The late Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Dr. Norman E. Borlaug, is known as the father of the Green Revolution for the work he did to feed one billion people

around the world. In 1986, Borlaug founded the prestigious World Food Prize, an annual $250,000 award that he envisaged would showcase and inspire

ground-breaking scientific achievements in improving the availability of food in the world. His work, has indeed, inspired thousands of young scientists globally

to innovate in agricultural production.

DR. AKINWUMI ADESINA Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is the 2017 recipient of the World Food Prize. Like his mentor, Dr. Norman Borlaug, he is a practical, hands-on researcher, that for

the past thirty years has worked in the fields of Africa to transform agriculture and food security. He has committed his life to ending global hunger and lifting millions of people out of poverty, devoting the entirety of his World Food Prize,

and 2019 SunHak Peace prize monetary awards, to endow and establish the World Hunger Fighters Foundation.

The Borlaug-Adesina Fellowship will inspire young Africans to build and advance their ideas in food science

and agribusiness.

Borlaug-Adesina Fellows will be provided with opportunities to gain experience at any of the

International Agricultural Research Centers around the world, and select global food and agribusiness companies.

In July 2019, the Foundation received over One Thousand Three Hundred (1,300) applications from

young enthusiasts across Thirty Nine (39) countries in Africa, representing all 5 regions of the Continent.

After a rigorous evaluation process, 10 exceptional individuals emerged.

OUR 2019 BORLAUG-ADESINA FELLOWS

40%female

60%male

BY GENDER

39% East Africa

33% West Africa

13% Central Africa

10% South Africa

5% North Africa

BY REGION 44% BSc

15% MSc

12% BA

6% BTech

5% HND

1% PhD

1% MBA

16% Others

BY ACADEMICQUALIFICATION

I am a Plant Pathologist, PhD student and I fight hunger by researching methods to

control and manage diseases of crops

GENDER & AGE

Female, 30

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Agronomic Engineering. MSc, Plant Pathology. PhD-in-view

OCCUPATION

Graduate Student

NATIONALITY

Mozambican

Lourena Arone Maxwell

Lourena Maxwell is a doctoral student in Plant pathology with a Masters in Plant pathology and a Bachelor’s degree in Agronomic Engineering with more than three years’ experience as a university lecturer of plant pathology and agricultural microbiology. She also has experience in management and implementation of research projects that support and advise farmers about identification and management of plant diseases. This includes the coordination of the first plant clinics in Mozambique and training of farmers on management and control of important pest and diseases of sugarcane.

Her current work is researching the causal agents of aflatoxin contamination in Maize and groundnuts from Mozambique in order to control and reduce the exposure of aflatoxins and their impacts on food safety, health, and trade in Mozambique. Also, she researches the use of a biocontrol that is an environmentally friendly method that reduces aflatoxins in crops and she is developing a rapid, accurate, and inexpensive assay tool that identifies and monitors aflatoxin producing fungi that will make it easier to detect and control aflatoxins in crops. The goal is to improve human health and agriculture profitability by improving management of aflatoxins and the fungi that produce them. In addition, she is a member and volunteer at the American Phytopathological Society (APS) as a Graduate Student Committee Chair helping boost student’s professional development opportunities.

Her long term goals are to acquire skills to deal with issues on a global scale and help farmers reduce losses due to plant health problems. She hopes to work for international development institutions helping develop plant health strategies and policies that support the increase in agricultural productivity while enhancing food quality and safety. Lourena wants to contribute to the global community and positively improve people’s lives using her determination, passion, vision, and professional experience in plant health.

I engage in research projects which address food insecurity

and climate change issues

GENDER & AGE

Male, 28

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Agricultural Economics and Extension

OCCUPATION

Agricultural Specialist

NATIONALITY

Nigerian

John Agboola

John Agboola is a farmer and an agricultural specialist who is passionate about agricultural research for sustainable development in Africa. He is a value chain catalyst, agricultural mechanization and communication expert with a degree in agricultural economics and extension. He volunteered as the communication focal person for YPARD Nigeria where he has implemented several activities to promote and engage youth in agriculture. He also worked closely with other young people to establish the first ever Agricultural Transformation Twitter Competition (#AgTwitterCup2018) to identify the different champions and institutions transforming Africa agriculture, visibly on social media.

He was the first youth representative selected by Youth in Landscape to represent Africa youth on policy and finance discussion for agriculture during the 2018 Global Landscape Forum event in Nairobi, Kenya. He was also part of the first youth in data cohort selected by the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture to work closely on big data in agriculture for youth.

He was identified as the best team player and as a recipient of the USAID-AfricaLead Agribusiness Enterprise Development short course program in Lagos Nigeria. He founded the AgrindusNetwork initiative – an initiative targeted towards sharing agricultural knowledge with youth and smallholder farmers. In delivering his commitment to supporting youth in Agriculture, he organized the first ever Youth-in-Soil campaign where 13 young Africans were sponsored to Nairobi Kenya for a training on agricultural communication and also facilitated an attendance for the selected youth in attend the Global Soil Week event.

He is currently a trainee at AGCO Africa, where he is working on strategies and turn-key agricultural project for AGCO Africa. He is currently the only West African undertaking the first cohort of the two years AGCO Agribusiness Qualification Program at the Strathmore Business School in Nairobi, Kenya.

He is passionate about African agriculture and has committed to become an agribusiness expert who is working across regions and communities in Africa, towards actualizing the desire of Africa feeding its people and feeding the world while promoting agribusiness enterprise among youth.

GENDER & AGE

Female, 26

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Agronomy. MSc, Agronomy

OCCUPATION

CEO and Director at NAïFOOD

NATIONALITY

Beninese

I reduce fruits and vegetables post-harvest losses by producing juice and dried vegetables, also, I help rural women improve their agribusinesses

Adonai Da Matha Sant’Anna

Adonaï da MATHA SANT’ANNA has 4 years of experience in the field of agribusiness, currently she is the managing director of the company, Naïfood created in 2017. Naïfood produces and markets bottled fruit juice without chemical preservatives. Since 2017, due to her company, she runs trainings in entrepreneurship and female leadership. She has also helped a women’s group set up a recycling, washing and selling bottle business. Adonaï is passionate about agriculture and the environment, so she works with and for the NGO EnSoD to educate young people and farmers about the importance of trees, sustainable family farming . thanks to her experiences and her professional master in Agronomy, option storage, conservation and conditioning of agricultural products obtained at the Catholic University of West Africa, this young woman is a trainee assistant in the said university. In this capacity, she attends the courses, participates in the preparation, execution and follow-up of the tutorials, prepares and monitors the implementation of the research themes. In the coming years, she would like, on one hand, to set up a support unit for rural women working in the storage and semi-artisanal conservation of agricultural products. On the other hand, she wants to continue developing her business Naïfood.

GENDER & AGE

Male, 27

QUALIFICATION

B.Tech, Agricultural Extension. MSc, Food Security

OCCUPATION

Food security advocate/Entrepreneur

NATIONALITY

Nigerian

I engage in research projects which address food insecurity and climate issues. I also co-founded Food Trust Farms in Nigeria

Olufemi Adesina

Olufemi Adesina is a trained agricultural scientist and is currently working on projecting the potential impact of climate change on horticultural crops using a complex climate model. Specifically, the project focuses on the effect of global warming on water availability, soil security, pests and diseases, crop yield and quality. This research finding will serve as a guide for policymakers in making decisions on greenhouse gas emission, agricultural practices, and food systems.

Olufemi Adesina is a food security advocate and owns a blog (consultfemi.blogspot.com) which publishes information on food security, agricultural technology, and climate change. He recently partnered with “Food Gist Hub” a leading agricultural communication platform in Nigeria and the new partnership will focus on addressing African food insecurity, and will also be sharing the success stories and achievement of different countries as regards agricultural development and sustainable food systems (foodgist.org).

Olufemi Adesina is also an Agropreneur with a good knowledge of agribusinesses and agricultural systems in Nigeria and the UK.In 2017, he co-founded “FoodTrust Farms”, a start-up business situated in Ijare community, Ondo State, Nigeria. The farm presently produces catfish of different sizes and also keeps poultry birds (Chicken and Turkey). The farm often organizes training on agribusiness for youths and advises farmers in the community on the best practices to improve their livestock production. The farm intends to scale up by venturing into crop production by 2020.

Olufemi Adesina aspires to be a renowned food security expert, consulting for international agencies such as FAO, AFDB, and UN. He seeks to help build on existing policies that will tackle food insecurity in African countries and beyond. He intends to lead a research group with undying passion to solving food insecurity challenges. He desires to continue promoting skill acquisition along the agricultural value chain, and capacity building among youth and African women to help fight hunger and eradicate poverty in the African continent.

Written article: orcid.org/0000-0003-1713-2483

GENDER & AGE

Female, 30

QUALIFICATION

BA, English

OCCUPATION

Entrepreneur

NATIONALITY

Nigerian

I run a chain of rooftop farms using aquaponics and hydroponics technology, also, I connect rural farmers

to urban markets using solar-powered cold carts

Ifeoluwa Olatayo

Ifeoluwa Olatayo is the founder of Soupah Limited, an innovative enterprise on the agricultural value chain that engages in rooftop greenhouses, food processing and farm linkages for smallholder farmers in Oyo state, Nigeria.

Founded in 2016, Soupah Limited responds to an environmental concern by reducing post-harvest waste, increasing farmers’ profit and increasing nutrition at the bottom of the pyramid. Using her business as a tool for social and environmental good, she has consequently trained well over 2000 youths on agribusinesses that matches social impact with economic value.

Ifeoluwa aspires to impact over 200,000 smallholder farmers across Africa in 3 years while also increasing the affordability and accessibility of fresh foods for ‘nutritious’ impact. Her interest is in agricultural value chain and leveraging on business as a tool for a greener planet and a better society.

GENDER & AGE

Male, 25

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Actuarial Science, MSc-in-view

OCCUPATION

Farmer

NATIONALITY

Kenyan

I work with young small-holder farmers to help them transition into Climate-Smart Agriculture in order to unlock decent employment opportunities

and to catalyse youth engagement in climate action

Victor Mugo

Victor Mugo is an award winning youth in agriculture, advocate and climate activist with local knowledge and global recognition for his work on youth empowerment through climate smart agriculture (CSA), and in mobilizing the youth for climate action. He started his career at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) where he first came into contact with Dr. Adesina, his work and the legacy programs that he had initiated. From the mentorship and motivation, Victor was immensely influenced by Dr. Adesina’s professional and social stature, his elegant dressing and eloquent oration so much so that he acquired the name ‘little Adesina’.

After AGRA, he joined the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network (CSAYN) as Country Coordinator to lead the country chapter in creating awareness and building the productive capacity of young people on Climate smart Agriculture (CSA) to aid them curate innovative, profitable and sustainable agricultural enterprises. He now uses the platform as a means to catalyse youth participation in climate action, to help unlock decent employment opportunities in the agricultural sector and to transform the youth to becoming active players in cultivating a more food secure world.

Victor is also the lead author of UNEP’s Global Environment Outlook for Youth - Africa Publication. The publication conveys the Africa youths’ perceptions, attitudes and aspirations on Africa’s natural resource management and highlights the youth potential and action to solve Africa’s current environmental challenges. He is also a regular columnist for the Business Daily.

In his private capacity, he advises and supports a host of national and international organizations including CIAT, UN FAO, UN Women and ACRE Africa to structure youth in agriculture initiatives, programs and projects.

OTHERS

Young African Leadership Institute (YALI) Alumni.

Written ariticle: Youth Should Drive Change in Agriculture, Business Daily, Kenya https://www.pressreader.com/kenya/business-daily-kenya/20171020/281874413643621

GENDER & AGE

Male, 23

QUALIFICATION

BTech, Agricultural Extension and Communication Technology

OCCUPATION

Entrepreneur

NATIONALITY

Nigerian

I fight hunger through an innovative social enterprise I cofounded which is tackling malnutrition

in Africa through innovation and empowerment

Emmanuel Maduka

Emmanuel majored in Agricultural Extension and Communication as an undergraduate and spent some time working on Agri-technology Projects for small holder farmers in Ondo state, in a project team of four, gaining firsthand experience of program management and implementation. In 2017, he transitioned to agricultural journalism for a one year period as he pioneered and Managed an agricultural Magazine; Agrostrides Magazine, which he Founded after which he immediately took up responsibility with the Hult Prize Foundation for a 1 year period as an Ambassador.

As a result of his passion for development, after completing his tenure with the Hult Prize Foundation, he co-founded LifePro Food Mills with a brilliant individual; Adebowale, in July, 2018, a social enterprise that empowers women in rural communities for the production of highly nutritious, indigenous organic food products. He currently leads the team as Managing Director. Just two months post inception, his team won Premier Hub’s i-Startup Competition and also won live on The Platform Nigeria, an event commemorating Nigeria’s Independence, to spur social impact for national development. The First class graduate holds an Executive Mini-MBA from Accra Business School, a Certificate in Public Policy and Management from the USAID Young African Leadership Initiative Regional Leadership Centre, and Certificate in Not For Profit Leadership Management from the Lagos Business school.

I assist vulnerable persons in fragile settings to increase their food productivity

by giving them the assets and assistance they need to produce their own food

GENDER & AGE

Female, 28

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Journalism and Mass Communication. MSc, International Communication and Public Action

OCCUPATION

Monitoring Assistant

NATIONALITY

Cameroonian

Marrianne Enow-Tabi

Marriane Enow Tabi is a Field Monitor Assistant who has been working to improve vulnerable persons’ access to food in communities in Cameroon. As a United Nations Volunteer with WFP, she has worked with vulnerable communities in Cameroon’s Adamawa region, through WFP’s Food for Assets (FFA), a programme which aims to address vulnerable person’s food needs through agricultural assets creation while building their ability to adapt when confronted with shocks affecting food security like climate change.Through her work with WFP, she noticed the gaps in giving people food and teaching them to grow their own food and she works to help bridge these gaps.

OTHERS

Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Alumni, Communications Strategist.

GENDER & AGE

Male, 26

QUALIFICATION

BTech, Food and Science Technology. MSc-in-view

OCCUPATION

Entrepreneur

NATIONALITY

Nigerian

My start-up provides access to inputs, technical support, finance and markets

to small-holder farmers in Nigeria

Nicholas Alifa

Nicholas Alifa is a trained food and agribusiness expert with the International Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture, Netherlands. He is the founder of Ajaoko Agritech Limited; an award-winning Start-up that is providing smart solutions for African Food and Agriculture. In 2018, Nicholas was nominated to lead a team of young Nigerians to formulate a policy brief on “Policy Incentives for Implementing Climate Agriculture” during Foodathon SDG e-conference at Wageningen University and Research, Netherland. He is a next generation Social Media Ambassador for Global Food Security Symposium 2019 at the Chicago Council for Global Affairs and an Alumnus of the prestigious Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Foundation.

He received a Presidential Award as the Finalist of “Aso Villa Demo Day” from the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2016. He is also a recipient of Nigeria Innovation Award of the Best e-Agricultural Platform in 2017 as well as the first runner up of Youth Entrepreneurship Dialogue Pitching Competition organized by Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN). He’s a participant of 2019 Young Innovation Leaders Fellowship where he works with the “ICT4Agric’ team to development a Farm Management solution for African farmers.

Nicholas’ aspiration and long term goal is to contribute significantly to the availability of safe, sufficient, affordable and nutritious food for all global citizen by developing local agropreneurship and facilitating inclusive agribusiness for smallholders.

OTHERS

Member, Institute of Agribusiness Management, Nigeria and Young Professional for Agricultural Research and Development (YPARD).

I fight hunger through action research and rural agribusiness initiatives which are inclusive of

poor farmers especially women and youth

GENDER & AGE

Male, 29

QUALIFICATION

BSc, Economics. MSc-in-view

OCCUPATION

Postgraduate Student

NATIONALITY

Ghananian

Solomon Amoabeng Nimako

Solomon is a motivated young individual who has spent almost all of his life so far in school, building his capacity to contribute meaningfully to his home country Ghana, and Africa at large. He is currently at the twilight of a masters’ degree program in preparation to join the labor force. Solomon holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and is currently enrolled in an MSc. program in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. He has previously engaged in volunteering activities with PEPFAR Ghana on peer education on sexual reproductive health, and with FSNP-Africa on urban-farmers’ field training visits in Nairobi, Kenya.

With a lot of passion and interest in rural development and food and nutrition security, Solomon aspires to be a full-time researcher and an agro-entrepreneur. In the near term, after his graduation in September 2019, he aspires and hopes to be attached full-time to a CGIAR organization to contribute to research on rural livelihoods and economies. In the medium-term, he aspires to be an agricultural entrepreneur engaged in agro-processing and marketing: a venture he gave a promising try in his undergraduate days. In the long term, he envisions to advance his agribusiness dreams to a big agro-processing hub in Africa. Particularly, he wants to explore the value addition potentials of the neglected but highly resistant and easily adaptable tree crops such as shea and baobab. This he believes will boost the economic importance of such crops and induce rural dwellers’ uptake of them, and their potential benefits as rural livelihood options.

His hobbies are reading about historical events and visiting historical sites. He is a strong believer in agricultural revolution through digitalization.

foundation executives

President, African Development Bank2017 World Food Prize Laureate2019 SunHak Peace Prize Laureate2007 Yara Prize LaureateBSc Agricultural Economics, University of Ife, NigeriaMSc Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, USAPhD Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, USA

Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina,Patron, World Hunger Fighters Foundation

BSc Botany, University of Ife, NigeriaM.Sc Botany (Genetics), University of Ife, NigeriaB.Sc Economics, University of LondonM.Sc Financial Management, University of London

Grace Oluyemisi AdesinaPresident and Chief Executive Officer

B.Sc Economics, University of Hull, UKM.Sc Economics and Finance, University of Warwick, UKMBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Illinois, USAYoung Global Leader, World Economic ForumForbes 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa

Ms. Ada OsakweChief Operating Officer (Interim)

our partners

WORLD HUNGER FIGHTERS FOUNDATION

contactus@worldhungerfighters.org

+234 (0) 814 673 1084

World Hunger Fighters Foundation, Adesina House, International Institute of Tropical

Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria

contact us

www.worldhungerfighters.org