Building a Collaborative Community of Practice for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Exchange in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background and Rationale

The Advancing Inclusive Agricultural Innovation for Climate Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa (AACRA) Research Coordination Area (RCA) is establishing a Regional Community of Practice (CoP) to foster structured collaboration, learning, and knowledge exchange among researchers working on agricultural innovation and climate resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Following a competitive Call for Expression of Interest, 89 qualified researchers from diverse countries across Africa have been carefully selected to join this inaugural Community of Practice. These members represent a multidisciplinary and geographically diverse network of scholars and practitioners committed to advancing inclusive agricultural innovation, strengthening climate resilience, and contributing to evidence-informed development outcomes across the continent.

The establishment of this Community of Practice responds to the need for a more coordinated and sustained platform for collaboration among researchers working on related thematic areas. It is designed to enhance peer learning, promote interdisciplinary engagement, strengthen mentorship opportunities, and support the co-production of knowledge that is relevant to policy and practice.

The inauguration of the AACRA RCA Community of Practice, scheduled for 17th June, marks the formal launch and recognition of this newly constituted network. The ceremony will serve as a milestone event to welcome the selected members, introduce the structure and thematic working groups of the CoP, and present its strategic orientation and expected contributions to research and policy discourse in Africa.

Objectives of the Programme

The specific objectives of the inauguration ceremony are to:

1. Officially inaugurate and formally launch the AACRA RCA’s Regional Community of Practice.
2. Present the vision, goals, objectives, and strategic direction of the AACRA RCA.
3. Share key findings from the RCA State of the Art Report and analytical membership profile.
4. Introduce the thematic working groups and operational clusters of the RCA.
5. Promote collaboration, networking, mentorship, and interdisciplinary engagement among alumni members.
6. Strengthen institutional partnerships and stakeholder support for RCA activities and future initiatives.

Implementation Strategy

The inauguration ceremony will be implemented through a structured virtual engagement approach involving presentations, goodwill messages, interactive discussions, and ceremonial activities. The programme will be moderated to ensure effective coordination, smooth transitions, and strict time management.

The implementation strategy will include:

• Presentation of the AACRA RCA vision, goals, objectives, and strategic priorities.
• Dissemination of the RCA State of the Art Report and analytical profile of members.
• Introduction of thematic working groups and operational clusters to facilitate collaboration and specialization.
• Testimonial sessions from newly integrated alumni members to encourage participation and ownership.
• Goodwill messages from AACRA RCA experts
• Official declaration and ceremonial inauguration of the AACRA RCA.
• Open floor discussions, reflections, and questions-and-answers session to encourage interaction and collective engagement.
• Documentation of key discussions, commitments, and outcomes for post-event dissemination.

Expected Outcomes

At the end of the inauguration ceremony, the following outcomes are expected:

1. Successful formal inauguration of the AACRA Regional Community of Alumni (RCA).
2. Increased awareness and understanding of the RCA’s goals, structure, and strategic direction.
3. Enhanced engagement and integration of alumni members into thematic working groups and collaborative networks.
4. Strengthened partnerships and stakeholder commitment toward RCA initiatives.
5. Improved networking, collaboration, and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange among participants.
6. Documentation of key resolutions, commitments, and recommendations to guide future RCA activities.

Target Audience

The programme will target:

• AACRA RCA core team
• Newly admitted CoP researchers
• Representatives of other Africalics RCAs

Programme Coordination

The inauguration ceremony will be coordinated by the AACRA RCA Core Team under the leadership of Dr. Mercy Salami, with support from designated speakers, presenters, organizing members and the moderator.

How to register

RCA Members

Dr. Mercy F Salami – (RCA Lead) Senior Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin Nigeria. She is a Fellow of the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA), Northwestern University, USA.	Prof. Opeyemi E. Ayinde Professor of Agricultural Economics and Vice-president of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Faculty of Agriculture University of Ilorin Nigeria.	Dr. Caleb Adelowo Deputy director of research at the Technology Innovation and Enterprise Studies Department of the National Centre for Technology Management Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria.	Rosalyne N. N. Baddoo Project Manager for Eco-Inveg, a USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Horticulture Project, implemented by the Postharvest Innovation Hub, Department of Crop Science University of Ghana Ghana.	Ann Numi Research fellow, African Centre for Technology Studies, ACTS, Science Technology, Innovation & Knowledge and Society (STIKS) Programme African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) Kenya.
Sanne Chipeta Facilitator, Strategic Sector Cooperation between Nigeria and Denmark in the fields of food safety and livestock production An experienced manager and international adviser with more than 30 years of experience in international Development.	Dr. Catherine Kilelu Director of Communication, Outreach and Partnerships and a Senior Research Fellow in the Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security (AFNS) Program at ACTS. She was a member of the Lancet COVID-19 Commission Task force on Green Recovery	Dr. Faith Mugisha Dean of Faculty of Business and Management, Cavendish University, Uganda She is a two-time beneficiary of the transformation GlobeLics Academy (2019 in Finland) and AfricaLics Academy (2018 in Morocco).	Dr. Adeola O. Olarewaju Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She was a Visiting Research Fellow at the African Studies Centre Leiden, Netherlands.	Jemberu T. Asmare PhD fellow, University of Gondar, Ethiopia. Lecturer and Researcher at Debark University, Ethiopia Former Registrar Directorate Director /Senate Secretary, JKU, Jinka, Ethiopia.