Freelance consultant in the area of agricultural research and development

Responsible for leading the growth and development of the CABI Africa centre by establishing goals, objectives and a business plan that contributes to the overall achievement of CABI’s mission. Operate at regional, thematic, and project levels to build relationships and credibility of CABI with member countries, funding bodies, partners and client communities. The role involves engagement with financers and strategic partners and developing, implementing and/or coordinating regional research and development projects which address demands of the market/target beneficiaries. Manage multidisciplinary and multicultural staff to ensure scientific and socioeconomic deliverables at CABI Africa.

Responsible for the delivery of the Value Chains & Trade theme within CABI globally. Oversight of a portfolio of projects across all regions to ensure appropriate delivery. Development of new projects within the theme to facilitate trade in commodities within and between regions.

Responsible for seeking business opportunities which contribute to improving livelihoods of beneficiaries by generating and applying scientific information in agriculture and the environment in Africa. This was done mainly through effective engagement with financers and strategic partners and developing, implementing and coordinating regional research and development projects which addressed real problems. Managed multidisciplinary and multicultural staff to ensure scientific excellence at CABI Africa.

Seconded to Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Instituto Nacional do Cafe (INCA), Angola. Responsible for the coordination and management of all activities in the implementation of the US$ 8.5 million coffee rehabilitation project. This included effective financial management including being a joint signatory to project accounts; preparation and implementation of annual workplans and budgets; preparation of technical and financial reports; monitoring and supervision of loan disbursements to the government from the donor (and the repayment); assisting in the setting-up and functioning of the micro-credit scheme aimed at channeling loans, including in defining criteria for selection of loan recipients and modalities for credit disbursement and recovery; managing international consultants on specific missions; acquiring from the Government mine-free land and distributing it to landless citizens including ex-soldiers; construction of social amenities (e.g. roads, schools, health centres and houses), etc.

Responsible for participatory value chain analyses of various commodities especially coffee. Forming strategic partnerships and developing regional projects and sourcing funds from financers. Project activities cut across adaptive research, capacity building including training (of farmers, extensionists and researchers, e.g. at FFS), promotion and dissemination of research results, linking farmers to markets and policy

Responsible for developing and implementing adaptive research projects including adoption of IPM technologies on various tropical crops. In collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) was actively involved in the very successful biological control of the cassava mealy bug and cassava green mite, not only in Kenya but in sub Saharan Africa – work funded by Canadian CIDA, USAID, Swedish SIDA, etc. With funding from GTZ and DFID responsible for adaptive and participatory research in collaboration with farmers and extension workers on improved production of potatoes, horticulture and cereals. Was also involved in the production of natural enemies for control of invasive pests that had originated from Africa and were causing losses in other countries e.g. coffee berry borer (for Latin America), cereal stem borers (for USA and Asia) and acacia (for Australia)