Kanayo F. Nwanze took up his appointment as the Vice President of IFAD on 1 March 2007. Mr Nwanze has a long and distinguished career in international agricultural development and research. He was the Director-General of the Africa Rice Centre (WARDA) from 1996 to 2006. He previously held several senior positions at the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), including that of Principal Scientist, Acting Director and Global Project Team Leader, this involved managing programmes and projects in India and West Africa. Mr Nwanze transformed WARDA from a sub-regionally focused centre into an internationally recognized research institution. During his tenure as Chair of the CGIAR Centre Directors Committee (CDC), he was instrumental in the creation of an alliance for collective action, better coordination and representation. Under his leadership, WARDA scientists received the 2004 World Food Prize and the 2006 Fukui International Koshihikari Rice Prize. Mr Nwanze is a Member of several scientific associations and a Board Member of many Africa-based institutions. He has published many books and articles on agricultural research and development. Mr Nwanze holds a BA in Agricultural Biology from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and a Masters and PhD in Entomology from the Kansas State University, Kansas, USA. He conducted postdoctoral research at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Nigeria. Mr Nwanze, a national of Nigeria, is the sixth Vice President of IFAD and the second Vice President from a developing country. Mr Nwanze speaks English and French. |
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