Rome/Kansas – 7 October 2010

Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze will be on the K-State campus October 7 and 8 to receive the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Department of Entomology and to present a seminar titled “Role of Agricultural Research in Global Food Security” at 1:30 pm on Friday October 8 in the Town Hall room of the Leadership Studies Building.  Since April 1, 2009 Nwanze has served as the fifth President of IFAD, the International Fund for Agricultural Development. A Nigerian national, Nwanze has a strong record as an advocate and leader of change and a keen understanding of the complexity of development issues.  He has over 30 years of experience across three continents in poverty reduction through agriculture, rural development and research.

Under Nwanze’s leadership, IFAD has stepped up its advocacy efforts to ensure that agriculture is a central part of the international development agenda, and that the concerns and needs of smallholders and other poor rural people are recognized by governments around the world. “We do this because our goal is to improve their incomes and to have greater food security. And we know that investing in agricultural development is one of the smartest investments anyone can make if they want to reduce poverty and hunger” says Nwanze. In recognition of Nwanze’s intellectual leadership on issues of food security, he was asked to chair the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Food Security in 2010.

Prior to being elected President of IFAD, Nwanze was Director-General of the Africa Rice Center for a decade; he was instrumental in introducing and promoting New Rice for Africa (NERICA), a high-yield, drought- and pest-resistant rice variety developed specifically for the African landscape. He also transformed the Center from a West African association to an Africa-wide organization with an international reputation for excellence. Nwanze has held senior positions at a number of research centers affiliated with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in Africa and Asia, and he was instrumental in the establishment of the Alliance of CGIAR Centers.

Dr. Nwanze earned a B.S. in Agricultural Science from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1971, and a Master of Science in 1973 and Doctorate in Entomology in 1975, both from the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University. He has published extensively, is a member of several scientific associations and has served on the executive boards of various institutions.  “Dr. Nwanze’s achievements and impact point to his personal drive to serve and also to the ability of K-State to train professionals who are equipped to do great things locally and internationally,” said Tom Phillips, Entomology Department Head at K-State.  Nwanze’s seminar Friday afternoon is open to the public and will be followed by a reception to meet friends, guests and colleagues.

Press release No.: IFAD/60/2010

 The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) works with poor rural people to enable them to grow and sell more food, increase their incomes and determine the direction of their own lives. Since 1978, IFAD has invested over US$12 billion in grants and low-interest loans to developing countries, empowering more than 360 million people to break out of poverty. IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialized UN agency based in Rome – the UN’s food and agricultural hub. It is a unique partnership of 165 members from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), other developing countries and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).