APRNet Members as Change Agents Driving Projects Aimed at Transforming Lives of Youths, Women and the Less Privileged Members of Africa through Grantsmanship
Members of the Agricultural Policy Research Network (APRNet) are quietly driving positive changes in Africa using research grantsmanship to build capacities of African universities as well as youths, women and underserved members of the societies in their universities. One such evidence is indicated from the recent success stories recorded by the APRNet President, Prof. Anthony O. Onoja and Prof. Ibisime Etela, both Executive Council members of APRNet working at the University of Port Harcourt. Early this year, (2024) the President of APRNet, Prof. Anthony O. Onoja was part of the focal persons (with Prof. Etela as a team member) who wrote the proposal which birthed the EU-funded Climate Research and Education to Advancing Green Development in Africa (CREATE-GreenAfrica).
The CREATE Green Africa Project launched in Brussels, Belgium in March 2024 is a consortium grant to the University of Port Harcourt and other members including the University of Dar Es Salam, Makelle University, University of the Free State, Hochschule Fur Angewandte Wissenschaften Hamburg – Haw Hamburg, Zimbabwe Open University and University of Ghana. Africa. This is a 3-year scholarship programme funded to the tune of about!.8 Million Euros to facilitate exchange programmes (mobility) of M.Sc and PhD students as well as staff of the consortium universities across Africa. The scholarship call was launched in July 2024 and Prof. Tony Onoja is the focal person at the University of Port Harcourt.
In 2023, Prof. Etela led a team comprising Prof. A. O. Onoja and others who collaborated in drafting a proposal that won another consortium research grant funded by MasterCard Foundation and RUFORUM to build capacities of staff, youths, women and underrepresented groups in Africa with a view of preparing them to be employed in decent agribusiness based jobs. Prof. Ibisime Etela and Prof. Anthony O. Onoja were in Kampala, Uganda, in February 2024 for the onboarding of the Master Card Foundation/RUFORUM, Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev 2.0) program. This 10-year initiative (2023-2033) aims to strengthen universities and technical vocational education and training (TVET) institutions to empower young Africans and their institutions in driving inclusive, equitable, and climate-resilient transformations in agriculture and agrifood systems.
The program offers scholarships to economically disadvantaged yet academically competent African students to support them in completing their studies. Both female and male applicants are welcome, with special encouragement for applications from females, refugees, and persons with disabilities. Prof. Ibisime Etela is the focal person at the host Nigerian university, the University of Port Harcourt, in this consortium. The Project has been formally launched in Windhoek, Namibia (still ongoing as at this time) and about 170 universities and Vice Chancellors with their management team, Focal persons and Faculty teams are in attendance at the ceremony.
The Mastercard Foundation and its esteemed partners in this initiative, including Gulu University, Egerton University, University of Cape Coast (Ghana), Universite Nationale d’Agriculture (Benin), University of Bamenda (Cameroon), University of Free State (South Africa), Universite Mohammed VI, Polytechnique (Morocco), Uganda Martyrs University (Uganda), University of Eldoret (Kenya), University of Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Malawi University of Science and Technology (Malawi) and Africa University (Zimbabwe), promise to leave a lasting legacy on African agriculture by promoting inclusivity, fostering innovation, and empowering young people. The program is set to ensure sustainable and equitable growth in Africa’s agricultural sector.
