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When AMABA Akéta Akpadji Rébecca completed her Master's degree in Plant Biology in Togo, she was facing uncertainties about the next step in her academic career. Opportunities to pursue a PhD were scarce, and her ambition to contribute to the improvement of African seeds was in danger of being extinguished.

However, thanks to the Programme de Résilience du Système Alimentaire en Afrique de l'Ouest (FSRP), Rébecca was awarded a PhD grant enabling her to pursue her research on the identification and selection of okra(Abelmoschus esculentus(L.) Moench) accessions adapted to cool dry season cultivation in Burkina Faso.

" The opportunity offered by CORAF through the FSRP was a real turning point for me. Today, I can carry out applied research that responds to the climatic and agricultural challenges of our region", affirmed Rébecca Akpadji during the second edition of CORAF's student days held in Saly, Senegal. 

Her interest in seed selection and conservation, as well as plant physiology, led her to join the Biosciences laboratory at Joseph Ki-Zerbo University to carry out her PhD work. Thanks to the results of her research, Rébecca hopes to identify varieties that are resilient to changing climatic conditions, thus promoting greater okra productivity and food security for farmers in the region.

Training a new generation of agricultural researchers

Through the World Bank-funded Food System Resilience Program in West Africa (FSRP), CORAF has enabled young researchers to obtain the necessary funding for their doctoral research. Thanks to CORAF's support, 09 PhD students, including 5 women, have benefited since 2023 from FSRP scholarships in key areas such as seed improvement, nutrition and food technologies, and integrated landscape management. 

In addition to financial support, CORAF offers young researchers targeted training, exchange platforms and immersion opportunities in specialized centers, enabling them to strengthen their technical capacity, better integrate the scientific community and make a real impact in the field.

A dynamic forum for exchange: CORAF Student Day

Since 2024, CORAF has organized the CORAF Student Day, an event where young researchers present their advances, exchange views with experts and benefit from advice on refining their research. The first edition took place on April 22 and 23, 2024 in Lomé, and the second on March 24 and 25, 2025 in Dakar. 

For each of the two editions of the CORAF Student Grant Days, over thirty participants converged, bringing together students from regional programs, their supervisors, as well as members of the CORAF Scientific & Technical Committee and resource persons, experts in their respective fields. This framework gives visibility to the work of young researchers and encourages their integration into regional and international scientific networks.

Meeting the challenges of capacity building 

In addition to these targeted actions, CORAF has put in place a capacity-building strategy for effective management of agricultural research and dynamic scientific networking. 

As part of the FSRP :

• 6 specialized training courses organized on cutting-edge topics (bioinformatics, biotechnology, project writing, meta-analysis techniques, scientific article writing, climate-smart villages, etc.);

• 304 participants trained, including 64 women and 55 young researchers;

• A stronger network of young researchers, promoting inter-institutional collaboration. 

By investing in the skills development and mentoring of young researchers, CORAF is laying the foundations for a more dynamic and inclusive research and development system, better adapted to current and future agricultural challenges. These actions illustrate CORAF's strong commitment to preparing a new generation of African scientists capable of sustainably transforming the region's agriculture and food systems.