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Senegal's Minister of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, Dr. Papa Abdoulaye Seck, has urged agricultural researchers in West and Central Africa to anticipate the challenges facing their communities and generate relevant innovations to address users' concerns.

Dr Seck, also a career researcher, was speaking at the opening ceremony of CORAF's 12th General Assembly in Dakar, Senegal.

"It is through sustainable and uninterrupted funding that we will be able to cover the complex research challenges we face," said Dr. Seck.

• View photos of the opening ceremony

Without guaranteed funding for research activities, there can be no progress, declared the Senegalese minister, who called on the region's researchers to remain competitive in order to attract scarce resources to carry out the crucial research activities needed to support the region's growth.

"Research institutes fight for funding every day. I don't think there is a sustainable funding system because we are in a competitive world. And researchers need not only to be excellent, but also to attract funding to carry out their activities, while the State provides a favorable environment," insisted the Senegalese Minister of Agriculture.

Over 150 delegates have gathered in Dakar, Senegal, for CORAF's 12th General Assembly. Over the next 72 hours, they will examine and adopt a new CORAF strategic and operational plan that opens up new opportunities to generate technological innovations to combat climate change, youth employment, gender disparities and the region's food and nutrition challenges.

Opening speech by the Senegalese minister

The new strategic direction aims to strengthen CORAF organizationally and financially.

Speaking on behalf of the donors, Mr. Abdrahamane Dicko, Program and Policy Advisor in the Economic Growth Regional Office of USAID's West Africa Mission, reaffirmed the donors' support for CORAF.

"We would like to reaffirm the partners' commitment to continue supporting CORAF in fulfilling its regional mandate," said USAID's West Africa mission manager.

USAID, on behalf of CORAF partners, called for sustainable funding mechanisms that rely less on donor funding.

"It is necessary to define and put in place mechanisms to ensure that CORAF's funding is generated by its constituents."

CORAF has consulted widely with partners such as ministries of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and rural development, farmers' organizations, producers and suppliers of agricultural inputs, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, regional and international groups, etc. over the past year to devise a responsive plan. The 12th General Assembly is expected to review and adopt this strategy.

The 12th General Meeting is also expected to elect new Board members and discuss the contribution of R&D to agriculture over the past 30 years.