News

The Programme de Productivité Agricole en Afrique de l'Ouest(PPAAO) has awarded some twenty scholarships to the University of Ibadan. the University of Ibadanin Nigeria, in favor of young Guinean civil servants, with the aim of giving them a better qualification and strengthening their capacity in the field of agriculture.

A total of 25 young agricultural engineers from the Departments of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, Agriculture and Livestock have been selected as PPAAO scholarship holders. The beneficiaries from these three departments will now benefit from a two-year Master's degree at the University of Ibadan, that temple of knowledge, Nigeria's oldest university, founded in 1948.

The aim of this training program is to build the capacity of young engineers to improve their qualifications and support the development of agriculture in Guinea.

According to Dr Boubacar Diallo, delegate coordinator of PPAAO-Guinea, more need to be trained to ensure a better transition and management of Guinean natural resources. There are specialties that are not taught in our universities, such as fish farming, agricultural consultancy, extension and innovative techniques for disseminating technologies," he says, before welcoming the support of PPAAO.

The young Guinean engineers will benefit from training in several disciplines with a direct and concrete impact on agricultural productivity and rural development in their country. These include

• Innovative approaches to extension
• Advice for family businesses
• Type
• Sustainable Development
• Fish farm
• Climate change
• Reproductive techniques and biotechnologies

The delegate coordinator of PPAAO-Guinée pointed out that this training policy is in line with the government's policy of rejuvenating staff in the administration in general and agriculture in particular.

Referring to modern breeding techniques, in particular artificial insemination and livestock feed, he felt it was necessary to "strengthen the capacities of young people to ensure the succession", explained Dr Diallo, who said he was "proud that the negotiations begun months ago to obtain these scholarships have come to fruition for the benefit of these young executives".

For her part, Ms Keita Sonna Camara, Head of Cabinet at the Ministry of Fisheries and Maritime Economy, also expressed her satisfaction at seeing young Guineans leave to train and return to engage in agricultural entrepreneurship.

She hopes that in five years' time, these rural development managers will be able to take over from their predecessors once they have completed their training.

The support of the WAPP is the fruit of the additional phase of the program, which consolidates the achievements of the first phase and beyond.

Guinean agriculture is full of important assets that offer numerous opportunities to ensure food self-sufficiency for the population and to create sustainable jobs for young people.

By focusing on this category, the PPAAO will make a decisive contribution to the training and involvement of young people in the development of their country's agriculture.

It should be noted that the WAAPP is a program coordinated by CORAF and initiated by ECOWAS with financial support from the World Bank. World Bank to support regional cooperation in technology transfer and agricultural development in West Africa.