News

In June 2022, the world of agricultural research and development (R&D) in Africa lost one of its illustrious builders: Prof Emmanuel OWUSU-BENNOAH. 

He bowed out on June 28, 2022 at the age of 74, after a life dedicated to inspiring vocations and working for the development of agricultural R&D in his native Ghana and beyond.

Professor OWUSU-BENNOAH began his distinguished career in 1979 as a Lecturer at the University of Ghana.

His career has been punctuated by positions of responsibility in both academia and renowned international organizations.

His career has inspired countless others, such as CORAF's Executive Director, Dr Abdou TENKOUANO, whose private and professional lives he has impacted.

"Since we met in the mid-90s, Professor OWUSU-BENNOAH has shaped my personal and professional life in many ways," says Dr. TENKOUANO.

From 2004 until his retirement in 2008, he was Chief Scientist and Director General of the Kumasi-based Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Professor OWUSU-BENNOAH was also Chairman of the CORAF Board of Directors from 2004 to 2008.

His leadership of CORAF's highest decision-making body has given the organization momentum, paving the way for it to better serve the people of West and Central Africa. 

"As Chairman of CORAF's Board of Directors, Professor OWUSU-BENNOAH has contributed enormously to strengthening the organization, enabling it, for example, to implement from 2008 onwards, under the aegis of the Economic Community of West African States, the Programme de Productivité Agricole en Afrique de l'Ouest (PPAAO), one of its flagship initiatives whose achievements continue to impact millions of lives in the sub-region and beyond, to this day", asserts Dr. TENKOUANO. 

Over the course of his career, the late Professor OWUSU-BENNOAH sat on several boards in Ghana and internationally, including the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), the International Centre for Agricultural Biosciences (CABI) - formerly the Commonwealth International Bureau of Agriculture.

For CORAF's Executive Director, he is an "iconic figure" who has contributed enormously to the advancement of agricultural research and development in Africa.