THEME: Repositioning Animal Agriculture for Africa’s Food Security and Global Competitiveness

Professor Appolinaire Djikeng

Profile

Professor Appolinaire Djikeng

Director General, international Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

 Professor Djikeng is the 4th Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Professor Djikeng is a global science, innovation and partnerships leader with focus on agricultural development, human health, animal health and environmental health.

Prior to ILRI and the CGIAR, Professor Djikeng was Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and based at the Roslin Institute, was Chair for Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.  Professor Djikeng has over two decades research, research management and institutional development experience in academia and in international not for profit research institutions in Africa, America and Europe. He is Professor at The University of Edinburgh (UK), Honorary Fellow at Scotland Rural College (SRUC, UK), Distinguished Professor at the University of South Africa and Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland’s Center for Animal Science (Australia).

Professor Djikeng serves on numerous science advisory and philanthropy boards: Chair of The Sainsbury Laboratory (TSL) trustees directors (UK), Chair of the Kirkhouse Trust (UK), member of External Advisory Panel of the Norwich Institute for Sustainable Development (NISD, UK), board member of Science for Africa Foundation (Kenya), board member 2Blades Foundation (USA), Member Technical Advisory Group of the BAIF Genetic improvement program (India).

Professor Djikeng has received significant awards including the 2020 Nelson Mandela Peace Award, recognition by the Decade of Health 2021 campaign as one of the 10 people in the United Kingdom changing health, and the 2024 World Food Prize Top Agri-Food Pioneer.

Prof Djikeng completed BSc and MSc in Animal Biology and Physiology (University of Yaoundé, Cameroon), PhD in Biochemistry and Parasitology (Brunel University, UK) and Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genomics and Infectious Diseases (Yale University School of Medicine, USA).

Professor Samuel E. Aggrey

Profile

Prof. Samuel E. Aggrey is a Distinguished Research Professor at the Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia. He obtained his BSc in Animal Science at the University of Ghana. He obtained his MSc with Distinction at Wageningen University. He obtained a PhD in Quantitative Genetics and Poultry Breeding at the University of British Columbia. In 2020, he was awarded an endowed chair as the Richard B Russell Professor. He is also an affiliate member of the Institute of Bioinformatics at the University of Georgia and an affiliate scientist at Biosciences East and Central Africa (International Livestock Research Institute, Kenya). He is currently a visiting Professor at the Department of Animal Science at the University of Ghana. He is a co-editor of “Poultry Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology” and the lead editor for “Advances in Poultry Genetics and Genomics”. His notable awards include the Jaap Memorial Lectureship at Ohio State University, the D.W. Brooks Award of Excellence for Research, Career Development Recognition from the University of Georgia, The Broiler Research Award from the Poultry Science Association, and the World’s Poultry Science Association P. B. Siegel Research Award. His research areas include nutrigenomics, molecular basis of stressors (heat, Eimeria species, Salmonella, etc.), genotype–nutrition interactions, and developing statistical models for genome selection.

Prof. Baba Yusuf Abubakar

Profile

Prof. Abubakar is currently the Pro-Chancellor of Gombe State University and member of the Advisory Board of the Nigeria LNG Prize for Science & Innovation. He was the pioneer Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Director, Policy Implementation & Monitoring in Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the immediate past President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science. Internationally, Prof. Abubakar served in various capacities as follows: member, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research Fund/System Council; Chairman, Governing Board of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD); member, Governing Board of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa; member, Expert Panel on the development of Science Agenda for Agriculture in Africa; member, Executive Board, Technical Center for Agriculture and Rural Cooperation (CTA); and immediate past Chair, Board of Trustees, WorldFish Center. He was recipient of the Presidential National Honours Award of Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) as well as the CORAF/WECARD Award of Honour for invaluable contribution to Agricultural Research and Development in West and Central Africa. He obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. (1985) in Animal Breeding and Quantitative Genetics from Cornell University.

Prof. Baba Yusuf Abubakar

Profile

Yemi Akinbamijo is an agriculture expert with a track record of leadership in food/nutrition security, rural development, agricultural and environmental sciences domain. He is the immediate past Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) with a continent-wide mandate on the coordination of agricultural research for development in Africa 2013-2023. Prior to his appointment as the Executive Director of FARA in 2013, Yemi was the Head of Agriculture and Food Security Division at the African Union Commission Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He had also served as Chief Animal Resource Officer of the African Union Commission in Nairobi for four years and one year as Head of Mission and Director of the Inter-African Phytosanitary Council in Yaoundé Cameroon.

He worked as a Nutrition physiologist at the International Trypanotolerance Centre Banjul, The Gambia for eleven years including a one year Visiting Scientist position at the Centre for Tropical Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

With more than 40 years in the practice of agriculture and rural development across the continent and abroad, he has served with increasing responsibilities and leadership roles in institutions with national, regional and continental mandates, including twice as a Diplomat/Head of Mission.

Outside of work, Yemi has been involved in various leadership, stewardship, and incubation projects. He was in the Haggai Institute for Christian Leadership training (Cohort 230, Singapore).  He teaches Integrity and Leadership skills to young aspiring leaders. Yemi has contributed to numerous international/global governing mechanisms for agricultural development across the globe including the Scientific Advisory Board of the Centre for Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University, Kano. Selected previously held governing board/council mandates include Chairman of the African Agri Indaba (South Africa), Co-Chair of the Platform for the African-European Partnership for Agricultural Research and Development, Vice Chair FANRPAN Board, Boards of Corad, CCARDESA, ASARECA, Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR) among others. Dr. Akinbamijo is an Adjunct Professor at BUK and a former university lecturer (Animal Science Department, OAU, Ile-Ife). He obtained his PhD in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences from the Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands in 1994. He is a prolific writer with over 100 scientific publications to his credit and author of many books, articles, impacting the science and society domains. Yemi is currently domiciled in the USA where he continues to apply his broad experience to the field of international agriculture. In his spare time, he doubles as poet, pianist and grandparent.

Dr. Kwaku Agyemang, PhD (Cornell University)

Dr. Kwaku Agyemang is an internationally recognized livestock scientist and agricultural systems strategist with more than four decades of experience across West, Eastern, and Southern Africa. His workNV integrates adaptive livestock biology, institutional architecture, and policy design in support of resilient and inclusive agricultural transformation.

He received his early scientific training at the University of Science and Technology (UST), Kumasi, Ghana, and later earned a second Master of Science degree in Agricultural Development from the University of London, United Kingdom. He completed his doctoral studies at Cornell University, where his research laid the foundation for subsequent work on adaptive livestock productivity in Africa.

Dr. Agyemang held senior leadership roles within the CGIAR system, most notably with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), where he served as Acting Team Leader, Team Leader, and Country Representative. He also served as Director General of the International Trypanotolerance Centre—now the West Africa Livestock Innovation Centre (WALIC). His international advisory work includes long-term engagements with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A central focus of his scientific contributions has been the biological and economic validation of Africa’s trypanotolerant cattle and their role in sustainable mixed crop–livestock systems. His research helped shift regional breeding discourse from input-intensive breed substitution toward within-breed selection for adaptive traits under endemic disease and nutritional stress. He has authored over 130 scientific publications and led major regional initiatives on livestock profitability, climate resilience, and feed systems across SADC, ECOWAS, and EAC/IGAD-ICPLAD frameworks.

In recognition of his contributions to livestock productivity, Dr. Agyemang received the International Dairy Production Award in 2000.

Beyond scientific research, he has been instrumental in shaping livestock strategies, institutional reform processes, and results-based implementation frameworks at national, subregional, and continental levels. His career reflects a sustained commitment to aligning science, institutional capacity, and governance instruments to advance resilient food systems and inclusive wealth creation across Africa.

He currently serves as Chair of the Institute of Leadership, Energy, Environment and Management (ILEM) Board and as a Member of the WALIC Governing Council.

Dr. Kayode Femi (DVM)

A Pioneering Veterinarian and Market Expansion Expert

Dr. Kayode Femi is an accomplished veterinarian, social entrepreneur, and visionary leader dedicated to advancing animal health while driving sustainable business growth across Africa. His strategic acumen and exceptional leadership have positioned him as a transformative force in both veterinary medicine and enterprise development.

Professional Leadership & Innovation

• Elected to the governing board of the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Dr. Kayode made history as its youngest member.
• Spearheaded the integration of cutting-edge technology into the Council’s operations, revolutionizing nationwide regulation of veterinary practices.
• Recognized globally as an ASHOKA Fellow (2018) and Making More Health Fellow (2020), reflecting his commitment to social innovation and global animal health.

Social Impact & Community Development

• Advocates for community-led development, working closely with livestock communities to identify needs and empower them to create lasting change.
• Champions initiatives that extend beyond animal welfare to improve the well-being of individuals and communities across Nigeria and beyond.

Entrepreneurial Vision

• Founder & CEO of Farm Alert, a multi-million dollar animal healthcare brand transforming access to affordable veterinary care in underserved African communities.
• Established distribution centers in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Kano, Taraba, Port Harcourt, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, expanding reach across West Africa.
• Through Farm Alert, directly empowered 32 veterinarians to establish their own practices, strengthening the veterinary ecosystem.

Youth Empowerment & Leadership Development

• Founder of Kayode Kounsulting Kouncil, a dynamic consulting firm cultivating leadership and innovation among young Africans through impactful training programs.
• Established K-Trybe, a youth-focused club fostering collaboration, leadership skills, and mentorship opportunities for young persons exploring innovative ideas.

Personal Life

Dr. Kayode is a devoted husband to Margaret, and together they are raising four children: Oreofe, Eniola, Ayomi, and Adeogo. His family remains a source of inspiration and grounding as he continues to shape the future of veterinary medicine, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment in Africa.