The Eric Danquah Foundation (EDF), has launched its flagship programme, the Highflyers in Plant Breeding and Genetics Programme at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.

The Foundation seeks to train and mentor the youth for sustainable agriculture development in Ghana.

The EDF was conceived by Professor Eric Danquah, the Founding Director of WACCI, on the dais while receiving the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) World Agriculture Prize (WAP) on October 28, 2018, and registered, and approved to commence business in February 2020.

Four talented students, selected on merit by Dr John Eleblu, Lead Course Instructor of their Level 300 Genetics Course and validated by Dr Naa Lamle Amissah, Head of Crop Science Department, University of Ghana, were awarded scholarships to cover tuition and accommodation fees for their level 400 programme in Crop Science.

The four students are Bright Fiakeye, Emmanuel Hammond, Salaudeen Bandanaa (top three students) and Sandra Akrofi (top female student).

At the inaugural ceremony, Professor Danquah said that the beneficiaries would also be connected to mentors who would infuse in them the right mix of values, integrity, knowledge and skills to make them game-changers and history makers in modern plant breeding for agricultural transformation in Ghana in the fullness of time.

Professor Danquah on behalf of the EDF thanked the Head of Crop Science Department, University of Ghana and the WACCI Faculty and staff who contributed to the success of the inaugural award ceremony.

He said that the EDF was developing a sustainable strategy for implementation and called for strategic public and private partners including development partners interested in agricultural development in Africa to join the EDF to unearth, develop and retain talent in agricultural innovation critical to the agricultural transformation agenda of Africa.

Professor Danquah also gratefully acknowledged the GCHERA, the Nanjing Agricultural University, China, his colleagues at WACCI, the management of the University of Ghana over the past two decades, Cornell University and other international partners for the fruitful collaborations and support over the years.