Victor Afari-Sefa

An ICRISAT delegation comprising Dr Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari) and Ms Priyanka Durgalla (@Durgalla) recently visited the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), #Queensland Government, Australia, to explore opportunities for research collaboration. During the visit, the delegation toured several DPI facilities, including the Health and Food Science Precinct, the Ecosciences Precinct, commercial processing facilities of Woods Group and PB Agro Foods and research fields of #sorghum, mung bean, and #pigeonpea. They also visited DPI research plots where ICRISAT’s pigeonpea variety is currently being evaluated. Dr Victor Afari-Sefa delivered a presentation highlighting ICRISAT’s research priorities and identified several areas of mutual interest for future collaboration. The program was also joined by a delegation of NARS partners from India including Dr Tara Satyavathi, Director, @IcarFor; Dr Johnson Stanley, CEO – Nutrihub, IIMR; and Dr Usha Dharmaraj, Principal Scientist, @csircftri, further strengthening research collaboration between #India and #Australia.

Dr Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari), Global Research Program Director – Transforming Agri-food Systems, ICRISAT, and Ms Priyanka Durgalla, Research Officer, ICRISAT, are currently participating in research collaboration discussions with the Department of Primary Industries, Queensland Government. The ongoing week-long engagement is focused on exploring potential research collaborations and opportunities in the area of health food sciences.

We are glad to share that Dr Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari), Global Research Program Director - Transforming Agrifood System, ICRISAT, has been appointed as a member of the International Scientific Advisory Board of Centre for Dryland Agriculture (@CDA_BUK), BAYERO UNIVERSITY (@BUK_Nigeria), KANO. Join us in congratulating Dr Afari-Sefa!

We recently welcomed Ms. Masuda Saidova (@SaidovamMasuda) , Operations Team Lead, Islamic Development Bank (@isdb_group), to ICRISAT Nigeria. Dr. Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari), , Global Research Program Director, ICRISAT, and Dr Angarawai, Ignatius Angarawai, Nigeria Country Representative, ICRISAT, received Ms. Saidova and highlighted ICRISAT’s work in crop improvement, seed systems, and agricultural innovation. She also toured key research facilities, including the mini genebank, screenhouse, and breeding blocks, showcasing ICRISAT’s leadership in genetic resource conservation and the accelerated development of resilient crop varieties for dryland agriculture.

Mr. Victor Afari-Sefa, Research Program Director, ICRISAT, Nigeria, gave an enlightening Presentation on Linking Policy, Markets and Institutions for Resilient Watersheds and Livelihoods on the first day of the International Conference on Watershed Resilience. He also emphasized the importance of market linkages in sustainable Watershed Development Programs across the world. #DOLR #WDCPMKSY #WatershedDevelopment #SoilAndWaterConservation

ICRISAT at the International Conference on Watershed Resilience at Bengaluru, Karnataka, India! Deputy Director General – Research and Innovation, Dr Stanford Blade, and Global Research Program Director – Transforming Agrifood Systems, Dr Victor Afari-Sefa, Global Research Program Director-Transforming Food Systems, ICRISAT Nigeria, are sharing ICRISAT's experience in watershed management at this three-day event that commenced yesterday. Dr @DrStanfordBlade, delivered a keynote address this morning on “Innovations for Resilient Dryland Agriculture,” highlighting the success of ICRISAT’s efforts in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Dr @SefaAfari, delivered a talk yesterday on “Linking Policy, Markets and Institutions for Resilient Watersheds and Livelihoods.” Dr Mequanint Melesse, Senior Scientist, ICRISAT Nairobi, will deliver a lecture this afternoon on “Challenges in Scaling Agricultural Technologies and Determinants of Adoption in Smallholder Systems in Africa.”

ICRISAT at the 21st International Cereal and Bread Congress (ICC 2025) in Vienna, Austria! Dr Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari) Research Program Director – Enabling Systems Transformation, delivered the keynote on Sociocultural Dimension and Role of Cereals and Pulses for Food System Transformation, while Dr Roopa Banerjee, Senior Scientist, Biochemistry & Grain Food Quality, shared insights on Functional Nutrition and #SmartFoods from Smart Crops.

#PartnershipForGoals ICRISAT’s leads the discussions for the convergence of key government schemes for the project "Revitalizing Rural Livelihoods through Establishment of Inclusive Agro-Processing Business Models and Entrepreneurship Development in Telangana State" Dr Dinesh Chauhan (@dkchauhan), Head and CEO of ICRISAT's Agribusiness and Innovation Platform at ICRISAT, met with Ms. Shaik Yasmeen Basha, IAS, Director of Horticulture, and Mr. Nikhil Chakravarthi, IAAS, Director of Industries, Government of Telangana, to brief them on the recent MoU between ICRISAT and the Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (@TSSERP) and discussed convergence of various schemes for better impact.

ICRISAT #Nigeria marked its 54th Foundation Day on 20 June 2025 with a high-impact event that brought together farmers, youth, development partners, and local leaders to celebrate over five decades of agricultural innovation and resilience. Read more - pressroom.icrisat.org/icrisat-nigeri… @SefaAfari

The Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) has expressed its readiness to collaborate with ICRISAT to advance agricultural development and sustainability across Nigeria. Read more: thesun.ng/naic-icrisat-s… @SefaAfari

We’re at #CGIARScienceWeek! Catch us at the Delivering Resilient Drylands – Theme day 📅 Thu, 10 April | 🕝 8 am to 2:30 pm | 📍 CR 10] Read more - lnkd.in/gucvZp8g Our side events: 🔹 Unlocking the Potential of Local Value Chains for Global Impact 📅 Wed, 9 April | 🕝 14:30 – 16:00 | 📍 CR 10 lnkd.in/eyQ_DMcE 🔹 Fostering South-South Learning for Building Resilience and Income Opportunities in Smallholder Systems: Entrepreneurship and Innovations in Agri-Food Value Chains 📅 Thu, 10 April | 🕣 08:30 – 10:00 | 📍 CR 8 lnkd.in/gWnmdisk Don’t forget to stop by our Exhibit, showcasing innovations in dryland cereals and legumes.

#HappeningNow This week where we highlight #AcceleratingAction and celebrate #InternationalWomensDay, we are glad to welcome 35 participants from 26 countries to the International Training on Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Principles in Research for Development. Supported by @ITECnetwork and @MEAIndia, this program aims to identify and bridge evidence gaps related to gender aspects in research for development, ultimately advancing opportunities for women and marginalized groups. @hpathak_icar @DrStanfordBlade @SefaAfari @r_puskur @RPadmaja4

We hosted a delegation from the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) in #Nigeria recently. During their visit, the delegation engaged with Dr Victor Afari-Sefa (@SefaAfari), Global Research Program Director – Enabling Systems Transformation, toured ICRISAT facilities and explored opportunities to strengthen our partnership. Discussions focused on scaling promising technologies to benefit farmers in Kano. @KanoPastoral @NigeriaSasakawa

Message of Condolence ICRISAT mourns the loss of Dr Kanayo F Nwanze, a giant in agricultural research for development and a distinguished leader whose unwavering dedication profoundly impacted global food security. pressroom.icrisat.org/icrisat-mourns… @IFAD @CGIAR @AfricaRice

Key Highlights from today’s sessions! #ICRISATatCOP16 From forging partnerships aligned with the @CGIAR 2030 strategy for drylands to leading critical discussions on the soil-water, agriculture-nutrition, and climate-nutrition nexuses, our presence at COP16 was impactful. We facilitated meaningful dialogues, strengthening bonds with existing partners while opening doors to new collaborations. @Cop16Riyadh @UNCCD #COP16Riyadh #UNCCDCOP16

#ICRISATatCOP16 Join us on December 4, 2024, at 1:00 PM at the @CGIAR Food Pavilion during @UNCCD @Cop16Riyadh for a discussion on: "Convergence Model for Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: Building Sustainable Agri-Food Systems" Moderator: Dr. @dkchauhan, #ICRISAT Panelists: Dr @SefaAfari, #ICRISAT Dr Kakoli Ghosh, @FAOSaudiArabia Mr Bob Tansey, @nature_org #COP16Riyadh #UNCCDCOP16 #OurLandOurFuture

Starting Now! ICRISAT, as part of the @CGIAR Initiative on National Policies and Strategies for Food, Land, and Water Systems Transformation (NPS), is organizing: Workshop on Harnessing the Policy Environment to Promote the Utilization of High-Value Traditional Crops in Kenya We are pleased to welcome representatives from the Government of #Kenya, @IFPRI, @CIMMYT, @MastercardFdn, and the Kenya Agroprocessors Association for this day-long discussion at the Holiday Inn Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

👏 A huge congratulations 🎊 to our 🇦🇺partners @ICRISAT on launching 🚀 Smart Food For Africa, an initiative developing strong research & policy partnerships 🤝for climate smart agriculture👩🏽‍🌾, food & nutrition security.

#pressrelease The Smart Food Africa initiative, led by the #ICRISAT, made a powerful debut in #Zimbabwe at the 20th Comprehensive #Africa Agriculture Development Program-Partnership Platform meeting held on 30 October 2024 in Harare. #SmartFood @HarawaRebbie @muluka_martin Read more - pressroom.icrisat.org/smart-food-afr…

We are proud to announce that Dr Victor Afari-Sefa, Global Research Program Director for Enabling Systems Transformation at #ICRISAT, has been nominated to join the prestigious World Agriculture Forum Council. "I will do my utmost to serve the Council to the best of my abilities and look forward to collaborating with the WAF Board and fellow Council members on this initiative," shared Dr Afari-Sefa. Read more: pressroom.icrisat.org/dr-victor-afar…