World Bank has announced plans to disburse, via the International Development Association (IDA), $190 million to support agricultural colleges in six African countries – Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique.
As part of the project to Support Higher Agricultural Education in Africa (Shaea), the project aims to strengthen relationship between selected African universities and the regional agricultural sector, to develop competent human capital needed to accelerate agribusiness system transformation in the countries.
Early this month, the six states’ governments, the World Bank Group and the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in the Agricultural Sector (Ruforum) launched a call for proposals to higher education institutions.
The institutions selected will play the role of Regional Anchor University (UAR) with the main mission to shut off skills and knowledge loopholes in agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Shaea initiative complements the African Development Excellence Centers (CEA-Impact) project, but focuses exclusively on higher agricultural education and particularly on its relations with the regional agricultural sector.
