Kanayo Nwanze, president of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development, is a tireless advocate for putting Africa’s smallholder farmers at the center of the global agriculture agenda.
During his tenure at IFAD, Nwanze has opened more country offices in Africa, in an effort to move the organization closer to the people it serves, and has ensured IFAD has taken an active role in global policy dialogues. For this work — as well as reorienting IFAD’s mission to focus more on making small-scale farming as a viable business — he was awarded the inaugural Africa Food Prize in early September at the African Green Revolution Forum in Nairobi, Kenya.
Africa’s agriculture has made great strides, he told Devex, but he’s looking to all stakeholders — government, private sector, international organizations and development institutions — for stronger leadership.
About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
