The Project Manager of the Building an Economically Sustainable and Integrated Cassava Seed System, Phase 2 (BASICS-II) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Prof. Lateef Sanni, has been nominated to the Board of the World Agriculture Forum (WAF), a think tank focused on setting broad global agenda and development pathways for agriculture and lobbying for policies aimed at sustainability and sufficiency.
The WAF Board comprises 30 distinguished members, from Europe, Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania, carefully selected to represent diverse perspectives and expertise. These individuals include industry leaders, development institutions, governments and experts.
Prof Sanni’s work in building a sustainable cassava seed system in Africa is just one of his many exploits in the agricultural sector – food science, post-harvest, agricultural policy and research, and academics. His wealth of experience and exposure is considered a valuable asset for the Netherlands-based WAF Board.
Sanni, who is also the Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute (NSPRI), is a renowned professor of Food Science and Technology, and an expert in the cassava value chain development in tropical regions across the globe. The former Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) is a recipient of several other national and international awards and research grants, is a fellow of the International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST) and the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), and the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology (NIFST).