Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo
Biography
Executive Director, FARA
Dr Yemi Akinbamijo has served as the Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) since June 2013. FARA is the continental apex body for agricultural research and innovation in Africa, and the technical arm of the African Union Commission (AUC) on matters concerning science, technology and innovation for food and agriculture.
Prior to joining FARA, Dr Akinbamijo held several leadership positions at the AUC over eight years. These include, Head of Agriculture and Food Security at the headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Chief Animal Resources Officer, at the Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources, Nairobi, Kenya and Director of the African Union Inter-African Phytosanitary Council, Yaoundé Cameroon. As Head of Agriculture and Food Security, he spearheaded the roll-out and domestication of the continent’s agriculture development policy (Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme—CAADP) by over 40 countries. Dr Akinbamijo spent the early years of his career working as a hands-on scientist on crop-livestock integrated systems at Wageningen University, University of Edinburgh and the West African Livestock Innovation Centre, The Gambia.
Dr Akinbamijo is a noted strategic thinker, an effective communicator and a consummate networker who is solidly plugged into an extensive community of stakeholders (including investors) in Africa’s agricultural research and rural development. He is very passionate about processes for translation of research outcomes into livelihood impacts.
Dr Akinbamijo is a member of the ICRISAT Smart Food Governing Council, the BecA-ILRI Advisory Board, co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Platform for African-European partnership for Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD) and Chairperson of the African Agri Investment Indaba. He sits on many other governing bodies of research institutions and programmes.
Dr Akinbamijo holds a PhD from Wageningen Agricultural University, the Netherlands, and MSc and BSc in Agriculture from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, Nigeria. He is widely published in various agricultural disciplines including Animal Production, Crop Production, Immunology, Toxicology, Ecological, Organic and Urban Farming, Climate-Smart Agriculture, Innovation Systems and Research Management. He is a former editor of the Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa (Peer-review Journal) and lead author of the book Advances in Crop-livestock Integration in West African Cities.
He is a photo story teller, happily married with two daughters and loves to play the guitar and piano.
