{"id":18422,"date":"2026-06-20T13:05:28","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:05:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/cgiar-appoints-dr-namukolo-covic-to-lead-the-cgiars-liaison-office-for-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:47:10","slug":"cgiar-appoints-dr-namukolo-covic-to-lead-the-cgiars-liaison-office-for-africa","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/cgiar-appoints-dr-namukolo-covic-to-lead-the-cgiars-liaison-office-for-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"CGIAR Appoints Dr Namukolo Covic to lead the CGIAR\u2019s Liaison Office for Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"The CGIAR is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Namukolo Covic as Head of the CGIAR Liaison Office for Africa, effective 1 January 2026.\n\n\"DrIn this strategic role, Dr Covic will support the CGIAR Continental Champion for Africa\u2014a rotational role currently held by Dr Simeon Ehui, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)\u2014in advancing CGIAR\u2019s mission to deliver science and innovation that transform food, land, and water systems across Africa.\n\nStrengthening CGIAR\u2019s engagement in Africa<\/strong>\n\nThe CGIAR Liaison Office for Africa has been established to strengthen coordination and coherence across CGIAR Centers, regional partners, and continental institutions. Based in Addis Ababa, the Office will deepen CGIAR\u2019s engagement with the African Union (AU), FARA, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), Sub-Regional Research Organizations (SROs), and national governments, ensuring that CGIAR\u2019s science responds directly to Africa\u2019s priorities and policy agendas, including AU Agenda 2063, the CAADP framework, and the CAADP Kampala Declaration.\n\nRole and responsibilities<\/strong>\n\nAs Head of the CGIAR Liaison Office for Africa, Dr Covic will:\n