The Collaborative Breeding Leadership Program (CBLP) celebrated the graduation of its first cohort of fellows on 7 October in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, at the 4th African Plant Breeders Association conference. CBLP is a CGIAR-led initiative, funded by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), designed to equip national research institutes mid-career breeders with advanced leadership, management and strategic communication skills to complement their technical expertise in solving the global food systems challenges.
The CBLP is led by IITA-CGIAR in collaboration with the International Potato Center (CIP), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), AfricaRice, and national research institutes across Africa.
The graduation ceremony was graced by Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, Hon. Vangelis Haritatos. During his speech, the Deputy Minister noted the importance of such leadership initiatives for the African continent. “Technical skills alone are not enough, and that there is a need to mentor and build a new generation of plant breeding science leaders who can drive collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence across plant breeding networks in Africa is a welcome development,” said Haritatos.
Moreover, the Deputy Minister highlighted the alignment of the program with the national strategic goal. “The government is very keen and interested in having young people in this space. Food security means a lot to us; hence, having these young scientists graduate in their roles is critical for us to move our agenda,” he said.
The pilot program also aligned with CGIAR’s broader transformation agenda to strengthen collaborative breeding networks, enhance institutional effectiveness and partnerships, and accelerate genetic gains for global food and nutrition security. It followed a blended learning model, combining in-person technical, leadership, and social science workshops with virtual coaching and action-learning projects that enabled fellows to apply leadership skills in real breeding network contexts.
“Each fellow was paired with mentors from the CGIAR, university, and NARES, providing consistent, cross-institutional support and guidance throughout the program,” Prof. John Derera, the CBLP Lead from IITA, explained on the learning model. The essence of these placements was to immerse the fellows in real-life breeding program operations, providing hands-on exposure to different research environments while enabling fellows to work with multidisciplinary teams and deepen their understanding of breeding pipelines. Speaking on behalf of other fellows, Dr Kirpal Ofosu, rice breeder from Ghana, expressed how the program had transformed their skills, “We have gained invaluable knowledge and skills in managing our breeding programs through proper data handling, better communication, proper design of product profiles, and breeding schemes,” he said.
Dr Ofosu attests that the program came at the right time for him, as he has been entrusted with leading the rice breeding program at his institute. Through confidence boost and skills gained from the program, he is more than prepared to lead. “But I dare say I am not alone here; my colleagues have also benefited immensely, becoming more confident, informed, and gender-responsive in our breeding decisions,” he assured the guests.
The intensive 18-month pilot program brought 12 mid-career breeders working on important food and nutrition security crops like maize, potatoes, sweet potatoes, soybean, wheat, millet, sorghum, yams, and rice from eight countries, including Benin, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Uganda.
The CBLP has completed its pilot phase, with efforts underway to scale it into a full-fledged three-year program for NARES, CGIAR, and early- and mid-career breeders and scientists from industry with potential as future leaders. This initiative aims to deliver more impactful, collaborative, and sustainable breeding innovations for global food security.
Acknowledgement
This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) through the Fund International Agricultural Research (FIA).
Contributed by Gloriana Ndibalema,Trushar Shah and Rose Harriet Okech
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