At the 4th African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) Conference, held from October 6th to 8th, 2025, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Omotola Dorcas Olaoye, a doctoral research fellow at the IITA-CGIAR, and a member of the International Association of Research Scholars and Fellows (IARSAF), was honored with the prestigious National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB), African Plant Breeders Association (APBA), Norman Borlaug Award for outstanding PhD students in Africa. The award reflects NAPB’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of early-career researchers in Africa and advancing excellence in the field of plant breeding.
Olaoye, who is also a PhD student at the West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, with her research focusing on the use of modern breeding techniques to improve quality traits in cassava. She is supervised by Dr Ismail Rabbi at IITA and Professor Kwame Offei at WACCI.
This esteemed award, originally established as a mentoring fellowship for graduate students in the United States, was recently expanded to include African graduate students in the field of plant breeding. Omotola Olaoye is among six African PhD students and the only Nigerian selected for this fellowship. The two-year program will link her with mentors globally, offering international exposure to cutting-edge innovations in plant breeding. The award, which was presented by Dr Donn Cummings and Dr Klaus Koehler, NAPB, USA, and Professor Julia Sibiya (APBA).
Expressing her appreciation, Olaoye said she is deeply grateful for this unique opportunity, emphasizing that it will further enhance her experience and expertise in plant breeding and enable her to continue advancing the legacy of Norman Borlaug in promoting sustainable agricultural production for a food-secure Africa.
This achievement reflects IITA’s and IARSAF’s strong commitment to building the next generation of African scientists through access to a conducive research environment, impactful research, and mentorship that will further position them as future leaders and scientists who will transform African agriculture.
Contributed by Victoria Idowu
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