Some members of the African Scholars Mentorship Network (ASMN), a flagship programme of DePECOS. Institutions and Development Research Centre (DIaDeRC) were privileged to physically attend the prestigious Conference on Land Policy (CLPA) held in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, between 21st and 24th November, 2023. The CLPA was organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), African Development Bank (AfDB) and African Union Commission (AUC). The conference was an opportunity for policy leaders, researchers, scholars, and industry experts from different parts of the continent to congregate in robust discussion and learning sessions on Land Policy in Africa. It featured the presentation of impactful papers on Land policy, climate change, agriculture, and the agricultural value chain in Africa.
Notably, two of our ASMN members and the DIaDeRC team (Dr Solomon Okunade, Nigeria and Dr Alhassan Abdul-Wakeel Karakara, Ghana) were among the presenters at CLPA. Interestingly, another ASMN member (Dr Konjit Hailu) who is based at Addis Ababa University graciously welcomed them and took them on a tour round the wonderful Ethiopian Capital.
Considering the theme, the papers presented covered topics on climate change, land degradation, land ownership, and the agricultural value chain. Dr Okunade secured an all-expense paid trip to Addis-Ababa to present the findings from his paper titled: Climate Change, Land Degradation and Sustainable Development in Africa: Implications for AFCFTA.
It is interesting to note that the paper was a collaboration with other members of the ASMN community, including Prof. Evans Osabuohien, Chair, DIaDeRC. It began as an effort to radically implement some of the learnings garnered during the ASMN Series 1.0. Dr Okunade, an active member of the DIaDeRC team and an active participant in the ASMN Series 1.0, learned of the call for papers for the CLPA. In response to the call, he initiated the idea of a research paper that examines climate change and land degradation in Africa and how it influences the recently enacted African Continental Free Trade Act (AFCTA).
In the spirit of collaboration over competition, he reached out to ASMN community members to discuss collaboration prospects for the paper submission and possible presentation at the conference. It turned out to be productive and successful. The rest, they say, is history. Additionally, it is crucial to recognise the efforts of other ASMN members who contributed to the paper, including Dr Joe Eyong Assoua, Dr Samuel Olanrewaju Binuomote, Eric Bomdzele, Sarah Enwa, Olanrewaju Olaniyi Omosehin.
In a similar vein, Dr Karakara, another member of our ASMN community, also presented a paper titled: Forms of Land Ownership and Gender Disparity in Agriculture Value Chain in West Africa: Empirical Insights from smallholder farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria. As a researcher from Ghana and a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, his research paper was an innovative effort to examine land ownership and gender disparity outside his country. Examining and juxtaposing the experiences of farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and Nigeria gave him insights into the vital varying factors affecting land ownership in both countries and innovative strategies to leverage the peculiarities of each country’s value chain for Africa’s sustainable development. In a short video at the conference, he expressed his appreciation of the network and insights gained from the ASMN series 1.0 that were highly relevant to his research endeavours.
This conference was an opportunity for some ASMN members anchored by DIaDeRC to practice some of the lessons impacted in our grant writing boot camps. Additionally, it was an opportunity to expand their professional network and enhance their collaboration skills, which is vital to a rewardable scholarly career.
The good news is that there is an opportunity to be part of the impactful activities at DIaDeRC. By the 1st quarter of 2024, precisely February 15 – 16, 2024, DIaDeRC, in response to the numerous requests by scholars from different institutions in Africa, will be hosting a workshop themed Grant Writing, Winning, and Building a Rewardable Scholarly Career. This landmark event is in collaboration with Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), located at Ijagun, ljebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria, where the event will be held. Details of the event can be found here: http://bit/ly/DIaDeRC-TASUED.
