Hon. Prof. Ruth Oniang’o, Honorable Advisor of SAA, is the founder of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development. She is a leader in outreach and work with smallholder farmers in Kenya, and her work with the Rural Outreach Program has supported resource-poor farmer activities. As Chair of Kenya’s Food Security and Nutrition Taskforce, she seeks to raise awareness on poverty, food security, nutrition and gender issues. In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Africa Food Prize.

Dr. David Nielson is a development economist with a focus on agriculture and rural development. With nearly 30 years as Lead Agriculture Economist at the World Bank, Dr. Nielson’s work in agricultural development has been global in scope. Dr. Nielson for many years led the development and implementation of World Bank support for agricultural research in Africa. He also led World Bank support for agricultural extension and advisory service programs and led the revival of World Bank support for the development of human capital in African agriculture. Currently, he serves as Strategic Advisor to Africa’s continental networks in agricultural research (FARA, ASARECA, CCARDESA, and CORAF) and agricultural advisory services (AFAAS), chairs the International Advisory Panel for RUFORUM, and serves as Senior Advisor to the North American Agricultural Advisory Network. He holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago and a M.Sc. in Agricultural Economics from the University of Minnesota.

Dr. Amit Roy, Chair of SAA, is the former president and chief executive officer of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), has more than 40 years of experience in international agricultural development in more than 100 countries. Under Dr. Roy’s leadership, IFDC’s programs broadened to help create sustainable agricultural productivity around the world. From bringing farmers from poverty to prosperity to ensuring global food and nutrition security to environmental protection and economic growth, IFDC has helped farmers thrive. Among other honors, Dr. Roy was instrumental in organizing the Africa Fertilizer Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in June 2006; in 2008 he spoke before the Hunger Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives and in 2012 was appointed to the Steering Committee of the Global Nutrient Management Project of the United Nations Environment Program.

Andre Bationo, Chief of Party for SAPEP, holds a Ph.D. in soil chemistry and Fertility from Laval University, Canada. He previously served as Director – West Africa for AGRA. Before that, he was Coordinator of the African Network for Soil Biology and Fertility (AfNet) at CIAT’s Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Institute. He worked as Principal Soil Scientist seconded by IFDC to ICRISAT. Bationo’s research has focused on developing technologies that increase agricultural productivity while conserving natural resources. His research has contributed immensely to understanding soil fertility issues in Sub-Saharan Africa. Key themes addressed include nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics in Sahelian ecosystems, soil organic carbon dynamics, crop residue management, improving nutrient use efficiency and synergy between organic and inorganic plant nutrients, water management, use of rock phosphate, crop-livestock integration, and crop integration systems.

In 2020, Bationo was awarded the Africa Food Prize, recognizing his efforts to improve micro-dosing fertilizer technology and his scaling up of an inventory credit system which allows farmers to store grain and receive a credit when prices are low, thus selling their grain when prices are higher.

Bationo has published 350 refereed journal articles, 10 books, and numerous book chapters. Awards include the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International prize for outstanding research in life sciences; Kwame Nkrumah continental award from African Head of States for outstanding achievements in science and technology; International Award from the International Fertilizer Association; Honorary Causa doctorate from the University of Uppsala, Sweden; and Highest Civilian Award from the Government of Niger for developing soil fertility restoration technologies.

Dr. Martin Fregene is Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the African Development Bank. He is a plant geneticist with 27 years of experience in crop improvement and agricultural policy.

He developed the first molecular genetic map of cassava and started the first molecular breeding program of cassava. He began his career at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1991 and was a recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation post-doctoral fellowship on genetic mapping in 1993 at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia.

In 2008, he joined the BioCassava Plus project at the Danforth Center, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and rose to the position of Project Director. He was Chief Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture in Nigeria 2012 - 2015. He joined the African Development Bank in 2017 as Adviser to the Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Capacity Development, becoming Director in January 2018.

Dr. Silim Nahdy is the Executive Director, of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS). He holds a PhD in Agriculture from University of Reading having attained it in 1995 and since then has undertaken several trainings in R&D, leadership, strategic planning and partnership building. He is a Founder member of GFRAS and has been Chair of the GFRAS Steering Committee and team leader for the Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS) policy working group. Worked as Executive Director NAADS and a Director in NARO – Uganda. He has participated in several policy fora and/or supported policy formulation and policy dialogue in a number of African countries. He continues to be instrumental in partnership building and networking, between and among the whole range of actors involved in agricultural development at global, continental and national levels (involving farmers, extension workers, NGOs, CBOs, Local Authorities, line ministries, private sector etc.) and with development partners and programs of diverse backgrounds.

Dr. Stella Kabiri joined SAA in 2022 as Lead, Regenerative Agriculture. She is a trained Scientist in Production Ecology and Resource Conservation, with a PhD from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. She worked for the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) in Uganda as a Senior Research Officer and a Programme Leader for Technology Promotion and Outreach and acted as a Director of Research. She has worked extensively with farmer groups, policymakers and other stakeholders, to scale out proven Climate-Smart agricultural technologies. With support from the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. Kabiri has a Post Doc. in Climate Research for Development (CR4D) at the African Academy of Sciences. She has a strong interest in negative carbon emissions in plant nutrition and sustainable nutrient use in crop production systems.

Dr. Mel Oluoch, Strategic Partnership Director of the SAA, joined SAA since 2018 as the Regional Director and is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He has a PhD in Horticulture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech, USA) an MSc in Horticulture from Central Mindanao University (Philippines), and a BSc Degree in Agriculture from the University of Eastern Africa (Kenya). He has previously held R&D and leadership capacities at the World Vegetable Center, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), HarvestPlus, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), and Wageningen Plant Research, The Netherlands. His work has focused on multidisciplinary R&D disciplines that integrates agriculture and nutrition through the development and dissemination of Agriculture technologies and best practices such as integrated crop management technologies, climate-smart agriculture practices, resilient crop varieties and nutrition sensitive technologies that impacts rural and urban communities in Africa. Currently he coordinates SAAs strategic partnerships to enhance the design and program delivery of practical and innovative agricultural extension and advisory service and capacity building systems in Africa. He also leads the resource mobilization strategy for SAA.

Mandla Nkomo is the Work Package Lead and Chief Growth Officer for the CGIAR Excellence in Agronomy (EiA) Initiative. Before joining CGIAR, Mandla was the Managing Director for Solidaridad's Southern Africa, driving meaningful change in the SADC region and Egypt. Overseeing programmatic and strategic efforts, he passionately supported thematic leads in Digital Innovations, Impact Investment, Climate Innovations, and good agricultural practices. As an integral part of the Executive Board of Directors, Mandla played a crucial role in shaping the organization's forward-thinking vision.

He is a seasoned Agricultural Development Executive with a career spanning over 23 years in the sector. With a diverse background that encompasses private sector agribusiness companies, consulting firms, and international NGOs, Mandla brings a wealth of expertise to his leadership roles. His extensive work experience has taken him across multiple continents, including South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, the USA, the Netherlands, the UK, and Zimbabwe.

Throughout his career, Mandla has championed initiatives empowering smallholder farmers and rural communities while elevating the agricultural landscape. In his various roles at TechnoServe, an international NGO, Mandla was instrumental as Operations Director for South Africa, Interim Country Director for South Africa and Zambia, and Senior Strategic Advisor for Southern Africa. In these capacities, he spearheaded impactful programs in horticulture, livestock production, soy, and sugarcane out-grower schemes, all with a strong emphasis on good agricultural practices. He led a project in this role that successfully aggregated smallholder farmers, supplying leading food processing companies. This model proved to be mutually beneficial, fostering prosperity for smallholders and processing companies.

Mandla is a visionary strategist with more than a decade of experience establishing agribusinesses and facilitating market linkages between rural communities and established commercial entities. His innovative approach advocates for the commercialization of smallholder farmers as a viable food security strategy, thereby transforming their livelihoods and ensuring sustainable progress. His unwavering passion for agricultural development and his steadfast belief in the potential of science and digital technologies to empower rural communities underscore his commitment to fostering sustainable change. With his visionary leadership, extensive expertise, and unyielding dedication, Mandla continues to be a driving force in transforming agriculture into a force for positive change, improving livelihoods, and paving the way for a more resilient and prosperous future.

Everlyn Musyoka is the Smallholder Strategy Lead, Africa at Bayer AG. leading the Bayer Business and sustainability commitments in Africa, towards empowering 100 million smallholder farmers globally to access sustainable agricultural solutions by 2030.

She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Finance, and a Global Executive master’s in business administration. Everlyn recently completed the World Business Council for Sustainable Development Leadership Program at IMD.

Dr. Fentahun Mengistu received, his M.Sc. in Horticulture/Vegetables from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and his PhD from Boku University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria. He has spent more than three decades as a researcher, development expert, and leader in Ethiopian agricultural research and development. He was the Director General of the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that, he was Director General of the Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute, and Director of the Adet Agricultural Research Center. From July 2017 to July 2018, he worked as a Senior Agronomist for Tufts University on the Agricultural Knowledge Learning Documentation and Policy (AKLDP) Project in Ethiopia, which was launched by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). As of 2018, he serves as Country Director for the SAA's Ethiopia Office.

Dr. Makoto Kitanaka (Japan) was appointed as President of the SAA in 2019. He has worked for JICA for more than 30 years and served as the Director General of the Department of Rural Development. Some of his achievements are: 1) expansion of the CARD (Coalition for African Rice Development) with the aim of doubling rice production in Africa in 10 years, 2) expansion of SHEP (Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion in Africa）and 3) launch of IFNA (Initiative for Food and Nutrition Security in Africa).