Introduction

The second phase of N2Africa started on the 1st January 2014 and it has been a very busy time writing up reports and getting started with our new strategy. N2Africa is going through some major changes in staffing and we extend a very warm thanks to all of those staff who are moving on to new challenges. Jeroen Huising has moved to a new position at IITA, Ibadan. Linus Franke has taken up a position as Senior Lecturer at the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Africa Business Leadership Training Center offers online and distance learning certificate courses

We received a message that the Africa Business Leadership Training Center is organizing online and distance learning certificate courses, to be conducted from 1st April 2014 to 1st June 2014.

The marketing modules seem interesting for country coordinators, agronomists, BDOs considering the direction N2Africa is taking. The text of the announcement and the information on the Marketing Certificate Course are available to those who want to know more.

Five N2Africa PhD Scholarships available

N2Africa seeks applicants for five PhD "sandwich" scholarships available to start in September 2014. We seek candidates with an excellent academic record a strong commitment to advancing science to enhance agricultural productivity of grain legumes in sub-Saharan Africa and their use by smallholder farmers. All students will register for their PhD at Wageningen University. Preference will be given to candidates who are employed by a national university or research institute in the country specified for each of the PhD scholarships.

N2Africa was officially launched in Uganda on January 16th

N2Africa was launched at a workshop led by Dr Peter Ebanyat in Kampala, Uganda. Dr Stephen Byantwale (see photo), representing the Director of Crop Resources, Ministry of Agriculture stressed the importance of N2Africa in enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Uganda and of aligning with the policies of the government.

(Published before on N2Africa Facebook on January 16th)

N2Africa project launched in Tanzania in February

N2Africa was officially launched by the Director for Research and Development in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Dr Fidelis Myaka on behalf of the Permanent Secretary Ms Sophia Kaduma at the start of the workshop held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 19-20 February, 2014. The project launch was organized by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) ―one of the project’s implementing partners.