Team Ghana has been crowned the Overall Best Action Learning Project Implementation team at the 16-month Cohort 4 Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) Advanced Leadership Programme, which ended with a grand graduation ceremony at the Oak Plaza Hotel in Accra.

The programme brought together outstanding leaders, five members in each team, from eight African countries: Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

Speaking on behalf of the winning team, Mrs Justina Marigold Assan highlighted the core of their project.

“Our project, ‘Promoting Adoption and Consumption of Local Rice: The Case of Central Agra Rice in Assin Akropong,’ demanded everything we had learned. From stakeholder engagement, research, communication, advocacy, teamwork, and resilience. It tested our unity, stretched our creativity, and revealed a depth of strength we did not know we possessed. Today, as we stand here presenting the outcomes of this journey, we do so with pride, knowing that this project is only the beginning of the impact we hope to create in Ghana’s rice value chain.”

CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme, an AGRA flagship initiative, equips senior and emerging leaders with the competencies, networks, and strategies required to drive food system transformation across the continent.

Mrs Assan reflected on the team’s journey.

“Our journey began in September 2024 in Kigali, Rwanda, when we arrived curious and hopeful, yet unaware that this single convening would open the door to a transformational experience. Our presence there opened our eyes to the vastness of Africa’s food systems and the urgency of the leadership role we were about to embrace. That moment in Kigali did not simply introduce us to CALA; it ushered us into a shared purpose, planting a seed that would grow through the months ahead.”

She added that the four mandatory courses delivered through the African Management Institute enhanced their capacity to navigate complexity, advocate effectively, integrate agroecology, and appreciate environmental and social responsibilities in agricultural transformation. “These lessons did not end in our notebooks; they followed us into our institutions, our interactions, and even our personal reflections.”

Reflecting on the graduation ceremony, she expressed her appreciation to AGRA.

“This graduation is more than a ceremony; it is a celebration of a journey that tested us, humbled us, strengthened us, and ultimately prepared us for the demands of African food systems leadership. And we cannot tell this story without acknowledging AGRA, whose vision created this space for us to grow. The quarterly leadership forums broadened our perspectives, exposing us to leaders across the continent and reminding us that we are part of a much larger movement.”

The event also doubled as the launch of CALA in the Francophone region. CALA noted that the new Francophone Chapter, covering Burkina Faso, Mali, Togo, and Senegal, marks a major step in expanding its continental reach. The expansion, it said, is driven by strong interest from Francophone countries and supported by AGRA’s strengthened institutional capacity and partnerships in the region.