Twenty-nine students of the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) comprising 14 PhD students from Cohort Nine and 15 MPhil students from Cohort Three graduated from the University of Ghana on November 30, 2020.

There was a total of 130 PhDs conferred at the ceremony out of which 14 of its recipients were from WACCI.

The graduates, who received their doctorate degrees in Plant Breeding, come from eight countries in Africa; Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia.

The 15 students awarded MPhil degrees in Seed Science & Technology at the event were enrolled from four countries in Africa namely Ghana, Benin, Nigeria and Mali. 

The graduation ceremony held virtually was in line with national and the university’s safety guidelines in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Ebenezer Oduro Owusu, charged all graduates to contribute meaningfully and creatively during the global pandemic.

The cohorts of fresh graduates from WACCI bring to total, 95 PhD degrees consisting of 55% anglophones and 45% francophones with 34% female representation. Currently, 30 MPhil degrees have been awarded to students of which 33% are female.

WACCI wished all new graduates the very best in their future endeavours as they contribute to the fight against food and nutrition insecurity in Africa and the world.