Prof. Lateef Sanni, the immediate past Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) of the University, is the new chairperson of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) Steering Committee. He was unanimously nominated and elected at AWARD’s 16th annual meeting held recently in Nairobi. Prof. Sanni has over 25 years’ global experience in research and development as a postharvest expert on tropical root crops. He joined the committee in 2016 and served as its vice-chairperson before he took over from Dr. Jemimah Njuki, who stepped down after serving as chairperson for three years. In his acceptance speech, Sanni, a Professor of Food Science, noted that he was honoured to serve as the chair, while looking forward to taking AWARD to its next level, as it is currently undergoing a strategy review and refreshing of its five-year strategy.

Congratulating the former DVC (Development), Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg, AWARD Director, said “I and the entire AWARD staff are excited to get to work under the leadership and guidance of Professor Lateef. He has been a precious member of the AWARD family for many years and is an exemplar of what men in leadership can do to support women’s career growth. I know that with his wise counsel, AWARD will continue to reach even greater heights.” The meeting also saw several other changes, including the admittance of new members and the election of a new vice-chairperson, Dr. Jemimah Njuki, who is a Senior Programmes Officer at the Canada International Development Research Centre (IDRC), at the African Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya.