Africa-Press – Kenya. THE Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA) has launched its first cohort of 80 leaders from eight focus countries across sub-Saharan Africa to support them deliver on policy priorities across the continent.
An initiative led by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) kicked off this week with individuals from the government, the private sector and civil society from Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda.
The 16-month Advanced Leadership Programme learning journey is designed for established and emerging sector leaders spearheading priority country-level agriculture strategies to effect change.
AGRA’s Board Chair, Mr Hailemariam Dessalegn said the programme focuses on developing the competencies of leaders in four core interrelated dimensions, including management skills for improved implementation, honing of leadership skills, institutional development and over time, systems change where leaders can effect change on a broader scale.
“The complexity of agriculture transformation requires collaborative and coordinated effort amongst stakeholders, and that is why these kinds of initiatives like CALA are important,” said Mr Dessalegn.
AGRA President, Dr Agnes Kalibata said to move towards an inclusive Agriculture Transformation in Africa, there should be strong networks of leaders who can learn together and from one another on how to advance food systems in an inclusive, fairway sustainable and climate-sensitive.
“CALA is an opportunity to bring agriculture leaders together to share knowledge of government, private sector and civil society, to support the implementation of agriculture sector priorities and hone leadership skills to enhance the delivery of our commitments for the sector to contribute to ending hunger and malnutrition, poverty and improving livelihoods,” she noted
CALA was established with funding from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) through the KfW Development Bank and led by AGRA in collaboration with the African Management Institute (AMI), the Centre’s lead implementer and learning partner, and USAID’s Policy LINK, which has led the design and rollout of the leadership programme’s coaching component.
They selected the first cohort from 1,000 applicants, an application window for the programme’s second cohort will open in early 2022.
AMI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder, Ms Rebecca Harrison said for transformation to occur, collaborative leadership is crucial that will unlock results and progress for the continent in terms of food security and sustainability.
“Without strong and collaborative leadership, good ideas go unrealised, plans stagnate, and the opportunity for transformation can slip away,” she said.
Policy LINK Regional Director, Mr Robert Ouma said good leadership is a factor of production, and in Africa, there is a need for good, inspired leadership to transform the agricultural sector through motivation and influence.
“To support them in their learning and growth as leaders of their countries’ agricultural transformation, CALA’s leadership coaching will draw upon successful models of executive and team coaching,” he said
CALA’s Advanced Leadership Programme will work with 160 participants from the eight focus countries during its first three years.
Participants will engage in Leadership Forums held once every four months, regular virtual learning labs, elective and scheduled online courses which will highlight adaptive leadership skills, case studies of agriculture transformation and performance management skills to enhance implementation skills.
