Hight level consultation 02 au 03 sept.
What dietary approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in Africa?
The Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the World Food Programme (WFP) in partnership, through the Regional Centre of Excellence against Hunger and Malnutrition (CERFAM), are organizing a two-day high-level consultation on the theme: “Food fortification: which dietary approach to reduce micronutrient deficiencies in Africa? « , in Abidjan, in Côte d’Ivoire, on 2 – 3 September 2021.
This consultation benefits from the political, strategic and operational support and the effective participation of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the West African Health Organization (WAHO)as co-organizers of the event. This consultation intends to promote exchanges and sharing of experiences and good practices between the different countries and actors involved in food fortification at the global, regional and national levels to accelerate the fight against malnutrition in all its forms in Africa.
The approach adopted will be centered on a series of participatory tools in order to ensure effective interaction between the different participants.
The results of the work will be presented, discussed and harmonized during plenary sessions and will be incorporated into the conclusions and recommendations to inform the next steps in food fortification and facilitate future interactions between stakeholders, including between CERFAM and its partners. and help promote adequate, healthy, diverse and nutritious food for all based on sustainable food systems in Africa. Read more.
Head of Agriculture and Food Security Division African Union Commission, Ethiopia
Dr Simplice Nouala is the Head of the Agriculture and Food Security Division at AUC. He has been at the AUC since 2006 and prior to this current position was responsible for animal production at the interafrican animal resources office of the African Union.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, African Union Commission (AUC), Ethiopia
H.E. Ambassador Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, an Angolan national, is a leading African Agronomist and Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission. Prior to her election in January 2017, she was Special Adviser to two Ministers in Angola: The Angolan Minister of Environment where she also served as Ambassador responsible for Climate Change and advisor to the Minister of Agriculture in charge of Food Security and Poverty Reduction. Ambassador Sacko was also the former Secretary General of the Inter- African Coffee Organization (IACO), Abidjan Cote D’Ivoire for 13 years. At IACO, she oversaw the coffee economy of 25 African Coffee producing countries and successfully championed the empowerment of small-scale coffee farmers across the continent by setting up Regional Centres of Excellence for capacity building of Member States, and Genetic Material Conservation among others. Ambassador Sacko is multilingual.
Secretary General Inter-Parliamentary Union, Switzerland
Martin Chungong is the eighth Secretary General of the Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU). He joined the IPU in 1993. He was appointed Director of the Democracy Promotion Division (2005-2011), then Director of the Programs Division (2011-2014). Of Cameroonian nationality, he is both the first African and the first non-European elected to the post of IPU Secretary General, which he has held since July 1, 2014. He is one of the 29 world leaders appointed by the IPU former Secretary of the United Nations (Ban Ki-moon) to guide the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN) efforts to end malnutrition in all its forms.
Martin Chungong obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Yaoundé, then continued his studies at the University of Ottawa, where he obtained a doctorate in applied linguistics in 1982. He also holds a postgraduate degree from the London Polytechnic (now University of Westminster).
Regional Director for West and Central Africa, WFP, Senegal
Originally from Ghana, Chris NIKOI has been appointed Regional Director of the World Food Program for West Africa based in Dakar, since April 2019. He has extensive experience in managing operations as well as developing strategic partnerships with governments, regional organizations, and technical and financial partners. Chris Nikoi has 24 years of experience with PAM. His career began in Uganda and Angola where he led a wide range of logistics activities until his last post as New York-based Special Adviser on United Nations Reform, a post he held from August 2017 to March 2019. Chris Nikoi previously held other senior positions within the organization.
Prior to joining WFP, Mr. Nikoi worked for several years in various US companies operating in the commercial shipping and shipping sectors.
Minister, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire
Before his appointment as Minister, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic on March 29, 2021, Mr. Cissé was respectively Minister of Oil, Energy and Renewable Energies from 2018 to 2021, Minister Special Advisor to the President of the Republic from 2017 to 2018, and Minister of Budget and State Portfolio from 2013 to 2017.
He began his professional career within the investment bank Goldman Sachs in London as Executive Director in charge of trading on euro zone indices before joining the Ivorian Public Administration. Mr. CISSE is a graduate of the École Polytechnique (2001, France) and holds a master’s degree in petroleum economics and management from the Institut Français du Pétrole (IFP School). He comes from the Ivorian public school where he did all his studies, until he obtained his baccalaureate in 1999. Mr. CISSE is one of the “100 Young Global Leaders” for the year 2017; distinction awarded by the World Economic Forum to leaders under 40 around the world. 40 years old, Mr. CISSE is married and has three children.
Director a.i. CERFAM,Côte d’Ivoire
Patrick TEIXEIRA has been acting director of the Regional Centre of Excellence against Hunger and Malnutrition (CERFAM) since February 2021. He joined CERFAM in 2019 as head of strategic planning, program design and partnerships. Patrick has over 25 years of experience as a humanitarian and development actor, including 24 years with the World Food Programme. He has held various leadership and management positions, including in Cape Verde, Liberia, Eritrea, Côte d´Ivoire, Gambia and Italy. Most recently, as Deputy Country Director and Program Director at WFP-Timor-Leste. Patrick has expertise and experience in the areas of food security, nutrition and food systems. Patrick obtained a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Economics and a Diploma in International Development and Cooperation from the University of Social Sciences of Toulouse, France. Patrick is also an ILO certified gender expert.
Nutrition Advisor, Regional Office for Africa WHO, Republic of Gongo
Dr Adelheid Onyango was appointed Director of the Universal Health Coverage / Healthier Populations group in April 2021. Dr Onyango joined WHO at its headquarters in Geneva in 1998. For over 16 years, she has contributed to normative work WHO on Growth and Nutrition. She joined WHO regional office in 2014 to lead the nutrition and food safety program. In this role, she has helped build strong inter-agency partnerships for nutrition across Africa. She has devoted more than 20 years of service in the field of public health and international nutrition. Dr Adelheid Onyango holds a BA in Education from Kenyatta University in Nairobi and an MA and PhD in Nutrition from McGill University in Canada.
Senior Research Coordinator CGIAR ,A4NH/IFPRI President, African Nutrition Society, USA
Dr. Namukolo Covic is currently working in the Country Coordination and Engagement Unit of the CGIAR Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH), led by the International Food Policy Research Institute. Her research focuses on improving the links between agriculture and improved nutrition and health outcomes. She connects research data to national and African continental processes promoting the use of evidence to inform policy decisions at the national, sub-national and continental levels in Africa, working closely with national governments and the African Union. In addition to her continental commitment, she is the national coordinator for A4NH in Ethiopia.
Executive Director, Micronutrient Forum, USA
Saskia Osendarp, Ph.D., is a world-renowned nutrition researcher with over 25 years of nutrition experience. She brings her expertise in child development, micronutrients, and enrichment. She has a proven track record in the public and private sectors of successful international research collaborations, program design, impact evaluations and innovation project launches. Currently, she is the Executive Director of the Micronutrient Forum, leading projects on the lack of data on micronutrients, women's nutrition and co-organized the Standing Together for Nutrition Consortium analyzing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on nutrition. Originally from the Netherlands, Saskia holds an MA and PhD in Nutrition from Wageningen University and Research, where she is also Associate Professor of Micronutrients and International Health books.
Nutrition Advisor,UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa, Senegal
Simeon Nanama works to provide strategic leadership for UNICEF's nutrition programs in Nigeria. Prior to joining UNICEF Nigeria, Dr. Nanama was Head of Nutrition in Madagascar (2013-2017), Head of Nutrition for UNICEF Dr-Congo (2008-2013) and Nutrition Specialist for UNICEF Chad (2006-2008). Prior to joining UNICEF in 2006, Dr. Nanama was the West Africa Regional Coordinator for the Micronutrient Initiative (MI now known as Nutrition International), a non-profit organization lucrative based in Canada.
Dr. Nanama's research interests and experience focus primarily on food insecurity and its nutritional and non-nutritional consequences.
Head of Nutrition Department, WAHO, Burkina Faso
Dr KEITA is a specialist in public health and social medicine with 32 years of experience in the field of health and development in sub-Saharan Africa. He is responsible for nutrition, within the West African Health Organization (WAHO), a specialized agency for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Since 2008, he has been responsible for coordinating primary health care, health systems strengthening and non-communicable diseases (NCD). He coordinates the implementation of the Regional Strategic Nutrition Plan for West Africa 2018-2025, in collaboration with all stakeholders. Dr. KEITA Namoudou is a qualified doctor Specialist in Public Health and Social Medicine and also holder of a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DEA) in Public Health and Developing Countries as well as a Masters in biological and medical science obtained at the University of Rennes 1 in France.
Regional Manager of Food Fortification, HKI West Africa, Senegal
Dr Amadou Lamine Gueye holds a doctorate in nutrition and over 12 years of professional experience in international nutrition and health programs in developing countries. His areas of expertise include the implementation of evidence-based interventions to address micronutrient deficiencies. From 2007 to 2011, Dr Guèye was the Food Fortification Program Coordinator of Helen Keller International for Senegal and provided technical assistance to the Alliance for Food Fortification of Senegal (COSFAM) for the implementation implementation of interventions for the enrichment of wheat flour and edible oils. Dr Gueye played an active role in the implementation of the project "Faire Tache d 'Oil", a multi-partner initiative aimed at enriching cooking oil with vitamin A in 8 West African countries. Since 2019, Dr Gueye has been in charge of the regional food fortification program of Helen Keller International.
Vice-President Global Technical Services Nutrition International, Canada
As Vice President, Global Technical Services and Chief Technical Advisor at Nutrition International, Mandana Arabi oversees the technical quality of Nutrition International’s programming in 10 countries and leads a global team of experts to address the most challenging gaps in evidence and practice to improve nutrition. Mandana is a trained medical doctor with a PhD in Nutrition Sciences from Cornell University. She has more than 15 years of experience in public health nutrition, designing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition interventions in countries with a high burden of malnutrition.
Senior Technical Advisor in Nutrition Social and Human Development Unit South African Development Community SADC, Botswana
Pontsho Sepoloane has been a Health and Nutrition Specialist at UNICEF-SADC in Botswana since 2018, facilitating regional harmonization of policies in the SADC region, coordinating high impact actions through engagement with 16 states SADC members.
Prior to joining SADC, Pontsho Sepoloane was Regional Nutrition Manager for the World Food Program in Johannesburg from 2016 to 2018, providing technical nutrition support to 11 countries in the SADC region.
From 2005 to 2016, she worked in South Africa at the Ministry of Health, first as Deputy Director and Deputy Director. Pontsho Sepoloane holds an MA in Public Health Policy and Management from the University of Pretoria (2006 - 2010) and a Certificate in Monitoring and Evaluation from the University of Stellenbosch (2011).
Minister of Health Nigeria
Dr. Ehanire studied medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany, graduating as a surgeon. In 1976, he attended the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland where he obtained a postgraduate degree in Anesthesia. He obtained his certification from the Board of General Surgery and Orthopedic Trauma Surgery at the Medical Council of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf, Germany. Dr. Ehanire was appointed Congressional Delegate for Progressive Change (CPC) to the political fusion conference that spawned the All-Progressive Congress (APC). After being examined and authorized by the National Assembly, he was appointed Minister of State
for Health in November 2015. After the start of a new administration in May 2019 and the submission of ministerial candidates to the Senate by the Presidency in July 2019 and their subsequent selection, Dr. Ehanire was appointed Minister of Health in August 2019.
Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention, DRC
Married and father of 5 children, Dr Jean-Jacques Mbungani has a professional career of around thirty years in the medical world. He excels in this field which crowns his academic training at the University of Notre Dame de la Paix in Namur and at the ULB in Brussels. With his skills and his experience His Excellency the President of the Republic, Félix Antoine TSHISEKEDI TSHILOMBO, chose his person to lead mainly the “Universal Health Coverage” project within the government at the Ministry of Public Health and Hygiene and Prevention. At the MLC, he became, in 2003, the representative of the BENELUX zone, then deputy national secretary of the MLC Exterior, before becoming the incumbent in 2013. From December 2018 to June 2019, he was coordinator of external relations of the LAMUKA coalition.
Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS (MSPLS), Burundi
Dr Thaddée NDIKUMANA was appointed Minister of Public Health and the Fight against AIDS on June 28, 2020. He holds a Doctorate in Medicine obtained from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Burundi in 2007 and a University Certificate in Health Systems Strengthening Research obtained at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium in 2008. Successively Consultant Doctor, Deputy Director, then Director of the National Leprosy Tuberculosis Program, Dr Thaddée NDIKUMANA was a member of several decision-making bodies and strategic orientation committees in the public health sector. With more than 10 years of professional experience, Thaddée NDIKUMANA has developed skills in health program management, health project coordination, planning, monitoring / evaluation, development of strategic documents, training and / or capacity building, communication, research, mobilization of partnerships in the fight against tuberculosis, STIs / HIV / AIDS, and health problems in Burundi.
Minister of Health Public Hygiene and Universal Medical Coverage, Côte d’Ivoire
Director General of the Road Management Agency (AGEROUTE) since April 1, 2017, Pierre Dimba is now the head of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. Dimba N’Gou Pierre is also the President of the Regional Council of Agneby-Tiassa since October 13, 2018. Holder of a Baccalaureate series C, he graduated from his promotion at the National School of Public Works (ENESTP) of Yamoussoukro with the title of civil engineer. He began his professional career at the National Bureau of Technical Studies and Development (BNETP). The Minister of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Coverage, participated in many projects and supported the State in the organization of the States General of decentralization in 2007. He also worked in the ‘’ support for the establishment of Performance Contracts in 07 local authorities in Côte d’Ivoire since 2016.
PhD in Epidemiology / Nutrition, Director of Nutrition, Ministry of Public Health and National Solidarity, Chad
Dr Mahamat Béchir obtained his PhD in epidemiology and defended a thesis on nutrition in nomadic environments at the University of Basel in Switzerland. He has worked in the field of nutrition as Head of the National Center for Nutrition and Food Technology, as Nutrition Specialist at UNICEF Chad and REACH Facilitator in Guinea. He is currently SUN Chad Focal Point, Director of Nutrition and Food Technology and Nutrition Cycle Coordinator at the Faculty of Human Health Sciences of the University of N’Djamena Chad. He has contributed to the development of several national and international strategic and programmatic documents and has published some thirty scientific articles in the field of nutrition and food.
Chief Nutrition USAID, USA
Shawn K. Baker, chief nutritionist for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He guides USAID's investments and engagement with partners to address malnutrition in developing countries. Prior to joining USAID, Mr. Baker was the first Director of Nutrition at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with over 30 years of global public health nutrition experience, including 25 years in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. He also worked for Helen Keller International for 19 years, including 16 years as Vice President and Regional Director for Africa. He served as Chairman of the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement executive committee and now serves as a special advisor. He also served on the board of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition from 2013 to 2016. Mr. Baker holds a master's degree in public health from Tulane University, with concentrations in international health and nutritional epidemiology. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Miami.
Secrétaire Exécutif du Conseil National du Développement de la Nutrition (CNDN - ex CLM), Sénégal
Spécialiste en Santé Publique et Développement Humain, Abdoulaye Ka a un riche parcours dans le domaine de la nutrition et du développement social. En 2011 Il est devenu coordonnateur national de la Cellule de Lutte contre la Malnutrition (CLM), organe en charge de l’élaboration et le suivi de la mise en œuvre de la politique de nutrition du pays. La CLM est devenue CNDN en 2020 marquant ainsi une évolution positive de l’institutionnalisation de la nutrition au Sénégal.
Abdoulaye Ka a démarré son expérience dans la nutrition en 1999 comme responsable de zone du PNC Programme de nutrition communautaire (PNC).
Abdoulaye Ka est titulaire d’un Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures Spécialisées (DESS) en Politique Economique et Analyse de Projets obtenu à l’Université Cheikh Anta Diop en 2001 ; d’une Maîtrise en sciences (M.Sc.) en Santé Communautaire obtenu à l’Université Laval au Canada en 1997 ; d’un Baccalauréat en Administration des Affaires (B.A.A) obtenu à l’Université Laval au Canada en 1994.
Chief Regulatory Office, Head, Food Enforcement Department, Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana
In the area of Food Regulation, Ms. Lovelace-Johnson had a Certificate in Assurance of Food Safety and Quality Control from Hyogo International Centre, Japan in 2002, a Certificate in Applied Intermediate HACCP from the Royal Institute of Public Health, UK in 2003, a Certificate in Food Safety Risk Analysis from the University of Greenwich, UK in 2003, a Certificate in International Food Laws and Regulations from the University of Michigan, USA in 2004 and was certified as a Lead Auditor of Food Safety Management Systems by the International Register of Certificated Auditors (IRCA), UK in 2005.
She has, since 2013, been the Head of the Ghana Delegation to the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses.
Africa Network Coordinator Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), Uganda
Ronald Afidra has been the Africa Network Coordinator for the Flour Fortification Initiative (FFI) since March 2012. Before joining this position, he was Assistant Expert in Health and Nutrition at GTZ in 2006, Advisor in Food Fortification in 2007 and 2011 at USAID in Uganda, supporting the Ministry of Health in establishing a program integrated monitoring and evaluation for nutrition interventions in Uganda in accordance with the national plant and health sector development strategic plan. He has also worked with the public and private sectors, organizations and governments to undertake capacity building in nutrition and health programs. He has extensive experience in managing / coordinating food/ nutrition security programs, micronutrient programs, auditing industries / training, developing proposals, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy. He has a Bsc in FST and MSc in Human Nutrition from Makerere University.
Director of Nutrition of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA
Andreas Bluethner is the Director of Nutrition for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He is currently leading an update of the foundation's nutritional strategy. Andreas is also leading the inter-foundation collaboration on nutrition.
Prior to the founding, Andreas was Director of Food Fortification and Partnerships for BASF SE, a leading chemical company, micronutrient manufacturer and active partner of global fortification programs and players for decades. Prior to BASF, Andreas worked with the UN, the German government and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). Andreas holds a doctorate in international economics and human rights law from the University of Mannheim and a degree in business administration from Robert Bosch, Stuttgart. He has also served as a mentor to social entrepreneurs around the world as Ashoka Globalizer, as a founding board member of WFP Innovation Accelerator and as a member of the Listo board. He has worked as a permanent lecturer on food and nutrition security, trade and human rights for the University of Mannheim and the European Business School in Wiesbaden.
Representative and Country Director of WFP, Chad
Mr. Jibidar of Togolese nationality graduated from the University Institute of Technology and the Business School of Lyon Ecullyest. Representative and Country Director of WFP Chad since September 19, 2020 Mr. JIBIDAR was WFP Representative and Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from July 2016 to September 2020 and was in post in Afghanistan from June 2013 to July 2016. Mr. Jibidar has over 25 years of leadership experience in non-profit organizations and businesses, with a particular focus on food and nutrition security as well as emergency response strategies. Mr. Jibidar was Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa. From 2006 to 2008, he was Deputy Director in the Democratic Republic of Congo. And from 2002 to 2006, deputy director of the Geneva liaison office.
Country Manager HarvestPlus, Malawi
Dellings Phiri has been Malawi Country Manager for HarvestPlus since 2017. Before joining HarvestPlus, he worked for several years with Seed Co Mw Ltd as Managing Director, and also for Monsanto Malawi (now Bayer Malawi) as Marketing Manager. Phiri has also worked with the National Smallholder Farmers Association of Malawi (NASFAM) as Marketing Manager responsible for creating market linkages for farmers’ produce. Phiri holds a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Heriot Watt University (Scotland) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Business Administration) degree from the University of Malawi. He has worked in the agriculture sector (Crop Seeds) for twenty years and is one of the most experienced seeds experts in Malawi.
Executive Officer, SODEPAL Burkina Faso
Simone ZOUNDI is the promoter of the company for the exploitation of food products (SODEPAL) in Burkina Faso, at the same time, she chairs the National Federation of Agri-food and Transformation Industries of Burkina (FIAB). She holds a degree in Finance-Accounting and Business Administration from ESCAE-Toulouse. At the end of the internships in France, Senegal, the US in order to contribute to the development of local agro-sylvo-pastoral, fishery and wildlife resources in order to contribute to the socio-economic promotion of women. Ms. ZOUNDI is specialized in the organization and management of agro-food processing companies. SODEPAL's products, nutritional supplement foods, are marketed to Pharmacy.
National Coordinator of the National Office of Nutrition (ONN) Madagascar
Currently National Coordinator of the National Office of Nutrition in Madagascar. A specialist trained in Internal Medicine, she is also a Teacher-Researcher at the University of Antananarivo. She was elected as the first woman to hold the post of Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Antananarivo in 2019. Among her areas of research during her initial training is stunting.
She was spokesperson for the COVID 19 Operational Command Center in Madagascar in 2020, before becoming the National Coordinator of the National Office of Nutrition.
Senior Regional Nutrition Advisor, West and Central Africa Regional Office, WFP, Senegal
Katrien Ghoos is WFP’s Senior Regional Nutrition Advisor for West and Central Africa since September 2019. She worked with WFP and UNICEF in Africa and Asia mainly on nutrition but was also involved in several large-scale emergencies. As Senior Regional Nutrition Advisor in Asia (2012- 2017), she played a decisive role in scaling up of rice-fortification. In Pakistan, as Deputy Country Director (2017 – 2019), she strategically positioned WFP as a technical partner to the government for nutrition and social protection. Currently, she provides guidance to 19 WFP Country Offices and leads WFP’s work in the region on local food systems strengthening to improve affordability of nutritious diets, particularly for women and children in fragile settings.
Katrien is Belgian and holds a master’s degree in Agricultural and Chemical Engineering from the University of Leuven, Belgium (KUL) and a master’s degree in Nutrition in Developing Countries from the University of Montpellier 2.
Global Programme Lead, Food Fortification Program Manager, GAIN, England
Penjani Mkambula is Global Cluster Lead for Food Fortification at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). He leads a portfolio of programs on large scale food fortification and biofortification as well as supporting other partners globally on programs related to food fortification, biofortification, food processing and food safety, and supply chains for vitamin and minerals premixes. Prior to switching to the international development sector, Penjani also worked in food industry where he was involved in supply chains for fortified foods and specialized nutrition products. Penjani serves on the Executive Management Team of the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), Board of Iodine Global Network (IGN), and the Steering Committee of the African Union’s Partnership for Aflatoxin Control in Africa (PACA).
Specialist in South-South Cooperation, Center of Excellence for Rural Transformation, WFP, China
Ph. D of Agricultural Ecology, Head of South-South Cooperation in United Nations World Food Program China Office, is responsible for coordination of South-South and Triangular Programs including partnership development and implementation in full consultation with stakeholders concerned, and leading case study on, identification and documentation of successful experiences of Centre of Excellence for sharing through WFP’s broader corporate knowledge network. Before joining WFP, she was Director in Foreign Economic Cooperation Center, Ministry of Agriculture, People’s Republic of China, and has aligned herself with South-South Cooperation for many years. She also had years’ experience as consultant for FAO and other organizations with efforts to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability under South-South Cooperation.
Food fortification advisor, WFP, Italy
Corinne Ringholz is an International Development Specialist and is the lead for the Food Fortification & Specialized Nutritious Foods Team for WFP's Nutrition Division in Rome, Italy. Prior to joining WFP, Corinne worked across several US government organizations, including: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Joint Science and Technology Office, and the National Institutes of Health. Corinne earned her PhD in epidemiology from the University of Rochester and has a background in both infectious disease and nutritional epidemiology.
leader of One Belt One Road Team Buhler, China
Tom Gao is the leader of One Belt One Road Team of Bühler Group and based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. OBOR business aims to provide Total Solution to customer by Bühler with Partners (EPC contractors, Financing organizations, Government agencies etc.), which is under the guideline of Chinese policy, to achieve OBOR vision of Reduce Waste, Safety Food, Food for All and Sustainable Development. Tom is experienced Head with a demonstrated history of working in the mechanical or industrial engineering industry of Grain & Food. Skilled in Strategic Establishment, Sales, Business Development, International Business, Technology & Engineering. Strong professional with a Food Science and Engineering bachelor focused on Grain Science and Engineering from Henan University of Technology.
Director of Buhler West Africa, United Arab Emirates
Abdelmajid Touzani is Managing Moroccan of 34 years is the Director of Bühler West Africa. He is a mechanical engineer with a long expertise in food processing.
He has held key positions within Bühler Group where he had to lead stakeholders and partners to develop innovative food processing plants in the African continent. He is in based in Abidjan since 3 years and he is leading the operations of Bühler group which aim to support the continent to develop its agro- food industry and overcome its dependency to feed its population.
Director Food Fortification Resource Center, India
Inoshi Sharma is a civil servant, an officer of the Indian Revenue Service. She has held various missions relating to the publication of tax provisions, international taxation, vigilance and the appeal tribunal. She has led teams responsible for tax law enforcement and tax compliance. She worked as the director of the national health mission in Haryana taking care of purchasing medicines and equipment and adolescent health regarding menstrual hygiene and weekly folic acid iron supplements. Her current mission as Director, FSSAI, involves Social Behavior Change and Communication, the Eat Right India initiative and extending support for intensification of fortification across the country. She is interested in the field of public policies, administration and the social sector.
Food and Nutrition Coordinator Ministry of Health, Brazil
Eduardo Nilson works at the General-Coordination for Food and Nutrition for more than 20 years with management, monitoring and evaluation of health, food and nutrition policies, including food and nutrition surveillance, food fortification policies and policies prevention and control of diseases associated with dietary factors. During this period, he participated as national representative and expert in several technical groups on food and nutrition issues of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Eduardo is a Biologist and has a PhD in Global Health and Sustainability from the University of São Paulo, where he is also a researcher at the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health (Nupens/USP).
School Feeding National coordinator, National Fund for Educational Development Ministry of Education, Brazil
Karine Silva dos Santos is a federal public servant, more than 10 years, specialist in Management of Educational Programs and Projects of the National Fund for the Development of Education - FNDE, she has performed several functions in the body with prominence in the Presidency of the FNDE in the Directorate of Educational Actions. She has been coordinator of the national school meals program for more than 4 years, at FNDE, a federal autarchy linked to the Ministry of Education, responsible for the execution of programs and projects of the Education area across the country. She also served as Director of the Directorate of Articulation and Support for Basic Education Networks (responsible for textbook programs, direct money at school, National Education Plan, Early Childhood Education, Cost of Student Quality, Plan of Goals - PAR) of the Secretary of Education Basic Education of the Ministry of Education.
Advisor in nutrition, food and early childhood development at the presidency of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, SUN Focal Point
Dr Patricia Yoboue N'goran-Theckly is an advisor in nutrition, food and early childhood development at the presidency of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. As such, she is SUN-CONNAPE Focal Point and Government Advisor to the Regional Centre of Excellence against Hunger and Malnutrition (CERFAM). She holds a doctorate in medicine, specializing in nutritional policies, health systems management and public health. In addition to her years of clinical practice experience in general medicine and pediatrics, she has accumulated 14 years in the field of nutrition.
Before her appointment to the Presidency of the Republic, she was Coordinator of the Permanent Technical Secretariat of the National Nutrition Council from 2016 to 2019, housed in the Prime Minister's office.
Présidentde l’Institut Brésil Afrique IBRAF, Brésil
Fondateur et actuel président de l’Institut Brésil Afrique, il est titulaire d’un doctorat en éducation de l’Université fédérale du Ceará et d’études postdoctorales de l’Université de Brasilia (UNB), avec une spécialisation en recherche sur l’intégration du continent africain. Il est professeur invité dans de grandes universités brésiliennes et africaines et est associé international principal au Centre d’études africaines, latino-américaines et
caribéennes - CALAC à la Jindal Global University (Inde). Le professeur João Bosco Monte est également l´auteur d´ouvrages et de publications sur les relations entre différents acteurs internationaux, axés sur la coopération Sud-Sud et triangulaire. En 2018, il a
été admis en tant que Comendador da Ordem de Rio Branco, un prix prestigieux du gouvernement brésilien, en reconnaissance de ses mérites obtenus dans la promotion des relations entre le Brésil et l’Afrique. En 2020, le professeur Monte a été invité à rejoindre le Réseau des Nations Unies des champions des systèmes alimentaires.
General Director Africa Rice Center, Côte d’Ivoire
Harold Roy-Macauley is Regional Director, East and Southern Africa, One CGIAR, and Director General of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice). He is a Sierra Leonean national and has nearly 30 years of experience in agricultural research for development with extensive leadership and management expertise. Before joining AfricaRice, he was the Executive Director of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF). He served previously as the Regional Director for World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in West and Central Africa. He was the Managing Director for the Regional Center for Improving Adaptation to Drought (CERAAS) in Senegal. He is fluently bilingual in English and French. He obtained his PhD degree in tropical plant biology in 1993 from the Université Denis Diderot in France, his MSc degree in tropical plant biology in 1988 from the Université de Pierre et Marie Curie in France, and his BSc with honors in botany in 1982 from the University of Sierra Leone.
Director Agency for the Development of the Rice Sector (ADERIZ), Côte d'Ivoire
Mr. Dembélé Yacouba of Ivorian nationality is an engineer in Agroeconomics graduated from the Center for Financial, Economic and Banking Studies in Paris and a diploma in general agronomy from the National School of Agronomy in Abidjan. He is currently Director General of the Agency for the Development of the Rice Sector (ADERIZ) since February 2019. He was respectively Regional Director West in Man (Ivory Coast) and Central Director of Logistics Support at SATMACI of 1980 to 1994. From 1999 to 2008, at PALMCI as Director of the development of village plantations and Director of agricultural production. From May 2008 to April 2010, Executive Director of the National Federation of Oil Palm Producers Cooperatives of Côte d'Ivoire then called to other functions from May 2011 to February 2019 at the National Rice Development Office in as Managing Director.
Sub-regional Coordinator for West Africa and FAO Representative, Senegal
Dr Guei, of Ivorian nationality, began his career in 1988 as a Corn Research Assistant in the Department of Agriculture at Kansas State University in the USA. After serving for 14 years at WARDA / AfricaRice as a rice geneticist, he joined FAO in Rome, Italy in 2005 as an Expert Seed Officer in the Plant Production and Protection Division plants and in 2011, he was appointed Senior Technical Officer / Secretary of the Agriculture Committee, and Senior Technical Advisor to the Assistant Director General responsible for the Department of Agriculture. Since January 2019, he has been appointed Head of the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa and FAO Resident Representative in Senegal. Dr Guei holds a Diploma of Agricultural Engineer from the National School of Agronomy (ENSA), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire; Master of Science and PhD in Plant Genetics and Breeding from Kansas State University, USA.
Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the African Development Bank
Dr. Martin Fregene is a plant geneticist and molecular breeder with 25 years of experience in genetics and breeding of cassava. Dr. Fregene developed the first
molecular genetic map of cassava and started the first cassava molecular breeding program to accelerate development of improved cassava varieties for various agro- ecologies of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He began his career at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1991 as a cassava breeder.
While at IITA, he was a recipient of a Rockefeller Foundation post-doctoral fellowship on genetic mapping (1993 – 1996) that took him to the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) in Cali, Colombia. After CIAT he joined the BioCassava Plus project at the Danforth Center, a multi-national development program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where he rose to the position of Director of the project.
Dr. Fregene received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, graduating at the top of his class. His Ph.D. in plant genetics and breeding, also from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, was in collaboration with IITA, the John Innes Center, Norwich UK, and CIAT.
Managing Director and Senior Vice President Crown & Dangote Mills, OLAM, Nigeria
Ashish Pande is the Managing Director and Senior Vice President of Crown Flour Mills Nigeria. He is an engineer with over 22 years of professional experience, having worked with PepsiCo & Reckitt Benckiser in India, Australia and France as well as in Nigeria, Ghana and Egypt with Olam. Pande joined Olam International in 2017 and was instrumental in the creation of Olam's animal feed business in Nigeria, as well as the successful integration and takeover of Dangote Farine Mill.
Global Director Nutrition Improvement, DSM, Netherlands
Yannick holds higher degrees in Molecular Biology, Public Health and Social Impact Strategy. Prior to joining DSM, Yannick was previously the Director of Partnerships and Fundraising for BIOVISION- the World Life Sciences Forum (France), a think tank organised by a non-profit group to foster collaboration between developed and emerging economies and improve access to essential medicines.
Yannick joined DSM in Singapore in 2012 and was initially responsible for the Asia Pacific region, driving the development of food fortification and supplementation programmes such as rice fortification.
Yannick has since held a global partner engagement role from 2018 to 2020 and has recently been appointed Global Director of DSM’s Nutrition Improvement unit, whose mission is to positively impact public health by developing and implementing effective and affordable nutrition solutions, leveraging their expertise and cross sectors partnerships to reach low-income consumers and beneficiaries.
Vice-President of Nutrition, Helen Keller International, USA
Rolf Klemm, Vice President of Nutrition, has over 25 years of professional experience in international public health nutrition with expertise that spans nutrition effectiveness research and design, management and evaluation of programs.
He has served as Peace Corps Volunteer (Philippines, 1979-81), Indochinese Refugee Program Supervisor (1982-84), Program Manager and Country Director for Helen Keller International (Philippines, 1986-98), Senior Technical Advisor and USAID Technical Director of A2Z Micronutrient Flagship Program (2009-11), and Hopkins Faculty Member and Principal Investigator and / or Co-Investigator (1998-present) for Studies in Asia (Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Philippines) and in sub-Saharan Africa (DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia).
He is currently Vice President of Nutrition at Helen Keller International and holds a faculty position at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Director of WFP Africa Union Global Office and Representative to the African Union Commission & United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (AU & ECA) Ethiopia
Dr. Hameed Nuru is the Director of WFP Africa Union Global Office and Representative to the AU and UNECA. He assumed his duty in Addis Ababa as from 27 April 2021. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Nuru was Representative and Country Director of the World Food Programme Sudan from 2019 to 2020 and Representative and Country Director of India from 2015 to 2019. Preceding with Global Alliance Livestock Veterinary Medicines (GALVmed) from 2009 - 2014. As the Senior Director Policy & External Affairs, he has vast experience in the areas of policy, advocacy, partnerships and communications. Overseeing a global portfolio as the spokesperson of GALVmed, he also managed the Africa and India offices.
Dr. Nuru was responsible for driving the overall GALVmed strategy and positioning the organization globally. From 2006 - 2008, he worked with the African Union - Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (IBAR) based out of Nairobi, Kenya.
As the Senior Policy Officer Livestock & Fisheries, he was responsible for policy and strategy formulation, and follow up for livestock and fisheries at the continental level with contributions towards the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). A veterinarian by training, he has also worked as the Principal Veterinary Officer for the Government of Botswana, Department of Veterinary Services, on livestock disease control. He however started his work life as a university academic in Africa and the U.K.Dr. Nuru is a citizen of Botswana, and has a passion for advocacy towards poverty alleviation and livelihood enhancement linked to food and nutritional security.
Director of central laboratory, National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chine
Junsheng Huo, professor, director of central laboratory, National Institute for Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. He has engaged in research of key technology for food fortification, micronutrients supplements and other health promotion food for years. He has participated researches project funded by Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Health and international organizations such as GAIN, ILSI, UNICEF and WHO. He has published 260 scientific papers and 22 nutrition books, organizing drafts of 10 national or hygiene standard and proved 5 invention patents. He is also the responsible person in trace elements subcommittee, Chinese nutrition society; in food fortificant and special food subcommittee, Chinese food additive and ingredient association etc.
Representative and Director of the World Food Programme in Côte d'Ivoire
Mr. Ussama Osman was appointed Representative and Director of the World Food Programme in Côte d'Ivoire in November 2020. Originally from Sudan, Ussama has 24 years of experience with WFP, where he began his career at headquarters in Rome. Originally from Sudan, Ussama has 24 years of experience with WFP, where he began his career at Headquarters in Rome as a Conference Officer until his last post as Director and Deputy Secretary of the WFP Executive Board (2016 to 2020). Between the two assignments, Ussama held various operational and managerial positions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, at the
United Nations Headquarters in New York, Guinea Bissau and more recently in The Gambia. He received a Ph.D in social sciences from the Sorbonne University, Paris, a master's degree from the Lumières University of Lyon/France and a B.A and a Master's degrees from the University of Khartoum/Sudan.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Mr Sékou Sangaré is from the Republic of Guinea. Since 2018, Mr. Sangaré is in charge the Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources Department of ECOWAS. Before joining ECOWAS, Mr. Sékou SANGARE held senior administrative positions in his country, among others Advisor to the President of the Republic, Professor Alpha CONDE, in charge of Rural and Agricultural Development.
He graduated from the Higher Institute of Agronomy of Faranah (Guinea) option Rural Engineering in 1977, a DEA in Rural Engineering 1982 at the Hydrotechnical Faculty of the city of IASSY in Romania. He also graduated from the Centre d'Etudes Financières Economiques et Bancaires (CEFEB) of PARIS / France from the Caisse Centrale de Coopération Economique / Agence Française de Développement and specialized in business management and agricultural projects - Agroeconomics option (FGPA) in 1987.
The Regional Centre of Excellence against Hunger and Malnutrition .
Cocody Ambassades, Angle Blvd Hassane II, Rue des Bougainvilliers. Lot 20 , 01 BP 1747 Abidjan 01, Côte d’Ivoire