Over 100 fellows, mentors and fellow mentees converged in the Nigerian capital of Abuja for the third Nigerian Women in Agricultural Research for Development (NiWARD) Annual General Meeting.  The two-day meeting that was held from September 28-29, 2015 also gathered members from Nigeria’s agricultural ministries, and a cross-section of Nigerian based agricultural research associations.

For the first time, the yearly gathering incorporated a poster exhibition were AWARD Fellows and alumni were able to showcase their research work and agri-business ventures.

For NiWARD’s founder, Prof. Stella Williams, it was important that the meeting be held in the national capital, so as to amplify the importance of NiWARD’s work to government agencies, but also to be a networking platforming for various players within the sector.

“This meeting was important for possible partners and collaborators to meet. The synergy needed to bring about change is not yet there. We need to see different agricultural agencies working together, and therefore bringing people together is the key outcome we expect from this meeting,” says Professor Williams.

AWARD was represented at AGM by the Fellowships Officer, Evelyne Otunga and Senior Communications Officer, Kevin Mwachiro.

For more information on NiWARD and their work visit: www.niward.org

For more information on AWARD country chapters, kindly contact AWARD Deputy Director of Learning and Outreach, Raymond Brandes at award_ddlo@cgiar.org.

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