The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT, with approval from the World Bank, has appointed Dr Robert Zougmoré as the new Director of the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project.

Robert takes over from Ana Maria Loboguerrero who held the position since AICCRA’s inception in 2021.  

Building on his experience as West Africa Lead for the AICCRA project, AICCRA will continue working closely with partners under Robert's leadership to scale access to – and use of – climate information services and climate-smart agriculture technologies across Africa.  

On his role in AICCRA, Robert says:  

"Besides being one of the regions most affected by climate change, African countries lag behind in terms of institutional capacity - including the number of women experts - to address the challenges it drives. To effectively and sustainably tackle the adverse impacts of climate change, AICCRA focuses on how to package context-specific knowledge from CGIAR and partners, how to forge synergistic partnerships among a constellation of stakeholders, and how to define proper mechanisms to deliver support to beneficiaries to manage climate risk in agriculture. This approach can accelerate the transformation of Africa's food systems needed against climate change. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my esteemed former colleague Ana Maria Loboguerrero for her exceptional and inspirational leadership of AICCRA as it matured into the project we know today."

Outgoing AICCRA Director Ana Maria Loboguerrero took the opportunity to wish Robert well in his new role, saying:

“It is truly impressive what this team has been able to accomplish and how it has led a pathway for how to work through partnerships and capacity sharing towards a more climate resilient Africa. I am totally confident that Robert will continue delivering a high-quality and impactful program.”

Biography of Dr Robert Zougmoré

An agronomist and soil scientist, Robert has a long-established track record of developing strategic partnerships with African regional organizations to build critical capacities for science and innovation, fostering regional impact with south-south learning through global networks.  

Robert built these robust partnerships with organizations including West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel (CILSS/AGRHYMET), Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Network of Farmers' and Producers' Organizations of West Africa (ROPPA), Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), as Team Leader West & Central Africa Region for the Alliance Climate Action Lever, alongside his role as the West Africa Lead for AICCRA. His knowledge and networks were honed in his years as Africa Program leader of CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture & Food Security (CCAFS).

Currently based at the Alliance office in Dakar, Senegal, Robert obtained a PhD in Production Ecology and Resource Conservation from Wageningen University. Robert’s work is widely published with over 100 papers and book chapters. His expertise includes land degradation and development, climate change, integrated water and nutrient management, agroecology, conservation agriculture, as well as policies and institutions which support climate-smart agriculture.