The Regional Network for Agricultural Policy Research Institutes (ReNAPRI) has become the 12th member of the Consortium of the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP). This milestone will strengthen the value propositions of both ReNAPRI and AAP as leading institutions in policy research on the African continent and beyond. ReNAPRI was nominated by Egerton University, one of the 10 AAP African member universities. The application was unanimously approved at the AAP Consortium meeting on March 18th, 2021.
“ReNAPRI and AAP have partnered on a few initiatives in the past, including currently, on conversations concerning the African Fertilizer Summit II. This membership will further strengthen our partnership with AAP, going forward”, said Dr. Nalishebo Meebelo, Senior Program Coordinator, ReNAPRI Secretariat.
“ReNAPRI’s objectives are aligned with AAP’s. Both organizations are focused on supporting Africa’s transformational agenda”, said Prof. Richard Mkandawire, AAP Africa Director.
ReNAPRI will contribute to AAP’s activities through identifying continental priorities, partnering on program planning, building partnerships and mobilizing resources, carrying out joint research and outreach, among others. In the past three years, AAP and ReNAPRI have collaborated on a number of activities, including:
1. Organizing joint events at pan-African conferences, including the African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), African Capacity Building Foundation sponsored Think Tank Summits, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building (RUFORUM) conferences, among others.
2. Organizing joint side events at the World Food Prize Norman Borlaug Dialogues in Iowa
3. Partnering on technical work that will inform the planned African Fertilizer Summit II, scheduled to take place in 2022.
Four of AAP’s member universities – University of Pretoria, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Egerton University and Makerere University – are ReNAPRI partners.