Mr. Manahaya Coulibaly, Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, received in audience on 27 June 2019, a delegation of Board members of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS) accompanied by the Executive Director and the Secretariat staff. This audience took place the day after the joint regional workshop held in Abidjan from 24th to 26th June 2019 on the future of agricultural advisory services in Africa.
On this occasion, the AFAAS delegation led by Dr. Kristin Davis, Vice-Chair of the Board, was composed of Dr. Jeff Mutimba, Dr. Charles Masangano, Dr. Patrice Djamen and Modibo Coulibaly, Board members, Dr. Silim Nahdy, Executive Director of AFAAS and Max Olupot. The AFAAS delegation was accompanied by Dr. Cissé Sidiki, Director General of the National Agency for Rural Development (ANADER) of Côte d’Ivoire and its Technical Advisor, Ms Nathalie Konan Bogui.
During the audience, both parties discussed the results of the joint regional workshop and preparations for the 4th Africa Wide Agricultural Extension Week (AAEW), which will take place from 25th to 29th November 2019 in Abidjan and co-organized by AFAAS, ANADER and the Ministry of Agriculture. With regard to the recommendations of the joint regional workshop, Mr. Minahaya Coulibaly undertook to support their implementation and ensure their follow-up in Côte d’Ivoire.
Regarding the preparations for the 4th Africa Wide Agricultural Extension Week, which is being organized jointly with the Abidjan International Agricultural and Animal Resources Fair (SARA), Ms Nathalie Konan Bogui of ANADER presented the progress made at the organizational level by the local committee. To ensure a better organization of SARA and AAEW, Mr. Minahaya Coulibaly recommended that AFAAS and ANADER work closely with Ms. Konde, General Overseer of SARA.
At the end of the audience, Mr. Minahaya Coulibaly reaffirmed the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire for the success of the 4th Africa Wide Agricultural Extension Week, a challenge for Côte d’Ivoire, which is the first francophone country to host this continental conference on agricultural extension and advisory services.
After the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the AFAAS delegation also had a working session with the AAEW local organizing committee at ANADER headquarters to review the preparations of the conference.