ATPS Successfully Hosts the IDRC Project Officer Marie-Eve Landry during her official visit in Nairobi
Figure 1: Prof. Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director of the ATPS and Marie-Eve Landry, Project Officer at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) pose for a picture at the ATPS Offices
The 20th of February, 2024, marked an exciting day for the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS) as we welcomed Marie-Eve Landry, a project officer from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) on an official visit to East Africa. IDRC has provided funding to the ATPS on the project tagged ‘Strengthening the Capacity of the Extension System to Use Proven Knowledge and Technologies to Sustain Equitable Locally Led Adaptation Among Smallholder Farmers (SCALE), and Marie-Eve’s visit offered a valuable opportunity for deeper engagement and collaboration on the project.
Figure 2: Marie-Eve Landry during the podcast recording at Radio Africa Studios
The day began with the recording of a podcast episode at the Radio Africa studios with the Hali Hewa podcast, where insightful discussions took place on the SCALE Project. During the podcast recording, Prof. Ozor demystified the SCALE project to listeners, creating a better understanding of its importance and value for Africa and specifically for Nigeria and Senegal where the project is currently being implemented.
Following this, Marie-Eve participated in a meeting with the ATPS team and the project team implementing the SCALE project. The presence of esteemed partners such as Prof. Magnus Onuoha from the West African Green Economic Development Institute (WAGEDI), Nigeria, and Prof. Michael Madukwe, the ATPS Chapter Coordinator in Nigeria, added depth and expertise to the discussions.
One of the highlights of the meeting was a presentation by Dr. Hilda Manzi from Geospatial Research International, an ATPS grantee under another project tagged “Managing Organization (Hub) for Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Agriculture and Food Systems (AI4AFS) Innovation Research Network in Africa which is being implemented by the ATPS. Dr. Manzi showcased her groundbreaking innovation – the spatially based artificial intelligence (AI) PeMost Tool designed in collaboration with smallholder farmers from the Kathaana vegetable growers group in Machakos County, Kenya. This innovative tool utilizes Geoinformation and Artificial Intelligence for early detection of the pest Tuta Absoluta in tomatoes, promising significant benefits for farmers and agricultural sustainability.
The meeting and presentations were resounding successes, and Marie-Eve’s insights and contributions were invaluable. ATPS is immensely grateful for IDRC’s support and looks forward to a continued fruitful collaboration in advancing research and innovation in Africa.
As a token of appreciation, Prof. Nicholas Ozor, Director of ATPS, presented Marie-Eve Landry with a small gesture of gratitude for her support on the SCALE project.