Professor Samuel Kwame Offei Delivers Inaugural Lecture

Prof. Samuel Kwame Offei, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Ghana, has advocated increased investments in agricultural research and development by African governments, an awareness campaign to address skepticism surrounding new agricultural technologies as well as increased capacity development in agricultural education at the tertiary level as strategies to address the threats to food and nutritional security. 

He made these remarks at his Inaugural Lecture on the topic, “Managing the Enemies of Plants to Enhance Food Security: Genetic Improvement as a Counter Offensive Strategy” in which he shared his research work and scholarly articles which have contributed significantly to harnessing effective and sustainable ways of increasing food production and conservation in Africa.

The lecture focused on six critical areas relating to the field of Molecular Plant Virology. These comprise the historical perspectives of plant diseases and their effect on agricultural productivity and human population; genomic characteristics of pathogens affecting crops in Ghana; application of DNA technologies in characterizing plant materials; finding population structure of disease organisms in Ghana; efforts in improving crops for high nutritional qualities and resistance to diseases and attainment of food security through capacity building in the Sub-Region.

Prof. Offei,in his presentation, called to attention statistics put out by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which indicate that almost a billion people in the world do not have enough food to eat. The FAO report, he said,  also estimated 400 million malnourished people in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 240 million currently suffering from what he termed “hidden hunger.” He indicated that the cause of an estimated 2 billion people worldwide suffering from hidden hunger was due to deficiencies in essential vitamins and minerals, thus resulting in devastating effects such as mental impairment, poor health, low productivity and even death.

He noted that according to the 2015 Africa Agricultural Status Report, Africa’s annual food imports total over $60 billion, although the continent has more than half of the world’s unused fertile lands.  To change this trend, Prof. Offei said boosting agriculture and yields particularly in sub-Saharan Africa was important to ensure the production of more food by 2050 taking into account the growing population and diet shift.

He said the bane of Africa’s agriculture was largely due to the practice of subsistence farming, the use of low technologies, low investments in research by governments as well as abundant pest and diseases affecting farm produce (e.g. viruses, fungi, bacteria, phytoplasma, nematodes, Cassava Mosaic Disease, Cocoa Blackpod, Citrus Canker, and Cape St. Paul Wilt). Prof. Offei described models for understanding the mechanisms of viral infections, as well as how crops can be genetically modified through traditional breeding, mutagenesis, and transgenic procedures.

In his closing remarks, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ernest Aryeetey who chaired the lecture said the lecture has highlighted the use of modern science skills and resources to facilitate effective management of plant pathogens. . While thanking Prof. Samuel Kwame Offei for sharing his knowledge on the importance of genetic science to food security in the face of growing world population, Prof. Aryeetey noted that the lecture had demonstrated the important role food scientists play in the development of a country’s agriculture sector

Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ernest Aryeetey

The Registrar of the University, Mrs. Mercy Haizel-Ashia said inaugural lectures are a testament of the strength and vitality of the academic cadre of the University of Ghana. She noted that the diversity of scholarly lectures scheduled for the semester, would allow the four Colleges notably, the College of Basic and Applied Science, the College of Humanities, the College of Education and the College of Health Sciences to showcase the research works of their scholars. Mrs. Haizel-Ashia underscored the University’s expectation of academics who attain the highest rank in their academic career to deliver an inaugural lecture. She thanked the audience especially the academic senior members in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences for their massive support for Prof. Kwame Offei, a faculty member from the college.

Registrar of the University, Mrs. Mercy Haizel-Ashia 

The Lecture was attended by Provosts, Deans, Directors and members of the University community. Also present were a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Kweku Osam, the President of Central University College, Prof. Kwesi Yankah, former colleagues, students, family members and friends as well as the general public.

A cross-section of the Audience

A number of presentations were made to Prof.  Samuel Kwame Offei to congratulate him.

Prof. Offei receiving various presentations after the lecture

As a prelude to Prof. Kwame Offei’s inaugural lecture, a week-long exhibition of his works was held at the Balme Library. The exhibition centered his research on the Genomic Analysis of Maize Streak Virus, the Diversity of Cassava Mosaic Begomoviruses in Ghana, the Mutation Breeding of Sorghum Varieties in Ghana, the Etiology and Management of Leaf Curl Diseases of Tomato in the Volta Region of Ghana, the Genetic Control and Breeding for Seed Size and Colour in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), among several other publications.

An Exhibition of Prof. Offei's Scholarly Works

Prof. Offei in a group picture with members of convocation 

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