Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture Launches
Initial cohorts will be composed of leaders from eight countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
With support from Policy LINK, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and African Management Institute have launched the Centre for African Leaders in Agriculture (CALA).
Initially, CALA will offer an intensive, 16-month leadership training course to established and emerging leaders in eight African countries. Using a mix of online coursework in leadership and management, group-based action learning projects, and coaching, the course will equip leaders with the skills to solve national agriculture challenges.
Over its first three years, the program plans to train two cohorts with approximately 80 leaders each. Initial cohorts will be composed of leaders from eight countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Major funding for CALA was provided by German Development Cooperation through the KfW Development Bank.
To prepare for its launch, Policy LINK participated in planning discussions on the learning needs assessment, cohort selection criteria, and curriculum, helping shape the program and encouraging greater participation from the private sector and civil society. Policy LINK also developed a coaching concept to complement and reinforce the training curriculum.
Chief of Party Steve Smith emphasized the importance of coaching as a core part of hands-on support for leaders in the sector. “Effective leaders marshal a range of actors to forge collaborative solutions to complex challenges—a skill that cannot be taught in the classroom alone,” he said. “The CALA coaching component will build on the Centre’s leadership curriculum by putting participants on a self-directed, lifelong leadership journey.”