Kanayo F. Nwanze

Kanayo F. Nwanze began his term as IFAD’s fifth President on 1 April 2009. A Nigerian national, Nwanze has a strong record as an advocate and leader of change and a keen understanding of the complexity of development issues. He was elected President by delegates from IFAD’s 165 Member States in February 2009.

Mr Nwanze served as IFAD’s Vice-President for two years before taking the organization’s helm. During that time, he championed and led the implementation of key processes that have improved the quality of IFAD’s operations in developing countries.

Mr Nwanze has over 30 years of extensive experience devoted to improving the livelihoods of poor rural communities. Prior to his arrival at IFAD, he served as Director-General (1996-2006) of the Africa Rice Center (WARDA) – a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) – and held several senior positions at the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) from 1979-1996. He started his international career as a post-doctoral researcher with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) shortly after his Ph.D. (1975) in agricultural entomology from Kansas State University, Kansas, USA. Mr Nwanze is a member of several scientific associations and a Board Member of a number of institutions. He has received numerous prizes and awards.