ANNOUNCING THE PASSING OF DR KANAYO F. NWANZE, 1945-2025

It is with immense grief and profound sadness that the Executive Managing Director of the CGIAR and the Council of Ministers, Board, Management and Staff of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) announce the passing of Dr. Kanayo F. Nwanze, which occurred on Sunday, 16 February 2025 in Lagos, Nigeria. Dr. Nwanze was the Board Chair of the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) at the time of his passing.

Dr Nwanze started his career in the CGIAR as a Postdoctoral Research Entomologist at IITA-Ibadan in 1976, a year after graduating with a PhD in Entomology from Kansas State University, USA. He went on to serve in the CGIAR for over 30 years (at IITA, ICRISAT and AfricaRice – then WARDA), reaching the highest leadership position of Director General of AfricaRice in 1996. After serving two terms as DG-AfricaRice, Dr Nwanze joined the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and was appointed to the position of Vice President and subsequently elevated to the distinguished office of President of IFAD.

He was the originator and the person who coined the word “NERICA”, used to name the rice varieties developed by the crossing of African and Asian rice species. Dr Nwanze was a member of several academies, scientific associations and boards of agricultural research and development institutions. He has published extensively, having authored over 50 articles in refereed journals, and produced a similar number of peer-reviewed conference papers, books and book chapters, including hundreds of keynote papers and addresses. He was a renowned international agricultural research scientist and development practitioner with an immense conviction, passion and strong belief in achieving a truly African agricultural green revolution and renaissance in his lifetime. He was a recipient of many professional Awards and National Honors including Doctorate of Science degrees honoris causa from McGill University, Canada, and University of Warwick, UK. As the African proverb goes, “A baobab has fallen”.

An elder statesman and an authority on everything CGIAR, after retiring from IFAD, Dr Nwanze continued to serve on the CGIAR System Board. This multitude of contributions towards the attainment of food security in developing countries, earned him the respect and reverence of the international agricultural development community.

Dr Nwanze is survived by his loving wife, Mrs Juliana Nwanze and children.

We honor the life and memory of Dr. Nwanze and pray that God will receive him in his bosom in heaven. The international development community especially the AfricaRice and CGIAR family at large, will sorely miss a true African giant of the agricultural sciences.

Rest in Perfect Peace!