Dr Kpaka Named AfricaRice Council Chair
Sierra Leone's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Henry Musa Kpaka, has been appointed Chair of the AfricaRice Council of Ministers during its 34th Ordinary Session in Abidjan. In this role, he will lead a 28-member governing body responsible for providing strategic oversight, ministerial guidance, and research direction across the continent.
The appointment comes as member nations focus on priorities to strengthen Africa's rice sector and reduce reliance on imported rice.
Accepting the leadership position, Dr. Kpaka highlighted a shared regional vision to leverage agriculture for economic stability and food independence.
“I accepted to lead great minds because we all share the same goal: to use agriculture to feed ourselves, create jobs, and reduce dependence on imports that contribute to African poverty,” he stated.
His leadership arrives at a pivotal juncture as AfricaRice advances its Institutional Strategy for 2027–2035 to foster collaboration and build competitive domestic rice markets.
For Sierra Leone, the appointment complements national efforts under the Feed Salone initiative, which targets food self-sufficiency through targeted investments in production, mechanization, and infrastructure.
Driven by these initiatives, Sierra Leone's domestic rice self-sufficiency grew from 68 percent in 2023 to 73 percent in 2025. Moving forward, Dr. Kpaka will helm ministerial discussions to enhance technology development and cross-border agricultural cooperation across member states.
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