The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) has called for stronger, mission-aligned partnerships to help expand its impact, research, innovation and skills development, as it positions itself to become a regional centre of excellence for agricultural transformation. The ambition is rooted in RICA's experiential learning model, research programmes and growing role in developing practical solutions to agricultural challenges facing Rwanda and the wider continent. Institutional recognition as a regional centre of excellence could attract students, researchers, investment and innovation partnerships from across Africa, strengthening the higher learning institution’s efforts to improve food security, climate resilience and agricultural productivity. The call was made during RICA's Strategic Partners Breakfast Meeting held in Kigali on June 19 under the theme, Unlocking Transformational Impact for Rwanda and Africa. The event brought together government officials, diplomats, academia, development partners and private sector actors to explore how collaboration can accelerate sustainable agricultural development in Rwanda and beyond. As RICA seeks to expand its continental relevance, Uganda has proposed that the institution be formally recognised as a regional Centre of Excellence in conservation agriculture, enabling students from across East Africa and beyond to benefit from its training model. ALSO READ: PM Nsengiyumva urges RICA graduates to drive Rwanda’s agric transformation Speaking during the meeting, Uganda's High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ambassador Robert Rusoke, said RICA has already demonstrated the capacity to serve not only Rwanda but the wider region. I think it is a centre of excellence on this continent. Instead of creating small units operating independently, why don't we recognise RICA as a centre of excellence for our region so that we can have our regional students here? Rusoke said. According to the ambassador, strengthening one institution with proven expertise could help accelerate agricultural transformation across Africa by producing graduates capable of driving change in their home countries. Transformational knowledge is infectious. One student from here can make a difference for the region and for the continent, he added. The proposal received immediate support from Dr. Olivier Kamana, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), who pledged to raise the matter through the Rwanda-Uganda Joint Permanent Commission. Definitely, we can make it. This is one of the issues we need to follow up through the Joint Permanent Commission. It is something we can bring to the next meeting, Kamana said. Building partnerships for greater impact RICA's Interim Vice Chancellor, Dr. Olusegun Adedayo, said the institution was established to address pressing agricultural challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, declining soil health and food insecurity. However, he stressed that achieving transformational impact at scale will require deeper collaboration among governments, academia, development partners, research institutions and the private sector. Real and enduring change is built through partnership. No institution, however committed, can achieve transformational impact alone, Adedayo said. He noted that RICA is seeking partnerships and investment in agricultural research, innovation, student training, community outreach, technology transfer, entrepreneurship development and conservation agriculture practices that improve productivity while protecting natural resources. According to Adedayo, the institution's vision extends beyond Rwanda's borders. The lessons we generate, the models we build and the partnerships we nurture here in Rwanda can offer value across the African continent. Unlocking transformational impact is a call to move beyond isolated efforts and towards collective progress, he said. A model for Rwanda and Africa Central to RICA's growing reputation is its experiential learning approach, which combines classroom instruction with extensive practical training. Students spend nearly half of their academic programme working directly on farms and agricultural enterprises before undertaking six-month industry internships. For Pascal Gatabazi, Chief Technical Advisor at the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the model offers important lessons for higher-learning institutions across Africa. You cannot learn how to drive a car without touching the steering wheel. In the same way, you cannot prepare innovators and problem solvers through theory alone. Experiential learning is the way to go, Gatabazi said. He encouraged universities to strengthen partnerships with industry and communities to ensure students graduate with practical skills alongside technical knowledge. Stakeholders said broader adoption of such models could help equip young Africans with the skills needed to address modern agricultural challenges while strengthening food systems across the continent. Addressing growing agricultural pressures The call for collaboration comes as Rwanda faces mounting pressure on agricultural land, climate change impacts and rising food demand. According to data presented by RICA, Rwanda has approximately 1.35 million hectares of agricultural land, representing about 57 per cent of the country's total land area, much of it cultivated by smallholder farmers operating on less than half a hectare. With population growth continuing to reduce average farm sizes, stakeholders said future agricultural growth will depend on improving productivity on existing land rather than expanding cultivation. Established in 2019, RICA has emerged as a leading institution in conservation agriculture education, research and community engagement. It has graduated 239 students, trained more than 2,283 farmers in conservation agriculture and food processing, and conducted 27 high-impact research projects aimed at improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods. The push for regional centre of excellence status reflects growing recognition of RICA's role in generating practical agricultural solutions and developing the skilled workforce needed to drive sustainable agricultural transformation across Rwanda and Africa.
