Annex 1 List of Participants - OFAB

Overview
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is rich in quality protein and digestible
carbohydrate, has energy content almost equivalent to that of cereals grains and an
ideal complement to the protein deficient diets of the poor.
It is considered the most important food grain legume in the dry savannas of tropical
Africa, where it is grown on more than 12.5 million hectares of land. Nearly 200
million people in Africa consume the crop; it provides cash income, is a cheap
protein supplement in human diets and a source of quality fodder for livestock.
However, many biotic and abiotic factors greatly reduce cowpea productivity in the
traditional African farming systems.
Efforts are underway to develop improved lines of cowpea that withstand biotic and
abiotic stresses, possess greater genetic vigour and contain higher nutritional value.
As part of this effort, AATF is coordinating a public/private sector collaborative
partnership project to promote technological interventions that will result in the
improvement of cowpea productivity and utilisation in sub-Saharan Africa.
To shed light on the progress that has been made so far, OFAB on Friday 23, 2007
invited the lead researcher, Dr. T.J Higgins, to give a presentation on status of the
project titled “Partnership for Delivery of Insect Resistant Cowpea to Smallholder Farmers
in the sub-Saharan Africa” to the scientific community and other stakeholders in
Kenya.
Opening remarks
Dr. Margaret Karembu, Director, ISAAA AfriCenter and chair,
OFAB Programming Committee, opened the meeting by welcoming
all the participants to the second meeting in the year 2007. She gave
highlights on the program, aims of OFAB meeting and requested
participants to introduce themselves.
Dr. Mpoko Bokanga, Executive director, AATF, thanked the participants for having
spared time from their busy schedules to attend the meeting.
He gave background information, objectives, structure, frequency
and venue for OFAB meetings. He said Nairobi had over 39
research institutions thus offering an ideal venue for the meetings.
He thanked Dr. Karembu, for accepting the chair the OFAB as part
of the collaboration between AATF and ISAAA.
Dr Bokonga said AATF would source for funds to facilitate the
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