Executive Office

Dr. Ousmane Badiane, Distinguished Fellow of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, recipient of the Africa Food Prize in 2015 and member of the World Academy of Sciences, is the Executive Chairperson of AKADEMIYA2063. He has over 30 years of experience, as academic and a practitioner, in international development. As the Director for Africa at the International Food Policy Research Institute, he was instrumental in developing and guiding the implementation of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme.

As Lead Specialist for Food and Agricultural Policy at the World Bank, he served as advisor to the Vice President for Africa and originated projects with funding ranging from US$5 million to US$150 million. Between research and development finance, Dr. Badiane taught Economics of Development in Africa at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies for many years.

Dr. Badiane received PhD in agricultural economics from the University of Kiel in Germany. He is also recipient of a Doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of KwaZulu Natal.

Mr. Nyirimana Joseph is currently Senior National Director of AKADEMIYA2063. He has more than 35 years of experience in the field of rural development project management. For over 11 years, Mr. Nyirimana worked at the African Development Bank (AfDB) as an Agricultural Specialist at the Rwanda Country Office. In this role, he contributed to the identification, appraisal and supervision of around ten projects in Rwanda and Burundi and regularly contributed to the reviews of agricultural sector policies and strategies in the two countries.

Mr. Nyirimana was Coordinator of 2 projects funded by the World Bank within the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) in Rwanda: (i) the Agricultural and Rural Market Development Project (ARMDP) - USD 5 Million, which has contributed to the construction of 15 rural markets, the establishment of an extension system to stimulate the demand for fertilizers and the establishment of institutional and financial reforms that have encouraged the private sector to get involved in the distribution of fertilizers; (ii) The Rural Sector Support Project (RSSP) - USD 48 million, where Mr. Nyirimana contributed to its effective start-up mainly in the area of marshland development (carrying out of all technical studies on 4,000 ha and the start of works) and the operationalization of a rural investment fund of USD 7.5 million. After the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsis in Rwanda, Mr. Nyirimana participated in emergency and rehabilitation operations in the country where he was a Program Officer at World Food Program (WFP). In this role, he participated in the operation of the massive repatriation of refugees in 1996 and thereafter to the country’s rehabilitation operations through the implementation of “Food For Work” projects.

From 1982 to 1993, he worked as Agronomist in various rural development projects in Burundi and Chad (including 6 years as a UN Volunteer). Mr. Nyirimana, who is a Rwandan national, holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering received in December 1981 at the University of Burundi, faculty of Agronomy.

Julia Collins is a Senior Associate Scientist with AKADEMIYA2063, based in Washington, DC. She supports a variety of ReSAKSS projects and AKADEMIYA2063 publications.

She previously worked at IFPRI as a Senior Research Analyst, contributing to support for National Agriculture Investment Plans and other ReSAKSS projects.

She earned her MS in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012 and holds a BA from Knox College in French and International Studies.

Serge has 6 years of experience in working with international NGOs, including 5 years in the HR Administration field. He started with World Vision International (WVI). He contributed to an implementation of its core programs – education, health and nutrition, protection, and livelihood – as Sponsorship Volunteer from 2016 to 2017 to improve most deprived and marginalized children’s lives in Rwanda.

His HR career started with Save the Children International (SCI) as HR Assistant in 2018. He assisted SCI staff to ensure that they are smoothly and effectively supported to deliver the SCI common goals: child rights governance, child protection, education, health, and nutrition of marginalized children.

Serge joined AKADEMIYA2063 as HR Officer effective June 1st, 2022. Prior to that, since 2020 he has been working with the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), a Partners In Health initiative. As an HR Assistant, he contributed to UGHE’s mission – radically change the way health care is delivered around the world by training generations of global health professionals who strive to deliver more equitable and quality health services for all. Serge is a certified trainee on various HR and administrative subjects and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from University of Rwanda.