Under activities to improve research in this area, Sierra Leone has strengthened the Rokupr Agricultural Research Centre (RARC) of SLARI.

The capacities of the Njala Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) of SLARI have also been built to carry out adaptive research on cassava.

As part of the implementation of activities of WAAPP Sierra Leone, there has been the financing the upgrade of core research facilities and equipment, building the capacity of researchers and development workers, and support to priority research programs.

The West African specialized research centers were established under the West Africa Productivity Program (WAAPP), a flagship of ECOWAS and implemented by CORAF.

Each center had between 5-10 years from its creation to mutate to a regional center of excellence based on a set of pre-defined conditions. Some of these criteria include having an agriculture research framework, infrastructure, and logistics to conduct quality research, a work program that addresses national and regional demands, qualified expertise to do research, contribution to strengthening national research systems, a governance system, etc.

Regional centers of excellence are designed to conduct commissioned research on issues of regional interest. They can participate in calls for competitive funds and can mobilize from across the region required talents and skills to implement their research agenda,”

Dr. Lamien Niéyidouba,
Regional WAAPP Program Coordinator