In an effort to boost its advocacy for smallholder farmers, the Cocoa and Coffee Farmers Alliance Association of Africa (COCEFAAA) has expanded its leadership structure with new seven appointments spanning its continental board and country chapters.
This was made known in a statement signed by the association’s Global President, Comrade Adeola Adegoke, and made available to AgroNigeria on Tuesday.
The appointments bring new representation from Ethiopia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Cameroon into the association’s leadership, with individuals drawn from agricultural businesses, commodity administration and other professional fields.
At the board level, COCEFAAA appointed Dr Liliane Kabondo Mbazumutima, a global public health leader, and Raymond Katta, Executive Chairman of the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board.
The country leadership appointments include Abel Ayele Bunaro, Founder and Managing Director of BunAroma Specialty Coffee, as Country Director for Ethiopia, and Jack Ndirangu, Chairman of Kahiraini Coffee Factory, as Country Director for Kenya.
Didan Sankoh, Director of Operations and Programmes at the Sierra Leone Produce Monitoring Board, was named Country Director for Sierra Leone.
In Ghana, James Kwarteng, Co-founder of Apocco Farms Limited, was appointed Deputy Country Director, while Prince Mahamadou Mamouda Almed, President of the Meme Cocoa Buyers Association (MECOBA), will serve as Deputy Country Director for Cameroon.
Explaining the significance of the appointments, Adegoke said the new leaders’ experience and understanding of the industries in their respective countries would support the association’s efforts to improve farmers’ welfare.
“Their experience, commitment and knowledge of the cocoa and coffee sectors within their respective countries will contribute meaningfully to our collective efforts to advance the interests and welfare of cocoa and coffee farmers across Africa,” he said.
The association said the appointments marked an important step towards consolidating its continental leadership and strengthening its capacity to represent farmers across West, Central and East Africa.
COCEFAAA maintains country chapters in several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Congo, Rwanda and Burundi.
