Oluwaseye Gideon Oyebode is a Ph.D. candidate in Plant Breeding and Genetics with a minor in Statistics at Auburn University, expected to graduate in August 2026. His research focuses on quantitative genetic frameworks for breeding crops in intercropping systems across tropical and temperate agroecosystems. He integrates genomic and high-throughput phenomics data to develop predictive models that improve selection accuracy in species mixtures. His work spans cassava–cowpea systems in West Africa and clover–oat mixtures in temperate agriculture, where he investigates the genetic architecture of performance in crop mixtures using genomic, UAV and ground-based spectral sensing. He also leads a USDA SARE-funded project evaluating white lupin as a dual-purpose ecosystem service crop in the southeastern United States. Prior to his doctoral studies, he spent a decade working in cassava and cowpea breeding at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria.

Dr. Mathieu Ayenan is a vegetable breeder at the World Vegetable Center based in Cotonou, Benin. With a career dedicated to improving food and nutrition security through genetic improvement, Mathieu specializes in developing climate-resilient vegetable varieties tailored for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. He joined the World Vegetable Center in 2021, where he led variety trials, supported seed system development and seed producer capacity building, and collaborated with national agricultural research systems on variety release and registration. Since April 2024, he has served as a Vegetable Breeder at the center. His previous research focused on optimizing high-throughput pollen phenotyping methods, identifying novel sources of heat tolerance in tomatoes using physiological, morphological, and genomic approaches, quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis, and hybrid development, including the identification of heterotic groups in tomatoes and conducting genome-wide association studies for important agronomic traits in potatoes. He currently leads the WorldVeg okra breeding program in Africa, focusing on delivering market-driven varieties to improve food and nutritional security and stakeholders’ income. Before joining WorldVeg, Mathieu conducted research on breeding and seed system development across several crops, including cowpea, pigeon pea, soybean, and rice. He earned his PhD in Plant Breeding from the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) and now champions a ‘purpose-driven’ approach that ensures genetic gains are successfully translated into tangible socio-economic impacts for stakeholders across value chains.

Dr. Dorcas Olubunmi Ibitoye currently serves as a Director of Research (plant breeding) with the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Nigeria. Dorcas obtained her BSc in Botany from the University of Ilorin in 1998, MSc (Plant Genetics) from the University of Ibadan in 2003 and a PhD (Plant Breeding) from the West Africa Center for Crop Improvement, University of Ghana, Legon in 2015 under the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) doctoral scholarship. Dorcas is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) and an alumna of the Africa Plant Breeding Academy class III. She works together with stakeholders on developing product profiles for her chosen crops to capture stakeholders’ preferences for different market niches into the breeding programs. Dorcas has attracted about $30million from global donors such as AU-EU, USAID, World Bank and BASF-NUNHEMS PVT. LTD since graduation. Dorcas has authored/co-authored about 32 publications (journal and conference proceedings) and four book chapters. She has co-supervised 4 BSc, 8MSc and 2 PhD students from different universities in Nigeria, including several students on internship. She is a part-time lecturer with the Pan-African University, University of Ibadan. Where she teaches a course on “Principles of Cultivar Development”. She had attended several training courses, workshops and conferences within and outside Nigeria. She is a member of the African and Nigerian Plant Breeder Association, the International Society for Horticultural Science and the Genetic Society of Nigeria. Dorcas deserves pleasure in mentoring upcoming scientists within and outside her institution and has single-handedly organized/facilitated international training for scientists and support staff in her institution to improve their efficiency. Her professional excellence has earned her several awards and recognitions, including the Most Influential Scientist Award (NIHORT, 2019) and an Outstanding Service Award as President for the International Association of Research Scholars and Fellowship (IARSAF-IITA, 2014). She multitasks very well and enjoys singing and sewing for leisure. She is married to Engr. David Ibitoye and blessed with two daughters.

Dr. Paterne Agre is a Molecular Breeder and Bioinformatic Scientist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria, where he leads research on yam genomics and breeding innovation. His work focuses on integrating advanced genomics, pangenome analysis, and functional genomics to accelerate trait discovery and deployment and genetic improvement in yam (Dioscorea spp.), a critical staple crop supporting millions of smallholder farmers across Africa.

Dr. Agre has contributed to the development of foundational genomic resources for yam, including reference genome assemblies and the ongoing construction of a yam pangenome to capture genetic diversity and enable precision breeding. His research integrates structural genomics, gene expression analysis, and trait mapping to identify genes associated with key agronomic traits, including nutritional quality.

Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Agre works closely with National Agricultural Research Systems across Africa to strengthen yam breeding pipelines and contribute to the deployment of improved varieties. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has received several international recognitions, including the AGBTNext–Generation Leadership Award (Orlando, 2024) and the Best Yam Research Innovation Award at the ISTRC Conference (India, 2025).

Prof. Julia Sibiya is the Capacity Lead for the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) initiative at CIMMYT, where she leads efforts to strengthen African scientific and institutional capacity for climate-resilient, nutritious opportunity crops (also known as neglected and underutilized species). She oversees the development of a continent-wide cohort of Fellows, including MSc, PhD, and early- to mid-career scientists, trained and mentored through partnerships with universities, CGIAR centres, advanced research institutes, and global collaborators to advance resilient agrifood systems. Julia holds a BSc in Agriculture from the University of Zimbabwe, an MS in Plant Pathology from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in Plant Breeding from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. She is an alumna of the African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI), UKZN, and the UC Davis African Plant Breeding Academy. With more than 30 years of experience in academia as a university professor, she has supervised over 80 MSc and PhD students and co-authored more than 150 scientific publications. She also leads Bambara groundnut breeding initiatives and is a founding member and immediate past President of the African Plant Breeders Association (APBA), as well as an Advocate of the Borlaug Training Foundation.

Ousmane Boukar is a Cowpea Breeder at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-Kano Station in Nigeria. He earned a BSc in Agronomy from the National Advanced School of Agriculture in Cameroon in 1988, followed by his MSc in 1998 and PhD in 2002 from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana. Before joining IITA, Ousmane worked as a cowpea breeder and regional scientific coordinator at the Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD), Cameroon. Dr. Boukar has been involved in over 50 research-funded projects and has served as the Principal Investigator on more than 30. In capacity building, he has supervised or co-supervised over 30 PhD and 20 MSc students. He has hosted more than 15 visiting scientists and mentored at least 10 young scientists. Additionally, he has led over 30 group training sessions for technicians, NARS partners, and extension agents. Ousmane has contributed to at least 70 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals and is the first or last author on more than 25 of them. From 2008 to 2022, he helped release at least 37 cowpea varieties across several African countries, including Benin (1), Burkina Faso (2), Ghana (4), Malawi (1), Mali (4), Mozambique (3), Niger (4), Nigeria (9), Sierra Leone (2), South Sudan (2), and Tanzania (5).