The Board of Trustees of Al-Sumait Prize for African Development have announced the winners of the year 2022.
His Excellency the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kuwait, Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the chair of the board.
They have announced that the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and Dr. Catherine Nakalembe are the joint winners of the prize.
The award was given in recognition of their achievements in the field of food security on the African continent.
The Al-Sumait Prize Trustees recognized AATF, chaired by Prof. Aggrey Ambali and located in Kenya, for its success in empowering small farmers.
AATF enables farmers to access and utilize suitable agricultural technologies, addressing productivity, marketing, climate resilience, and health challenges.
This achievement is significant in enhancing the well-being of African farmers and addressing critical agricultural issues on the continent.
The Board added that Dr. Nakalembe from Uganda won the Prize for being a distinguished expert in the field of crop mapping and monitoring, using remote sensing and machine learning techniques.
She also leads the NASA Harvest Africa program at the University of Maryland, which equips smallholder farmers with valuable skills.
Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS), which supervises the Prize, stated that AATF has demonstrated a long-term positive impact.
It has introduced innovative programs for many Africans and creatively responded to food security issues and challenges.
KFAS also emphasized Kuwait’s support for organizations in Africa, helping them stand out with exemplary projects and programs.
In addition, they said that this recognition benefits African communities through improving food security.
According to KFAS, the Prize received 51 nominations from 22 countries, showcasing the global reach and significance of these efforts.
Fostering Innovation and Development in Africa
The Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and member of the Prize’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, said that the work and research that contribute to enhancing food security, health and education in Africa send a ray of hope in the flux of global crises we are all living through.
Dr. Elouafi also expressed her congratulations to the winners of the Prize.
She pointed out that developing new innovations and expanding their scope is an essential issue for eliminating hunger and poverty.
She also stated that this improves the livelihoods of producers in Africa.
Furthermore, she added that the winners contribute to inspiring many people to exert further efforts towards building a better Africa.
The annual Al-Sumait Prize was launched at the noble initiative of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
This was during the Arab African Summit hosted by Kuwait in 2013.
The launch was in honor of the late Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait, the Kuwaiti doctor who devoted his life to address the challenges related to health, education and food security facing Africa.
The Prize acknowledges outstanding studies, projects, research, and initiatives with an impact on Africa’s economic, social, and human development.