Congratulations to Dr. Issoufou Kapran!


Dr. Issoufou Kapran was recently appointed as chair of the Board of Directors for the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN). SMIL has enjoyed a collaborative partnership with INRAN for nearly a decade and congratulates Dr. Kapran on this new appointment.

The partnership between SMIL and INRAN has produced advancements in technology by utilizing research and strengthening local capacities. Pearl millet and sorghum are key cereal crops in Niger and the larger West Africa region. Over 500 million people in vulnerable communities depend on these cereal crops as food for families and feed for livestock. Together, SMIL and INRAN are improving crop yields, forming long-term genomics-assisted breeding platforms with better production systems, and innovating nutritious food products to strengthen the resilience of these communities.

The SMIL and INRAN partnership has been greatly enhanced by the work and research of Dr. Kapran, who benefitted from post-graduate education and mentoring within INTSORMIL, SMIL predecessor program, and became a leader in plant breeding, organizational capacity development, and strengthening of seed systems to ensure delivery of improved seed to smallholder farmers. Dr. Kapran is considered a key partner in the global sorghum and millet network.

Nat Bascom, SMIL assistant director, said, “Dr. Kapran’s guidance to the INRAN research team to support a robust technology scaling plan has been key. Pearl millet and sorghum account for up to 70% of household caloric intake in many Sahelian regions of West Africa, so Dr. Kapran’s leadership is essential to supporting those communities.

SMIL is excited about the leadership Dr. Kapran will provide for INRAN and looks forward to continued support to Dr. Kapran and INRAN for further development of technologies through farmer engagement and enhancement of private sector partnerships.

Dr. Kapran was recently appointed as chair of the Board of Directors for the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN). SMIL has enjoyed a collaborative partnership with INRAN for nearly a decade and congratulates Dr. Kapran on this new appointment.