The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) has announced a new international partnership with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) aimed at strengthening agricultural research and innovation in Morocco and Ghana. APNI said in a statement it had welcomed partners from Australia, Ghana and Morocco for the official launch of EXCEL Africa, an initiative designed to build scientific leadership and applied research capacity in climate-responsive crop nutrition and agronomy.
The launch event was held at APNI’s headquarters in Benguerir and brought together representatives from APNI, the Australian embassy in Morocco and ACIAR, alongside academics from the University of Queensland, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, the University of Ghana in Accra, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, and Ibn Zohr University in Agadir.
The partnership is intended to promote collaborative research, knowledge exchange and capacity development around climate challenges facing African agriculture. Australia’s Ambassador to Morocco, Damien Donavan, described EXCEL Africa as an example of research cooperation built through people and institutions, saying it lets researchers in the three countries learn from one another and jointly address challenges facing food systems.
ACIAR also voiced its support, framing the initiative as a practical investment in the next generation of agricultural research leaders. The project will draw on Australian and African expertise to provide mentorship, field-based learning and collaborative research opportunities, while working to strengthen individual researchers’ capacity and establish long-term professional networks among participating scientists.
Kaushik Majumdar, APNI’s Director General, said the initiative reflects the institute’s ongoing effort to build agricultural research capacity through international collaboration. By bringing together leading institutions from Morocco, Ghana and Australia, he said, the project will support a coordinated approach to mentorship and knowledge exchange, generating long-term value for participating institutions and stronger regional research systems.
