Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma Appointed Substantive ASARECA Executive Director
BY BEN MOSES ILAKUT
ENTEBBE, UGANDA—The ASARECA Board of Directors have appointed Dr. Sylvester Dickson Baguma as the Substantive Executive Director of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). The full Board of Directors, comprising the Directors General of the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) of the 15 ASARECA Member States made their declaration today June 24, 2025, in an Extra-Ordinary Board of Directors meeting whose sole agenda was to approve the appointment. The appointment takes immediate effect from 1st July 2025.
From interim to Substantive role
It is exactly 8 months and 17 days since October 7, 2024, when the Board of Directors initially appointed Dr. Baguma to steer the organization as Interim Executive Director. He had been serving as the Director of the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) Bulindi Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute (BuZARDI) in western Uganda. The Board then embarked on an exhaustive process to recruit a substantive Executive Director, an exercise which attracted a total of 126 candidates from Eastern and Central Africa. It is from this pool of competitors that Dr. Baguma emerged as the winner after several tests and interviews.
Dr. Baguma’s promise
Reacting to the appointment, Dr. Baguma told the Board in an acceptance speech: “I am deeply honored and humbled by your decision to appoint me as the ASARECA Executive Director. Thank you for the trust and confidence that you have placed in me to lead this vital organization. I have long admired ASARECA’s commitment to transforming Agricultural Research for development in the region. For over three decades, ASARECA has been a cornerstone in fostering agricultural research for Development, promoting innovation and building critical partnerships that have significantly contributed to sustainable agricultural practices, food security and improved livelihoods in Africa.”
Dr. Baguma outlined to the Board and Stakeholders components of his vision of ASARECA serving as go-to-service provider of agricultural research for development services, rooted in enhanced collaboration, sustained growth and greater impact. “I commit to strengthen partnerships with the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS), Regional Economic Communities, the Private Sector, Development Partners, and most importantly, the farmers, who are the ultimate clients of Agricultural Research for Development, and whose lives we aim to transform,” he said. “We shall sharpen our focus in translating research into tangible outcomes directly benefiting communities by ensuring our work is not only scientifically sound but also practical, accessible and inclusive.”
Other key highlights of his priorities include: Leveraging emerging technologies and innovative approaches to accelerate agricultural transformation, including embracing digital agriculture, promoting climate smart practices and actively empowering women and youth in agriculture and constantly improving the capacities.
Board of Directors Confident of the Appointment
ASARECA Board of Directors Chairman, Ambassador Dr. Kipeygo Cheluget congratulated Dr. Baguma for standing up to the task in the last 8 months when he operated in acting capacity, connecting rapidly with the key stakeholders of Member States and acclimatizing quickly to the modus operandi of an Intergovernmental Organization.
Upon receiving Dr. Baguma’s acceptance, Board Members took turns to congratulate him. Dr. Elliud Kireger, Director General Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) assured Dr. Baguma of unfaltering support from the Board and KALRO; Dr. Yona Baguma, the Director General National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO), Uganda thanked the Executive Director for standing out and advised him to nurture ideas to harvest money, mold and support effective leadership of the NARS, as well as zoom the brand of ASARECA globally.
Other immediate congratulatory statements during the Board session came from Dr. Noe Woin, the Director General Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD) Camerron, Dr. George Tokporo Tadu, the Director General of South Sudan’s NARI, Dr. Thomas Bwana the Director General of Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute, and Ms Regina Kayitesi, the Representative of the Private Sector in the Board.
Secretariat staff elated
Through their internal communication platform, ASARECA Secretariat staff all expressed joy upon the new leadership at the Secretariat.
Dr. Baguma’s task is well cut. The Board of Directors and stakeholders want him to seek and leverage on existing partnerships with complementary Agricultural Research for Development institutions and development partners to crowd in opportunities and resources for ASARECA; and act in the best interest of Member States.
So far, the Board’s assessment is that he is up to the task having steered it out of a dangerous storm in the recent past. Dr. Baguma is widely exposed in both local and international spheres having conducted several consultancies and monitoring and evaluation assignments within and outside Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, including working with Centre for Development Innovation (CDI), the Netherlands, CTA, FAO on accelerated technology uptake, IFPRI, and several NGOs and CBOs. He has wide practical experience in facilitating multi-stakeholder engagements.
A track record in line with ASARECA aspirations
He is not new to ASARECA. Over the last 20 years, he has participated in core teams during consultations to inform priorities and drafting of ASARECA’s Strategic, Medium-Term Operational, and Programmatic Plans which have informed ASARECA’s strategic focus and impacts over the decades. He was part of the team that designed the ASARECA Master’s course in AICKM which is being implemented by universities in some member countries.
A public speaker and facilitator, he has moderated ASARECA’s strategic and flagship stakeholder engagement events and discourse including the ASARECA Agriculture Ministerial Conference (2023), the Regional Common Ground Dialogue for Mainstreaming Sustainable Agriculture in Eastern and Southern Africa (2024), and the consultative meeting for CGIAR and the National Agricultural Research Systems for Eastern and Southern Africa.
At Continental level, Dr. Baguma was part of the lead team of experts from the National Agricultural Research Systems that worked with the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) and ASARECA to develop priorities for the Regional Agricultural Information Network (RAIN) for the ASARECA sub-region, and the ERAILS programme, an information system through which farming communities and farmer advisory service providers are mobilized to generate questions for agricultural experts to provide actionable responses including speedy information to farmers.
Dr. Baguma is also a member of NARO Governing Council, the highest Governance body of Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization, he is a Board Member of FARA, as well as the current Chair of the NARO Intellectual Property Management Committee, which promotes commercialization of NARO’s agricultural research technologies and innovations. He is on several boards of different entities in Uganda.
He holds a PhD in Knowledge Management of Loughborough University in the UK, a Master’s degree in ICT specializing in MIS of Cranfield University in the UK, a Master’s in Agriculture of Makerere University, a Postgraduate Diploma in Modern Management and Administration of Cambridge Tutorial College and has formal training in project planning and management including using outcome mapping for planning and M&E. He has proven experience in designing and implementing strategic plans for impact.