RUFORUM | Regional Nodes

To effectively coordinate its network of over 175 universities across 40 African countries, operating in four official African Union languages, RUFORUM decentralizes its operations through Regional Hubs (or Nodes). These nodes bring decision-making, capacity-building and partnership-mobilization closer to where the work happens.

The Three Regional Nodes

West Africa Node

Headquartered in Benin

Launched to serve primarily Francophone countries, coordinating RUFORUM's work across West Africa.

Southern Africa Node

Coordinated out of Malawi

Anchors RUFORUM's coordination across the Southern Africa sub-region and its member universities.

Eastern & Central Africa

RUFORUM Secretariat — Makerere University, Kampala

Coordinated primarily from the central RUFORUM Secretariat, serving Eastern and Central African members.

What the Nodes Do

A continuous cycle of localized action that powers regional impact.

Tailor Programs

Adapt capacity-building, agricultural research and educational programs to the specific contexts, languages and priorities of each sub-region.

Promote Networking

Foster cross-border collaboration among member universities, smallholder farmers and policymakers within each sub-region.

Mobilize Resources

Help mobilize resources and manage regional training networks directly within the sub-regions, ensuring responsiveness and impact.

West Africa Regional Node

Prof. Achille Assogbadjo
Lead Coordinator, RUFORUM West Africa Regional Node

The RUFORUM West Africa Regional Node is guided by six strategic priorities designed to strengthen regional collaboration and impact in agricultural higher education positioning the Node as a driver of regional integration, institutional resilience, and transformative change, in alignment with RUFORUM Vision 2030 and the African Union's Agenda 2063.

Mapping & Coordination

Establish governance structures and identify key human and financial resources across the region.

Thematic Networking on Regional Priorities

Build communities of practice around agroecology, biodiversity, food security, climate-smart agriculture and the circular bioeconomy.

Capacity Building

Enhance the competencies of faculty, researchers and administrators in research management, proposal writing and digital tools.

Youth Empowerment & Employability

Equip graduates with entrepreneurial skills and career readiness through bootcamps and mentorship.

Collaborative Research & Innovation Mobilization

Incubate multi-country research proposals and develop a regional seed grant scheme.

Policy Dialogue & Advocacy

Convene science-policy engagements with ECOWAS, WAEMU and national ministries, ensuring research outcomes inform regional decision-making.

RUFORUM Southern Africa Regional Node

The 2025 RUFORUM Annual General Meeting(AGM) officially launched the Southern Africa Regional Node. The Node is hosted at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). The establishment of the Node was premised on the fact that our region is undergoing rapid transformation driven by shifts in trade, technology, climate dynamics, and population growth. To navigate these changes, the Node is constituted to facilitate collaboration and coordination across all 53 RUFORUM member universities in Southern Africa. The call is to work together, through sharing knowledge, building capacity, harmonizing systems, and leveraging data-driven decision-making. The idea is for institutions of higher learning, the government and partner institutions in the region to go beyond celebrating the number of graduates, to developing skills for wealth creation, and promoting innovation and commercialisation translated from scientific knowledge in our countries, regions and Africa as a whole. Key flagship programs are around issues of one health, ethics and leadership, and biosystem engineering, among others. To achieve this, the Regional Node office will work through National Forums, which constitute a gathering of RUFORUM member universities within a country, to further enhance regional programs and priorities.