Dr Simeon Ehui, is a national of Côte d’Ivoire and the United States and has over 30 years of experience in agriculture and sustainable development, building a wide-ranging network of scientific research organizations within the CGIAR system, multilateral organizations, regional bodies, and national governments in Africa and other continents.

He joined IITA as Director General in August 2023, from the World Bank, where he was Regional Director for Sustainable Development for West and Central Africa. He previously served as Director of the World Bank’s Food and Agriculture Global Practice. In addition, he was the Bank’s Manager of agriculture and water in South Asia and Africa, as well as Lead Economist and Sector Leader for the Sustainable Development Network in Nigeria, covering a variety of sectors such as agriculture, environment, social, water, urban, transport, and energy.

Dr Ehui is also the CGIAR director for Continental Africa and thus serves as a counterpart to key continent-wide institutions. This has led to a step-change in the level, relevance, and depth of CGIAR’s presence in Africa.

Dr Ehui is a member of CGIAR’s Senior Leadership Team, which helps guide the global partnership and alignment of efforts to boost food and nutrition security on the African Continent.

Before joining the World Bank, Dr Ehui worked for 15 years at CGIAR, managing multi-agricultural research development programs in Africa and Asia for both IITA and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).