Draft:ALICE RUHWEZA
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Alice Ruhweza is a Ugandan economist and international development leader, currently serving as President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) since March 2025.[1] She is known for her career spanning nearly three decades at the intersection of social, economic, and environmental policy.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Ruhweza holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Economics.[2] She has completed leadership programs at the Harvard Kennedy School, IMD Business School in Lausanne, and the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.[2] She also participated in the United Nations System Mastermind in Sustainable Development Leadership.[3]
Career
[edit]United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
[edit]Ruhweza led the Global Environment Finance Unit in Africa, mobilizing over US$600 million for sustainable development projects across more than 40 African countries.[4]
Conservation International
[edit]She served as Executive Director of the Vital Signs programme and as Vice President of Sustainable Production, focusing on data-driven policy and sustainable development targets.[4]
WWF International
[edit]In 2019, Ruhweza joined WWF International as Regional Director for Africa, shaping the organization’s sustainability agenda across the continent.[4]
Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
[edit]In March 2025, she was appointed President of AGRA, taking over leadership of the Nairobi-based agricultural development organization.[1] Since assuming office, she has prioritized sustainability, youth employment, and economic inclusion in AGRA’s programming.[5]
Advisory and board roles
[edit]Ruhweza has served on advisory boards for CGIAR and has been involved with the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature and Security and its Global Foresight Network.[3] She co-chaired the WEF’s Sustainable Aquaculture 2030 Working Group and was a member of the European Commission’s high-level group on sustainable finance in low- and middle-income countries.[2] She is a Senior Fellow of the Aspen Institute’s New Voices program,[6] a Henry Arnhold Conservation Fellow, and a Salzburg Global Seminar fellow.[7]
Advocacy and recognition
[edit]Ruhweza is an International UN Gender Champion and a member of the UNCCD Gender Caucus.[8] She has spoken publicly in support of gender equality, often citing the phrase: “If you educate a man, you educate an individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”[2]
Awards and honors
[edit]- Top 50 Most Influential Women in Africa (2024)[3]
- Africa Green Champion Award (2022), presented by the Eleven Twelve Foundation[9]
- Women Achievers Africa Hall of Fame, for leadership and advocacy on diversity, equity, and inclusion[10]
Vision at AGRA
[edit]Under Ruhweza’s leadership, AGRA has announced plans to create 77,000 youth jobs, double maize production in Kenya, and increase rice output by 574% over five years.[11] She has emphasized the role of private capital mobilization, highlighting AGRA’s US$350 million grant from the Mastercard Foundation and a US$105 million Green Climate Fund program to reduce food loss.[5]
She has also described the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a “game-changer” for smallholder farmers and Africa’s agricultural growth.[12]
Selected quotes
[edit]- “AGRA was started 20 years ago specifically to work on productivity among smallholder farmers… our mission has always been that smallholder farming should transition from survival to a thriving business sector.”[13]
- “With a single market of 1.3 billion people… AfCFTA can elevate African agriculture to new heights, if we get the fundamentals right.”[14]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "AGRA announces Alice Ruhweza as new President". AGRA. 1 March 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Alice Ruhweza profile". EAT Forum.
- ^ a b c "Alice Ruhweza appointed to CGIAR advisory board". CGIAR. 2023.
- ^ a b c "Alice Ruhweza named Africa Regional Director". WWF International. 2019.
- ^ a b "AGRA mobilizes $350 million for Africa's food systems". Devex. 2025.
- ^ "Alice Ruhweza – Aspen New Voices Fellow". Aspen Institute.
- ^ "Alice Ruhweza profile". Salzburg Global Seminar.
- ^ "International Gender Champions: Alice Ruhweza". International Gender Champions. Archived from the original on 18 July 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ "Africa Green Champion Award 2022". Eleven Twelve Foundation.
- ^ "Alice Ruhweza inducted into Women Achievers Africa Hall of Fame". Women Achievers Africa. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ "AGRA targets doubling maize and rice output in Kenya". Tuko. 2025.
- ^ "AGRA boss Alice Ruhweza says AfCFTA is a 'game-changer' for farmers". Tuko. 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
TukoMaizewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "AGRA boss Alice Ruhweza says AfCFTA is a 'game-changer' for farmers". Tuko. 2025.