ALICE RUHWEZA
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
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
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
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
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
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)
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
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
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
- 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
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
- “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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "AGRA announces Alice Ruhweza as new President". AGRA. 1 March 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Alice Ruhweza profile". EAT Forum.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Alice Ruhweza appointed to CGIAR advisory board". CGIAR. 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Alice Ruhweza named Africa Regional Director". WWF International. 2019.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "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: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedTukoMaize - ↑ "AGRA boss Alice Ruhweza says AfCFTA is a 'game-changer' for farmers". Tuko. 2025.
References
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