Agriculturist/Deveopment Consultant

Kwesi Aloysius Agwani

J*** Hector Peterson Residence, UWC, Robert Sobukwe Road, Bellville, 7535, Cape Town,

South Africa.

+27(0)847663353/ +27(0)780239135

**********@*****.***/*******@*****.**.**

South Africa ID No. 730**********

Dr Agwani is a development consultant who is pursuing an opportunity that will allow him to grow professionally, while utilizing his versatile skills set to help promote development issues for Africa and beyond, working with a dynamic team of professionals in development establishments and or research institutions finding development solutions to alleviating and reducing poverty, and improving rural and sustainable livelihoods. His research interests are; Youth and Skills Development, Networking, Market information, Agriculture extension, Agriculture, Community development, nexus between skills development and youth employment, Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Rural Development and Poverty. He has skills and competencies in Project design, Project implementation and management, Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Data analysis, Proposal writing, SWOT analysis, and Technical report writing.

University Education

2020 PhD. Development Studies, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Thesis: “The Role of the Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) in Reducing Youth Unemployment and Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods in the Central Region of Ghana”

Supervised by: Prof. Mulugeta F. Dinbabo

2014 MA Development Studies, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Thesis: “Rural livelihood and Youth Employment: Case Study of Local Enterprises & Skills Development Programme in Elmina Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana”

2011 Bsc Agricultural Extension- University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Thesis: “Introduction of Beekeeping as an Alternative Livelihood to Citrus Farmers at Brabedze in the Cape Coast Metropolis of the Central Region”.

2006 Diploma Agricultural Economics and Extension -University of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Thesis: “Introduction of Neem Leaf Extract to Control Flea Beetle on Okra to Farmers at Nkontrodo in the Elmina Municipality of the Central Region”

Certification

Certified Professional Extension Scientist (Pr. Ext. Sci.)

Professional Experience

2020 to date Regional Agricultural Officer-Management Information Systems, Department of Food and Agriculture, Central Region-Ghana

2016-2019 Research Assistant, School of Government, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

2016 -2019 Teaching Assistant, Institute for Social Development, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

2016- 2017 Junior Researcher, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

2006-2015 Assistant Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Cape Coast, Ghana.

1997-2006 Agricultural Extension Agent, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Elmina, Ghana.

Membership in Professional Society and Networks

South African Development Studies Association (SADSA, South Africa)

South African Society for Agricultural Extension (SASAE, South Africa)

Development Studies Association (DSA, United Kingdom)

Ghana National Agricultural Technical Class Association (GNATCA, Ghana)

The network of African Agricultural Professionals (NAAP)

African Breadfruit Initiative

Breadfruit Working Group international (USA)

Selected Research Projects

2016-2017: Maternal health and Child nutrition funded by DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Since 2017: Ghana Breadfruit Initiative Funded by Breadfruit line, United Kingdom

Selected Reports

2009 Ministry of Food and Agriculture Annual Progress Report Writing funded by MoFA, Kumasi, Ghana.

2007 Ministry of Food and Agriculture Annual Report and Review of Data Collection Instruments funded by MoFA, Takoradi, Ghana.

2007 Ministry of Food and Agriculture/Root and Tuber Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP).System Design Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E), Kumasi, Ghana

Publications

Agwani, K.A. & Dinbabo, M. F., 2020. The nexus between skills development programme and youth unemployment reduction: Empirical evidence from Ghana. (In Submission).

Agwani, K.A., Dinbabo, M.F., & Jonah, C. 2020. Understanding the Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) in the Central Region of Ghana: A People-centred Development Approach (In Submission)

Conferences

Agwani, K.A. 2019. The Role of Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programmes in Reducing Youth Unemployment and Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods in the Central Region of Ghana. The 12th Annual Southern- African Nordic Centre Scientific Conference in Gaborone -Botswana, September 2019.

Agwani, K.A. 2017. Rural livelihood and Youth Employment: Case Study of Local Enterprises & Skills Development Programme in Elmina Municipality of the Central Region of Ghana. The 11th Annual Africa Young Graduates and Scholars Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, March 2017.

Agwani, K.A., & Jonah, C. 2014. An analysis of the food challenges and Access to West African Foods of Foreign Students from West Africa in Selected Universities in Cape Town. The International Conference on Migration in In Cape Town, South Africa, December 2014.

Complementary training

April 19 to 29, 2017: Advanced Research Design. Organised by Partnership for African Social and Governance Research, Nairobi, Kenya.

January 19, 2017: Participated in National Symposium on Food Choice and Obesity. Organised by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security and Institute for Social Development, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

August 30 to 2, September 2016- the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa. Participated in World Nutrition Conference

July 11 to 15, 2016 – the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Participated in the NIDS Panel Data Course: Analysing Wave1, 2 and 3 Using STATA.

May 5 to 6, 2016- Cape Town, South Africa. Participated in the Analysis of Food Security and Nutrition in the existing data methodology workshop.

July 6 to July 10, 2015 – Certificate of participation in Advance Qualitative Analysis with ATLAS Ti, organized by Stellenbosch University, South Africa.

June 29 to July 3, 2015- Certificate of participation in Designing, Doing and Publishing of Case Studies, organized by Stellenbosch University, South Africa

April 17 to May 28, 2012- China. Training course on Flower Production Technology for Developing Countries.

September 11 to December 15, 2007- GIMPA. Ministry of Food and Agriculture/European Union/Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) Consultancy Services. Project 9 ACP GH8-Strengthening Monitoring &Evaluation Capacities in the Decentralized MoFA. Training of Monitoring & Evaluation Related Staff.

Computer Skills

Computer skills include SPSS, Stata, ATLAS Ti and Microsoft Office suite.

Thesis Supervision

Completed

Hon 2018: Factors leading to the high rate of youth unemployment in the context of a developing country.

Hon 2019: Teenage pregnancy and its effects among the youth in South Africa.

Referees

Prof Mulugeta Dinbabo (Acting Director) Prof Festus Annor-Frempong (Lecture)

Institute for Social Development Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension

University of the Western Cape University of Cape Coast

Robert Sobukwe Road Cape Coast,

7535 Central Region

Bellville, Cape Town. Tel: +233-*********

Tel: +27-721****** Email: ******-********@***.***.**

Email: ********@***.**.**

Dr Coretta Jonah (Researcher)

Stellenbosch University, Cape Town

Tel: +27-810******

Email: ********@*****.***

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