Kuwait’s Al-Sumait Prize for African Development Announces Winners

Dr Catherine Nakalembe, from Uganda, won the Prize for being a distinguished expert in the field of crop mapping and monitoring, using remote sensing and machine learning techniques. She also leads NASA Harvest Africa program at the University of Maryland, which provides methods and systems to smallholder farmers in Africa, enhancing their skills.

Kuwait’s Al-Sumait Prize for African Development Announces Winners

By Khalifa Hemed
Published January 4, 2024

The Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and member of the Prize’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, said that the work and research that contribute to enhancing food security, health and education in Africa send a ray of hope in the flux of global crises we are all living through. The Al-Sumait Prize for African Development for 2022 has been awarded to Catherine Nakalembe and African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).

The Kenya-based AATF that is chaired by Professor Aggrey Ambali has won the Prize for its success in enabling small scale farmers in African countries to obtain and use appropriate agricultural technologies as required to address challenges related to productivity, marketing, climate change resilience and health risks.

Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) which supervises the Prize says
Kuwait has provided assistance to organizations working in and for Africa to distinguish themselves through their exemplary and effective projects and programs, not to mention their dedication to improving food security for communities across Africa.

The Chief Scientist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and member of the Prize’s Board of Trustees, Dr Ismahane Elouafi, said that the work and research that contribute to enhancing food security, health and education in Africa send a ray of hope in the flux of global crises we are all living through.

Dr Catherine Nakalembe, from Uganda, won the Prize for being a distinguished expert in the field of crop mapping and monitoring, using remote sensing and machine learning techniques. She also leads NASA Harvest Africa program at the University of Maryland, which provides methods and systems to smallholder farmers in Africa, enhancing their skills. Dr Elouafi points out that developing new innovations and expanding their scope to include small producers in Africa is an essential issue for eliminating hunger and poverty and improving the livelihoods of producers in Africa, adding that the winners contribute to inspiring many individuals and institutions to exert further efforts towards building a better Africa.

The annual Al-Sumait Prize for African Development aims to recognize and appreciate the best studies, scientific projects, applied research and initiatives that have a significant impact on the advancement of economic, social and human resources and the development of infrastructure on the African continent.