AGRA

Dr. Rufus Idris is the Nigerian Country Director for AGRA, an African institution supporting inclusive agricultural transformation and sustainable food system, through supporting catalytic and transformational interventions in policy and state capability, seed systems, sustainable farming, inclusive market, trade, and finance, inclusion of women and youth, nutrition, climate adaption and resilience.

Before joining AGRA, Rufus was Heifer International’s Country Director in Nigeria, where he led Heifer’s mission to end hunger and poverty, through innovative signature programs and public-private partnerships that increased the inclusion of youth and women in emerging agricultural opportunities and integration of innovation and technology as accelerators for addressing Nigeria’s poverty, food insecurity, and climate change challenges.

Prior to joining Heifer International, he had served in various leadership capacities such as Executive Director, Chief/Deputy Chief of Party, Program Director, Program Portfolio Manager, and as Technical Advisor to a State Governor in Nigeria. He was the Deputy Chief of Party and Acting Chief of Party for the USAID Feed the Future Nigeria Agribusiness Investment Activity, a five-year program aimed at strengthening the enabling environment for agribusiness finance and investment in Nigeria. He was the Program Director for the UK Department for International Development funded program “Promoting Learning in Agribusiness using New Technologies (PLANT)” where he led TechnoServe’s collaboration with FCDO and the British Council, to develop a more competitive agriculture sector in Nigeria by increasing innovation and uptake of technology within the sector. Also, he was the Portfolio Manager for a DFID – DAI Market Development Program in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, during which he facilitated economic opportunities in aspirational sectors such as agribusiness, ICT, renewable energy, and entertainment that led to dignified work and living incomes for young return migrants, potential victims of human trafficking and vulnerable households.

Rufus holds a Master of Science in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University (Manchester, NH), Executive Education in Performance Measurement for Effective Management of Non-profit Organizations from Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Bachelor’s degree in Biology from La Roche University (Pittsburgh, PA), a Diploma in Fisheries Technology from Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology (Lagos, Nigeria), and a Certificate in Innovation Ecosystem in Africa from the Lagos Business School (Lagos, Nigeria). He is a Platinum Fellow and a Lifetime Member of the International Institute of Leadership, Manpower and Management Development (United Kingdom), with a Doctorate of Transformational Leadership, Administration, and Development.