Participants
Alfred Dixon

Alfred Dixon
Cassava Breeder, Research for Development Division
IITA
Ibadan, Nigeria

Alfred Dixon (also known by his peers as “Dr. Cassava”) is a plant breeder/geneticist at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and whose cassava cultivars are grown throughout sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). He was born in Sierra Leone in 1953. He spent all his early years there, including his primary and secondary schooling, and undergraduate studies at the University of Sierra Leone (USL) from where he graduated with B.Sc in agriculture in 1981. He later went to Kansas State University, Kansas, United States where he obtained an M.S. in Genetics and a Ph.D in Agronomy specializing in plant breeding and quantitative genetics, with entomology as a minor subject. Prior to joining IITA as a cassava breeder/geneticist in 1989, he worked as a Research and Teaching Assistant, Crop Science Department, USL (1981-1983), and Graduate Research Assistant in sorghum breeding and genetics (1985–1988), and Postdoctoral Research Associate (1988-1989) at Kansas State University, Kansas, USA.

His research interest is to increase and sustain cassava production and utilization in SSA. He has pioneered the genetic improvement of cassava in SSA, and his research into boosting host-plant resistance helped identify sources of resistance to cassava mosaic disease, bacterial blight, anthracnose disease, root rots, green mite, among cassava landraces. In collaboration with colleagues in National Agricultural Research Systems, and through a combination of conventional and new approaches, he has developed over 400 improved cassava varieties with multiple resistances to the prevalent diseases and pests for a wide range of agroecologies and cropping systems in SSA. The characteristics of this new generation of cassava germplasm reflected the vision of an expanded future role of cassava in food, feed, and industrial applications.

Alfred Dixon has served as Project Coordinator for the Cassava-based Systems Project at IITA from 1995-2001; Project Coordinator, DR Congo Emergency Response to the Cassava Mosaic Disease Project (2001–2006); Project Manager, Preemptive Management of Cassava Mosaic Disease Project in Nigeria (2003–present); Implementation Manager, Cassava Enterprise Development Project in Nigeria, IITA (2004–present), and Councilor, Research-for-Development Council of IITA (2002–2006). As Project Coordinator for the Cassava-Based Systems Project, he managed and coordinated interdisciplinary research on cassava improvement in Africa; maintained and improved links between the project and the national root crops programs in West, Central, East, and Southern Africa; and facilitated collaborative linkages with advanced laboratories and other institutions working on cassava outside Africa. His collaborative research success with NARS was honored in 1996 by the Chairman of the CGIAR who presented the Institute of Agricultural Research, Sierra Leone and IITA with the Outstanding Scientific Partnership Award to recognize the outstanding achievement in collaborative research on the improvement of root and tuber crops in West Africa. He was a recipient of the 2003 Neville Clarke Award presented by the International Livestock Research Institute, ILRI, Nairobi, Kenya for outstanding teamwork in the development of sustainable crop-livestock production and natural resource management systems to enhance the livelihood of crop–livestock farmers in West Africa. His dedication to human resource development of root crops scientists in national programs was recognized at IITA with the presentation of three certificates for exemplary services in training courses and an Honors Merit Award as the 1996 Distinguished Supervisor of the Year. He was also nominated by IITA in 1997 for the Eleventh Annual Africa Prize for “Leadership for Sustainable End of Hunger”, and in 1998 for the World Food Prize for his technical and scientific research contributions to cassava improvement in SSA. In 2004, he was conferred with a traditional chieftaincy title, Balogun Agbe (Field Marshal of farmers) in recognition of his meritorious contribution to agriculture in Nigeria by the Olukoyi of Ikoyiland, Ikoyi, Osun State, Nigeria. He was honored by the CGIAR in 2005 as one of great examples of CGIAR scientists at work. He was made an Honorary Member of Nutrition Society of Nigeria in 2006 for his outstanding and dedicated contribution to the improvement of food security in Nigeria.

Alfred has played an important role in the development of the Global Cassava Strategy for which he has been the Chairman of its executive committee since 2002. He has been very effective in advocacy and policy dialogue leading to substantial support of the Nigerian government for cassava research and development. This success has subsequently led to significant positive influence on other African governments and the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in establishing the NEPAD Pan-African Cassava Initiative for fighting poverty through the leadership role of the Nigerian President.

He is a member of several professional associations such as the African Crop Science Society; American Society of Agronomy; Crop Science Society of America; International Society for Tropical Root and Tuber Crops, International Society for Tropical Root and Tuber Crops—Africa Branch (secretary of the executive committee for 9 years); and Indian Society for Tropical Root Crops (life member). He has authored and coauthored over 200 scientific publications, and has traveled widely, and interacted with scientists across several disciplines and different cultures at national and international levels.