CLARE Programme Director Visits FUTA to Advance Gender-Responsive Climate Risk Preparedness Project
Professor Bruce Curie-Alder, Programme Director of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) initiative, visited the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) to facilitate a stakeholder meeting for the project "Decision Support for Climate Risk Preparedness for Gender-responsive Crop Insurance in West Africa."
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) initiative's Programme Director, Professor Bruce Curie-Alder, visited the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) to facilitate a stakeholder meeting for the project "Decision Support for Climate Risk Preparedness for Gender-responsive Crop Insurance in West Africa." This project is funded by the International Development Research Center (IDRC) and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), with Dr. David Awolala of FUTA's Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics serving as the Principal Investigator.
RECOMMENDED: FUTA Student and Two Others Clinch First Place at 2024 Huawei ICT Competition in China
During the meeting with the university management, Professor Alder provided an overview of the IDRC-CLARE initiative in Africa, emphasizing the project's focus on urgency, opportunity, and approach while identifying knowledge gaps. He highlighted that research must lead to impactful applications and that stakeholder engagement should occur at the project's inception. "Research, services, and partnerships are the pillars of CLARE through collaborative infrastructure and capacity strengthening," Alder stated.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Adenike Oladiji expressed gratitude to the IDRC and FCDO for including FUTA scientists in the CLARE community. She noted that the project aims to generate knowledge through decision support tools to develop innovative, rainfall-based index insurance products. These tools are designed to protect smallholders' incomes from dry spells and long droughts. Additionally, the project will build stakeholders' capacity to manage gender-responsive risk-transfer mechanisms for climate risk preparedness in Nigeria and Ghana. "This opportunity will demonstrate our competence in efficient management, utilization, and effective project delivery," Oladiji remarked.
Professor Debo Adeyewa, Director of the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) at FUTA, emphasized the Centre's role in capacity building and climate change research. He highlighted WASCAL's commitment to providing knowledge and empowering communities through impact-driven research and partnerships.
Professor Chukuwuemeka Diji, Academic Research Lead and Research Director at Nexus International University, Uganda, underscored the importance of breaking down silos through deliberate collaborations to achieve research breakthroughs. He noted FUTA's pivotal role in the project's success and expressed optimism that the team members' expertise would significantly contribute to its implementation.
The visit and discussions underscored the collaborative efforts required to advance climate resilience and gender-responsive risk management in West Africa, positioning FUTA as a key player in this vital initiative.
