Meet Our Talented Team
Our passionate and dedicated team brings together a diverse range of skills and expertise to deliver exceptional results. From creative visionaries to meticulous strategists, we work seamlessly together to meet and exceed our clients expectations.
Dr. Victor MANYONG
Managing Director
Dr. Victor MANYONG
Dr. Victor Manyong is an Agricultural Economist and Emeritus Director at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), based at the regional office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I hold an MSc (1981) and a PhD (1986) in Agricultural Economics, both from the Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium. Before joining IITA, I gained early professional experience with international NGOs, the private sector, and the Ministry of Agriculture in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Over a distinguished career spanning nearly 30 years at IITA, I served in progressively senior roles, including Program Leader, Officer-in-Charge, Country Representative, and Regional Director for Eastern Africa. I also led the IITA Social Science and Agribusiness Research Group. From January 2020 to June 2024, I served as Emeritus Director, before formally retiring in June 2024. Since retirement, I have remained actively engaged in consultancy, working with private sector clients such as Foundation PHC in DRC and contributing to IITA projects in Central and West Africa. My research-for-development career covers adoption and impact studies, production and market economics, livelihood and policy analysis, and youth-in-agribusiness programmes. I have authored or co-authored over 300 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, books, book chapters, conference proceedings, working papers, and monographs, and has presented my work at numerous international professional forums. Over the last decade, I received distinguished scientific awards. In 2025 I received the Award Certificate for Top Cited Article by Wiley in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics for the paper “Misattribution Prevents Learning,” published between January and December 2024. In 2020 I received the IITA Annual Board Award for Excellence in Outstanding Publication and in 2019 the IITA Annual Board Award for Outstanding Team for IITA’s Key Performance Indicator Team on Poverty. I hold membership in the African Association of Agricultural Economists (AAAE) and the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE). Over the last decade, I led, contributed to, or facilitated 24 research-for-development grants totalling approximately USD 49 million — an average of USD 5 million per year — reflecting my strong capacity in resource mobilisation and project management. I have invested significantly in the development of the next generation of agricultural scientists, having supervised 15 PhD and 25 MSc students in addition to numerous short group trainings throughout my career. I had been attending short refresher training courses on various topics while on duties. A recent example between 2022 and 2025, I completed a series of Cybersecurity Training programmes, receiving certificates upon course completion. I am fully fluent in English and French, fluent in Swahili, and proficient in several Congolese national languages — a multilingual profile that has enabled me to operate effectively across Anglophone, Francophone, and African contexts. My professional engagements have taken me to over 35 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, equipping myself with the cross-cultural sensitivity and adaptability essential for high-impact consultancy and research-for-development work.
Contacts: E-mail: Victor.Manyong@ss4d25.org; v.manyong@cgiar.org; Phone (WhatsApp): +243 812226000
Dr. Francesca NELSON
International Cooperation and Resource Mobilization
Dr. Francesca NELSON
Dr. Nelson is a senior agricultural economist and public health advisor with over two decades of experience across sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Her expertise spans policy analysis, program design, and project management. She specializes in coordinating multisectoral portfolios covering agriculture, formal and informal trade, food security, nutrition, public health, and humanitarian assistance. She is skilled at leading interagency donor coordination and working with national governments to mitigate the pandemic threats, enhance community and household food security, and strengthen public health. She is adept at developing frameworks for monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning. As an Office Director with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), she managed projects to support the strengthening of nutrition-sensitive value chains, food and feed safety, market strengthening, appropriate technologies for food processing and fortification, trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS), quality assurance standards for agriculture, and the gamut of maternal and child health activities. As a humanitarian assistance officer, she responded to natural disasters and man-made emergencies in Bolivia, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Haiti. In Egypt, Dr. Francesca collaborated with the International Labor Organization to address child labor issues in the agriculture sector. In Angola and Afghanistan, she managed post-conflict rehabilitation of agricultural lands and promotion of fair-trade-label agricultural exports. She contributed to the post-Chornobyl food safety assessment. She also served as a senior scientist at the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Tanzania, collaborating with the Gates Foundation, the African Union, and the East African Community (EAC) to develop a comprehensive aflatoxin policy platform. These were adopted by member state Ministries of agriculture, health, trade, and environment. Through her career, she has worked closely with high-level government officials and donor partners.
Countries of Experience: Afghanistan, Angola, Belize, Bolivia, Burundi, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Jamaica, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Peru, Romania, Rwanda, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Uganda, Ukraine, and the United States.
International Development Program Coordination: The World Food Programme, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), Southern Africa Development Community, (SADAC) East Africa Community, (EAC), The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, (COMESA), United States Department of State (USDOS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Contacts: Email: fln1949@gmail.com Telephone +1-434-996-9365
Dr. Jacob H. MIGNOUNA
Sustainable Agriculture and Environment
Dr. MIGNOUNA D. Hodeba (Jacob)
Dr. Mignouna is an agricultural scientist and international development expert with over 40 years of experience in agricultural research for development, biotechnology, biosafety and program management across Africa, Europe, and North America. He has worked in international organizations, academia, government, and the private sector, leading large-scale agricultural development programs focused on food security, climate-smart agriculture, and poverty reduction.
He has extensive experience in managing multi-partner, donor-funded programs, including those supported by the US Government, the World Bank, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation among others. His work focuses on the delivery of agricultural innovations, strengthening value chains, and improving livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
He has a strong track record in coordinating multidisciplinary teams, mobilizing resources, and delivering measurable development outcomes at scale. He is fluent in both English and French.
Countries of Experience include Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Togo, Ethiopia, Mali, USA, Belgium, United Kingdom, and others.
International Development Program Coordination: USAID, World Bank, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR Centers (IITA, ILRI, IRRI, CIP, Bioversity/CIAT), national agricultural research systems, NGOs, private sector, and government agencies.
Contacts:E-mail: Jacob.Mignouna@ss4d25.org
Phone (WhatsApp): +254 718738910; +1 8048944982
Mr. Dieu-Merci AKONKWA
Economic Evaluation and Impact Expert
Dieu-Merci Akonkwa Nyamuhirwa
Dieu-Merci Akonkwa is an Agricultural Economist working as a Research Associate at the Institute of Agricultural Policy and Market Research of the University of Giessen in Germany since 2026. He holds a master’s in international and development economics from the University of Namur and the Catholic University of Louvain (UCL) in Belgium. Currently, Dieu-Merci is pursuing a Ph.D. in agricultural economics and bioeconomy at the University of Giessen (JLU) in Germany. Before joining JLU in 2023, he worked as a Research Associate at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and as a consultant in other national and international organizations since 2019. He has over 8 years of experience in development and research-related activities. He has published several articles in international and peer-reviewed journals, such as the World Development Perspectives, with proven skills in quantitative and qualitative methods. He has experience in several West and Central African countries, including Niger, Mali, Ghana, Benin, the DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, either working in person or remotely. Dieu-Merci has received several scholarships and research grants since 2019. Dieu-Merci is fluent in French, Swahili, and English, and has a basic knowledge of German. Countries visited include for Africa: DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, Benin Republic, Kenya, and Nigeria; and for Europe: Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Hungaria.
Contacts:E-mail: Dieu-merci.Akonkwa@ss4d25.org,
Phone (WhatsApp): +243842704807; +4917664769023
Mr. Doudou DUNIA LURHUMA
Website and Digital Agriculture Expert
Doudou DUNIA LURHUMA
Mr. Doudou is a socio-economist working at IITA Bukavu for more than 10 years. He is involved in conducting and analysing impact studies, value chains for agribusiness development, and fish farming development and food security in the Great Lakes region and in DRC in particular. He contributed to the development of cage fish farming technology on Lake Kivu with financial support from the Industry Promotion Fund (FPI) and assisted in the implementation of fish farming projects funded by the WorldFish and Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) in the DRC. Doudou has conducted socio-economic studies in several provinces of the DRC, including South Kivu, North Kivu, Tanganyika, the city and province of Kinshasa, Kwango, Kwilu, Congo Central, Tshopo, Mongala, Equateur, and Maniema. He also worked with Food for the Hungry (Fh) in household surveys on Bacterial Wilt (BXW) identification and treatment methods in the chiefdoms of Ngweshe, Kaziba, Ciherano, and Mwenga. He began his career with Louvain Cooperation, monitoring and evaluating a food security project across its intervention sites in South Kivu. His computer literacy includes Statistical packages (SPSS, STATA, EPIINFO, NVIVO and EViews); Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.); Computer-assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) (ODK, Kobo Collect, Xlsform); and geographic information systems (QGIS, ARCGIS, and Global Mapper). Doudou is fluent in French, English, Swahili, Lingala, and in many other Congolese national languages. He has visited DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Ouganda and Ethiopia.
Contacts: E-mail: Doudou.Dunia@ss4d25.org;
Phone (WhatsApp): +243 99 72 89 284
(WhatsApp): +243 812226000
Ms. Charlie MANYONG KAYIB
Private Sector – Digital Marketing Expert
Ms. Charlie MANYONG KAYIB
Ms. Charlie MANYONG KAYIB is a versatile professional with 20 years of experience in project management, marketing, digital transformation, and CRM, gained within international companies (PPG, Total, AGRICA) and research institutions (CNRS). As France Digital Manager at PPG, she leads the web and e-commerce strategy for the brands, overseeing website performance, social media presence, SEO/SEA, digital campaigns, and coordination with internal teams and external agencies. Previously, as the Captive Network Marketing Manager at PPG, she managed cross-functional marketing projects, including the rollout of a Shop-in-Shop distribution concept implemented in several points of sale, while supporting subsidiaries with their marketing needs. From 2015 to 2017, at DXC Technology, she drove digital transformation initiatives for the AGRICA Group (client platform digitalization, IT governance, outsourcing of contact centers) and supported Total M&S in the international deployment of Salesforce (pre-sales, change management, training, KPI monitoring). Between 2012 and 2015, as Trade Marketing Project Manager at Ypaty, she strengthened the visibility and sales of the cosmetic brand Entwine Naturalle Couture through marketing plans, promotional operations, digital communications, trade events, and commercial development. Her background also includes coordinating a major scientific consortium, P2I, at the CNRS (a 7 million Euro budget management, communication, and international conferences) and conducting marketing research at Repères. A graduate of NEOMA and IAE Toulouse in France, she is proficient in digital tools (ClientLink, Salesforce, HubSpot, JIRA, Monday, Sproutsocial, Canva) and consumer panels such as Nielsen, Kantar, and NPD. Fluent in both French and English, with strong involvement in volunteering and women’s mentoring. Countries visited include for Europe: France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Greece; for Africa: DRC, Benin Republic, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Sénégal, Mali, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco; for America: Canada, USA; for Asia and Middle East: Australia, Thailand, South Corea, and Saudi Arabia.
Contacts: E-mail: charlie.manyong@ss4d25.org; manyongc@gmail.com; Phone (WhatsApp): +33 6760 46 88 14
Mr. Christian BALEKE SODA
Youth Entrepreneurship, Gender and Capacity Building Expert
Christian Baleke Soda
Christian SODA is a Rural Economist, expert in socioeconomics, agricultural entrepreneurship, and food Security. He represents a new generation of Congolese experts committed to promoting sustainable and inclusive rural development. His career reflects a combination of scientific rigor, operational pragmatism, and social engagement. His versatility enables him to effectively contribute to research, training, project planning, and institutional support missions. His deep field experience and mastery of participatory approaches make him a key actor for agricultural, nutritional, and socio-economic programs in the DRC and the Great Lakes region (Burundi, Rwanda, etc.). Christian has over ten (10) years of professional experience in food security, rural development, applied research, and youth capacity building in agricultural entrepreneurship. He has built a solid reputation through his coordination and implementation of socio-economic studies, community development projects, and training programs across several provinces of the DRC (South Kivu, Tanganyika, Kinshasa, Équateur, Mongala, Tshopo, etc.) and other African countries (Burundi, Rwanda, …). His professional journey includes collaborations with institutions such as IITA, HarvestPlus, CIAT-Bioversity, PICAGL, UNICEF, CARITAS, USAID, PHC Foundation, and the PADRIR project. A rigorous professional, he masters data collection and analysis tools (ODK, Kobo Collect, SPSS, STATA) and has strong skills in agricultural value chain analysis, community diagnostics, entrepreneurship training, and strategic planning.
Contacts: E-mail: Christian.Soda@ss4d25.org;
Phone (WhatsApp): +243 819 020 007
Ms. Christine ANDEMAMBIKA MUKANIRE
Emergency Programmes and Value Chains Expert
Christine ANDEMAMBIKA Mukanire
Christine Andemambika est économiste de formation avec un parcours professionnel effectif et haut de 8 années d’expériences en Sécurité alimentaire, moyens de subsistance et Planification, analyses des situations d’urgence dans les milieux à conflits armées, mise en œuvre des différentes activités d’urgence et résilience, en Suivi Evaluation, Redevabilité et Apprentissage. Elle est depuis 2022, Spécialiste Sécurité et économique en réponse d’urgence et point focal Analyse et Evidence au sein du Comité International de la Croix Rouge (CICR), basée à Goma, où elle coordonne les évaluations, analyses et conception des outils et la mise en œuvre des projets d’urgence. Dans le cadre de la neutralité, de l’impartialité et de la redevabilité, elle coordonne les phases des travaux de partage d’informations, de formations et de renforcement des capacités, afin de maintenir l’efficience des actions proposées. Avec l’Institut International d’Agriculture Tropicale (IITA), Christine a eu la charge de faire le suivi des activités du projet Tuendeleye Pamoja 2 dans le Tanganyika, ainsi que celles du Projet Pilote d’élevage de Tilapia en cage au Sud-Kivu, entre 2018 et 2022. Elle a également travaillé en tant que membre du team des socio-économistes dans la planification, la mise en œuvre, le nettoyage et l’analyse des différentes études (aux îles Comores, au Cameroun, au Burundi) pour différents projets au sein de l’IITA entre 2016 et 2020. Avant IITA, Christine a été consultante au compte de la Banque Mondiale en partenariat avec la cellule d’infrastructures de la RDC, pour mener différentes études d’impact environnemental et social (EIES). De plus, Christine maîtrise différents outils de gestion et de suivi, de collecte, d’analyse des données et de reporting (Device Magic, ODK, PAM, STATA, SPSS). Elle a l’esprit d’équipe, le caractère, le dynamisme et l’adaptation.
Contacts : Courriel : mukanireandema@gmail.com
Tél : +243 991 770 925
Mr. Patrick MINYANGU MUHINDO
Monitoring and Evaluation Expert
Patrick Minyangu Muhindo
Patrick est un agroéconomiste spécialisé en sécurité alimentaire, moyens d’existence agricoles et suivi-évaluation (S&E). Il est actuellement Spécialiste de l’évaluation de la sécurité alimentaire et Point Focal DIEM (Data in Emergencies) à la FAO en RDC, où il coordonne des évaluations dans des contextes multi-chocs et appuie la prise de décision grâce à l’analyse, la visualisation et la diffusion des données. Il apporte également un appui technique à l’unité S&E de la FAO-RDC et aux pays membres du système DIEM (Cameroun, Tchad, RCA…), dans l’analyse et la valorisation des résultats. Patrick est certifié Analyste Niveau 2 IPC/CH (Cadre intégré de classification de la sécurité alimentaire) et formateur accrédité en chaînes de valeur agricoles durables (VCA4D) dans le cadre du programme de formation continue de l’Ecole Régionale Postuniversitaire d’Aménagement et de Gestion intégrés des Forêts et Territoires tropicaux (ERAIFT), sous l’égide de l’UNESCO (Centre de Catégorie 2). Son parcours à l’IITA lui a permis de contribuer à plusieurs évaluations régionales majeurs (PICAGL, PRDAIGL, PREFER) en RDC, au Burundi et aux Comores, axés sur la croissance agricole, l’innovation et la coopération régionale. Il maîtrise les outils de collecte et d’analyse de données (ODK, KoboToolbox, STATA, SPSS, R-Studio) et conçoit des évaluations intégrant des approches quantitatives et qualitatives. Auteur de publications scientifiques, il adopte une approche intégrée tenant compte des dimensions sociales, économiques, de genre, climatiques et des dynamiques de conflits, pour renforcer la résilience des ménages en situation de crise.
Contacts: E-mails : patrick.minyangu@outlook.com;
Téléphone (Whatsap): +243 998121002
Mr. Christian MWEMEZI NGANGURA
Expert in environment and forest economics
Christian MWEMEZI NGANGURA
Christian Mwemezi Ngangura is an applied economist from the Democratic Republic of Congo, specializing in environmental and forest economics, labor economics sustainable agriculture, and natural resource management. He holds an MPhil in Economics from the University of Ghana, with strong training in econometrics, quantitative methods, and economic policy analysis. He previously earned a BSc in Rural and Agricultural Economics from the Université Catholique de Bukavu and completed a master’s bridge program at the National University of Lesotho.
Christian has worked extensively with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) as a socioeconomist researcher on climate-smart agriculture (IITA, DRC, 2017-2021) focusing on smallholder farmers in Central Africa, waste management, and rural development projects. His research focuses on agroecological practices, forest management, and rural livelihoods. He is proficient in Stata, SPSS, ODK, and Kobo Toolbox, and regularly contributes to international research and policy discussions. Very fluent in both English and French; fluent in Swahili and in many other Congolese national languages. I have earned a great exposure when visiting and working in various countries include D.R. Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Benin, South Africa, Ghana, Togo, Mozambique, and Lesotho. I Served as an assistant lecturer in the Rural Economics department at the Université Catholique de Bukavu. Led a 2024 technical study on “AID-I GLR” with IITA & USAID. In 2025, from February to July, he worked with IITA under the RUNRESS Project as a business specialist on waste management and the composting process. He is currently working as a consultant at ETH-Zurich on agroecology and economic performance project.
Contacts: E-mails : : mwemezichris93@gmail.com , mwemezi.ngangura@ucbukavu.ac.cd. Telephone : +243997167661