Virtual meeting | 6-7 July 2021

DAY 1

• Opening of the meeting - Mr Abebe HaileGabriel ADG/RR FAO RAF
• Statement by Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo Executive Director, FARA
• Statement by H.E. Josefa L.C. Sacko Commissioner for REA, AUC
• Closing remark and vote of thanks by Prof Victor Chude, Chair AfSP

Prof Jean Jacques Muhinda - Moderator

Self-Introduction by Focal Points and acknowledgement of Partners

Technical sessions

• Status on the implementation of the GSP’s work/ Resource mobilization - Mr Ronald Vargas, GSP
• Brief overview of the African Soil Partnership: accomplishments, challenges and way forward - Prof. Victor Chude, Chair, AfSP

GSP Paradigm shift: from Pillars to Areas of Work

• Global Soil Doctors Programme – Ms Carolina Oliveira Sanchez, GSP Secretariat
• GLOSIS and National Soil Info Systems - Mr Yusuf Yigini/Ms Isabelle Luotto/ Mr Omuto, GSP Secretariat
• The Global Soil Laboratory Network and the African Soil Laboratory Network: GLOSOLAN/AFRILAB - Mr Filippo Benedetti, GSP Secretariat/ Joseph Uponi, AFRILAB Chair
• Fertilizer Code Implementation – INFA - Ms Vinisa Saynes & Yuxin Tong, GSP

National programmes/activities on soil: Jan 2020 till date - Mr Brahene Sebastian, GSP/AfSP

Wrap-up for Day 1 (Launch of Survey)

DAY 2

Welcome and brief recap of Day 1 – Mr Brahene Sebastian, GSP/AfSP

National programmes/activities on soil: Jan 2020 till date

• Congo - Daniel Zéphirin Obambi, Directeur du Centre National d’Etudes des Sols/ Point Focal pour la Gestion des Sols Ministère de l’Agriculture, de l’Elevage et de la Pêche
• Rwanda - Soil-related project and activities in Rwanda since 2020 – Mr Pascal Rushemuka (PhD)
• Togo - Quelques activites saillantes menees au Togo dans le domaine des sols – Mr Koffi Afawoubo
• Nigeria
• Kingdom of Eswatini
• Cameroun
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Mauritius
• Niger
• Guinea
• South Africa
• Gabon
• Burkina Faso
• Kenya
• Lesotho

Why a new Implementation Plan - Quick review of previous plan - Prof. Victor Chude, Chair, AfSP

Discussion on the role of Working Groups per Areas of Work and nomination of Chairs - Prof Victor Chude, AfSP Chair and Mr Sebastian Brahene, GSP/AfSP

Opportunities for collaboration and support: Examples from Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Uganda, Malawi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Lesotho and GSP Partners Presentation – IITA, FARA, Wisconsin University, Soil4Africa - Mr Eugene Rurangwa FAO Regional Office, Accra 

• Burkina Faso – Soil4Nutrition: Sustainable soil management for nutrition-sensitive agriculture in Sub-Saharan Arica and South-East Asia
• Uganda - Project: Capacity development for sustainable soil management -  Ms Lydia Mugala – MAAIF
• Soil4Nutrition: Malawi – Mr Gilbert Kupunda, Department of Land Resources Conservation
• Nigeria: country report of Global Soil Organic Carbon Sequestration Potential map (GSOCseq) – Mr James Jayeoba
• Soil salinity map of Zimbabwe - Mr Nyaradzo M. Muzira and Mr Shelter Mangwanya
• Establishment of Lesotho Soil Information System – Mr Selebalo J. Ramakhanna

GSP Partners Presentation:

• IITA
• FARA Soil Initiative for Africa - Prof Wole Fatunbi
• Wisconsin University - West Africa Soil Doctors Network – Mr Geoffrey Siemering
• Soil Information System for Africa (Soils4Africa) – Ms Mary Steverink-Mosugu and Mr Rik van den Bosch

Discussions: Future of the Partnership: Mechanism for a Self-Sustaining Partnership - Prof. Victor Chude, Chair, AfSP/ Mr Brahene Sebastian, GSP/AfSP

• Workplan for 2021
• AfSP brochure

Way forward for the African Soil Partnership

• Relaunch of AFRISOIL
• High Level Ministerial Meeting on Fertilizers (Abuja II)
• Closing remarks - Prof. Victor Chude, Chair, AfSP