Heifer International appoints Safia Boly to lead Africa programs across 12 countries
Boly’s leadership aims to strengthen key agricultural sectors and foster innovation through technological entrepreneurship.
AFRICA – Heifer International has appointed former Malian minister Safia Boly as Senior Vice President for Africa to lead programs across 12 countries, empowering smallholder farmers in sustainable food systems.
Boly joins Heifer after serving as Executive Director of the Nairobi-based African Agricultural Transformation Initiative, where she partnered with several national governments to develop inclusive and sustainable transformation pathways for their agricultural sectors.
She previously held two senior government posts in Mali, Minister for Reform and Transparency of Public Life and Minister for Promotion of Investments and spent 20 years with various United Nations organizations.
Surita Sandosham, President and CEO of Heifer International, welcomed the appointment. “We are extremely pleased that Safia is joining the Heifer team as we activate our strategy to increase the scale and impact of our work with smallholder farmers. We will benefit immensely from her experience driving locally led and globally connected strategies alongside African farmers, and forging productive partnerships with governments, donors, businesses and other key stakeholders across agricultural development.”
Heifer International bridges government policy and business growth by working with national governments, private-sector partners, and farmer organizations.
Therefore, Boly’s background in public reform and international investment positions strengthens these connections, creating enabling environments for agricultural entrepreneurship.
In addition, her experience as Minister for the Promotion of Investments in Mali provides her with direct insight into how policy frameworks can attract private capital into agriculture.
Tech-driven entrepreneurship will play an increasingly important role in Africa’s agricultural future. For instance, Heifer’s AYuTe NextGen initiative invests in young African entrepreneurs developing technology solutions for smallholder farmers, including digital marketplaces, precision agriculture tools, and supply chain tracking systems
Safia Boly stated: “Agriculture is one of the key drivers of economic growth in Africa and a critical path to poverty alleviation. I am humbled to join Heifer International in its mission to alleviate poverty, one smallholder farmer at a time, and I am looking forward to applying my learnings in co-creation with Heifer’s talented community.”
Boly’s leadership aims to strengthen key agricultural sectors and foster innovation through technological entrepreneurship. The appointment signals a shift towards locally led development and towards impactful partnerships among governments, private stakeholders, and development organizations.
Ultimately, Heifer’s expanded African programmes could create sourcing partnerships with smallholder cooperatives, particularly in the horticultural and dairy value chains.
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