Appolinaire Djikeng

Professor Appolinaire Djikeng is the 4th Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Senior Director for the Livestock-based systems of the CGIAR. Prior to ILRI and the CGIAR, Professor Djikeng was Director of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) and based at the Roslin Institute, and Professor and Chair for Tropical Agriculture and Sustainable Development at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. Professor Professor Djikeng has over 20 years’ research, research management and institutional development experience in academia and in international not for profit research institutions in Africa, Europe and the USA. 

Professor Djikeng’s work and interests have been primarily centred around bioscience (and particularly genomics and related disciplines) and their applications in agriculture (both animals and crops), animal, human and environmental health. Professor Djikeng co-founded the African Animal Breeding Network (AABNET) with the aim to drive the development and dissemination of livestock improved and most suitable genetics and broader sustainable genetic improvement solutions in Africa. Professor Djikeng also co-founded the African Biogenome project (AfricaBP) – a community of practice of scientists and related professionals, policy makers and stakeholders with the aim to harness the power of genomics for the characterisation, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity in Africa.

Professor Djikeng is Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland, Center for Animal Science (Australia), Professor at The Roslin Institute, The University of Edinburgh (UK), and Distinguished Professor at the University of South Africa.

Professor Djikeng serves on numerous science advisory boards and has received many awards including the Nelson Mandela Peace Award and his recognition by the Decade of Health as one of the 10 people in the United Kingdom changing health.