AI Fellows

Benjamin Aganze Marhegane

Teacher – Researcher

Benjamin Aganze Marhegane is a young Congolese researcher from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is a teacher at the Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu (ISDR-Bukavu) and a researcher at the Laboratoire d’Analyses et de Recherches sur les Dynamiques Économiques et Sociales (LARDES) at the University of Parakou in Benin. He is currently pursuing his studies in Urban and Regional Planning at Necmettin Erbakan University (NEÜ) in Konya, Turkey.Interested in the contemporary dynamics characterizing African cities, notably the rapid growth of the urban population, accelerated and often informal urbanization, governance challenges in urban areas, and the effects of climate change, his research focuses mainly on urban and regional planning, environmental governance, and climate resilience strategies in African cities.

Abdel Nasser Yahaya

coming soon

Afuye Gbenga

coming soon

Akinyi Allela Abbie

Natural Resources Management Expert

As the founding Director of Blue ECO Associates, Abbie has previously worked as an Ocean Governance Assistant with the United Nations Environment Programme, where she supported with overall technical and coordination needs related to implementation of the Strategic Action Plan for the Treaty on Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction(BBNJ). Prior to this, she served as a programme assistant with the secretariat of the International Oceanographic Commission for Africa and the Adjacent Island States (IOCAFRICA) at the UNESCO Regional Office in Nairobi. Here, she gave support to the development of the portal for training opportunities in ocean related topics in Africa, the spatial data, and maps databases, the African Coastal and Marine Atlases, and implementation of Marine Spatial Planning initiatives in the region. An active marine scientist with a keen interest in research and empirical studies that focus on ocean governance, marine spatial planning and ecosystem ecology. She joined UNESCO from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), where she was a graduate research fellow within the Natural Resources and Ecosystems Department. Previously supported IOC/MPR in organizing national marine spatial planning workshops in Kenya and worked as an intern for IOCAFRICA where she gained invaluable experiences on marine sciences issues in African coastal and adjacent island states. Other organizations in which she has enhanced her training and work experience include the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, the Worldwide Fund for Nature, and Future Earth. Working in her roles has enabled her to build competencies in research on marine and freshwater science, forestry, biodiversity, climate action as well as the frontier of blue economy, within the Kenyan landscape and beyond. She has a Master of Science degree in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management (jointly offered by the Universities of Ghent, Antwerp and Free University of Brussels in Belgium) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Management from Egerton University (Kenya), where she is currently a Ph.D. student in Natural Resources Management. She is a recipient of the NAM S & T- Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research(ZMT) Blue Economy fellowship, the Fonseca Leadership Programme in Africa, the Ocean Voices Fellowship with the University of Edinburgh and the Low-Emissions Agriculture Carbon Sequestration Fellowship with the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT. Her work has solely been driven by her desire to contribute to improving the life and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in society and ensuring healthy natural ecosystems by exploring how it can influence governance and policy processes at various levels. Outside her scope of work and academics, she is an enthusiastic badminton player.

Alexis Nzeyimana

coming soon

Amen A Deneke

Amen Ayele Deneke is a Chevening Scholar and development professional with expertise in international human rights law, and experience across academia, humanitarian response, and program management. She has lectured on gender and law at Addis Ababa University and worked extensively in humanitarian and social protection contexts. At UN Women Ethiopia, she manages initiatives on women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, and gender-responsive programming, collaborating closely with government institutions, regional bodies, and civil society. Combining legal expertise, field experience, and strategic program management, Amen is committed to advancing evidence-based, inclusive, and resilient development outcomes that empower women and strengthen communities across Ethiopia and the region.

Bendjedid Rachad Sanoussi

ICT Expert

Bendjedid Rachad Sanoussi is an ICT specialist with an infectious enthusiasm for environmental protection. Since 2016, he has been working to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to socio-economic and environmental challenges using ICTs. Currently, Rachad is pursuing a PhD in digital and artificial intelligence for management in Morocco. His current research focuses on the impact of using generative AI to enhance customer experience in sustainable tourism, exploring its challenges and opportunities. His aspiration as a researcher is to bridge the gap between academia and industry through applied research that drives practical and innovative solutions. Rachad is the founder of Green Leaf AI https://greenleafai.org/, an agri-tech startup that uses AI to detect and prevent diseases in date palms in Morocco, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices. He is the Advocacy Officer at Ecolotrip and the President of the Student Leadership Committee of the UNIC Network for Climate Action (2025–2026). Furthermore, Rachad actively contributes to the analysis, research, and evaluation of cutting-edge policies. He has been a member of the research group at the Centre for AI and Digital Policy (CAIDP), where he contributed to the assessment of AI policies and practices for Morocco. Previously, he worked at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where he contributed to the deployment of digital solutions worldwide and the implementation of the Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA). He also worked as a communications intern at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). For four years, as a laboratory technician at the University of Abomey-Calavi, he taught and facilitated practical work for telecommunications engineering students. Moreover, Rachad strives to advocate for the inclusion of youth perspectives in environmental and digital policies. He is one of the recipients of the Youth Digital Champion (YDC) awards from the mEducation Alliance. He also earned the Inaugural Paul Muchene Fellow Award, a tribute to Paul Muchene. He aspires to become a policy analyst. He does agriculture, tourism, and plays football as hobbies. Learn more about him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachadsanoussi/.

Dr. Blessing masamha

Agriculture & Rural Development Research & Development Champion.

Dr. Blessing Masamha is a Research Specialist within the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Africa Institute of South Africa (AISA). He completed his Ph.D. studies at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2018, having competitively won several scholarships and fellowships that include: the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Scholarship for Southern Africa students, African Development Bank (AfDB) fellowship, Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) MSc Scholarship, and the UNICEF/ Innocenti Transfer Project Fellowship, among others. Blessing is an interdisciplinary researcher with a strategic focus on transforming agriculture, rural development, and food systems policy and practice. He has a regional research and development footprint in Southern, Eastern & West Africa, focusing on food policy, food security, food systems transformation, and socio-economic development. Dr. Masamha led a multi-country study on agri-food system transformation focusing on harnessing digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and climate-smart agriculture practices to address food loss and waste in South Africa, Zambia, and Tanzania. His research interests have also transcended into harnessing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies as a pathway to transform smallholder agriculture and food systems in Africa. With over 9 years of university teaching and research experience, Blessing has successfully supervised 5 MSc students in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture to completion and has substantially co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs, and project reports. Among other responsibilities within the HSRC, Blessing serves in the Interim Editorial Committee (IEC) of the Africa Insight Journal and as a Co-convenor of the Rural Development and Food Security Hub of the HSRC.

Brighton Chunga

coming soon

Celia Nalwadda

Principal Research Officer at Uganda National Academy of Sciences

Celia Nalwadda is a Principal Research Officer at Uganda National Academy of Sciences, where she has served for the last ten years. She is a 2021/22 Fulbright Alumna from Cornell University, New York, specialized in Climate Change and Global policy. She holds a Master of Science in Land Management, Natural Resource Management degree from Cranfield University, UK, a Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Forestry from Helsinki University, Finland, and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry degree from Makerere University, Uganda. Her passions revolve around science communication and science diplomacy. With over ten years of experience in National Science Academy work, her specialty is facilitating trans-disciplinary scientific dialogues on evidence to address complex systemic societal challenges and inform policy-making and reform. Celia was the Academy lead on the Program for Strengthening Capacity of the Research Division of the Parliament of Uganda. Supportive roles at the Academy include team building, grant writing and partner relations. She links and represents the Academy to academic, government, international research and business organizations, as well as other national academies worldwide. Celia is also the Co-Chair of the National Bioethics Committee hosted by the Uganda National Commission for UNESCO, the Ambassador for Synbio Africa for Uganda, and a board member of Guiding Star Nursery and Primary School, as a Science Advisor.