Prof. Labode Popoola, Executive Secretary-CEO
Prof. Labode Popoola is an accomplished scholar with more than 20 years of senior management experience working in various institutions across Africa. He holds a PhD in Forest Economics from the University of Ibadan. His academic career has seen him occupying every academic position in the university system, ranging from undergraduate programme coordinator to Vice-Chancellor.
As an experienced researcher and project leader, Labode Popoola has led several internationally funded researches involving over USD4 million, including the MacArthur Foundation USD 900,000.00 grant for the establishment of the Master’s in Development Practice (MDP) Programme. The University of Ibadan was one of the 10 Universities that won the grant involving over 70 Universities across the globe in 2010. He was also a team member and Steering Committee member of the USD 1.75 Million Japanese Trust Fund (JTF) Grant for Education for Sustainable Development in Africa (ESDA).
Labode has won several awards and honours. They include an award for Invaluable Service in Agroforestry from the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry, Nairobi (2001); award for excellent service to the forestry profession by the Council of the Forestry Association of Nigeria. He also received the Osun State Government Merit Award for Excellence in Science, Research and Community Development in 2010, and an Award of Excellence by Osun State Government in 2018 for making Osun State University financially self-sustaining.
Prof. Marie-Louise Avana- Tientcheu, Senior Programme Officer
Marie-Louise Avana- Tientcheu is an associate Professor of agroforestry and social forestry at the Department of Forestry, faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, of the University of Dschang. She holds a PhD in Agroforestry and Plant Biotechnology, specialised in tree domestication of the University of Yaoundé 1 in collaboration with the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF).
She was previously the Director of Studies and Lecturers Affairs, University of Dschang, Director of the Regional Centre for Specialised Studies in Agriculture (CRESA), Forest and Wood in Yaoundé-Cameroon, Coordinator of the International Master curricula in Agroforestry at the Department of Forestry/Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences and the Erasmus Mundus Master Courses Tropimundo and also vice-chair of ANAFE Board Cameroun.
As an academic staff of the Department of forestry at the University of Dschang, she teaches and supervises students in tree/agroforestry systems products and services, Agrobiodiversity, 7 tree seeds physiology and vegetative propagation, domestication of indigenous trees producing high value Non timber Forest products; her research interest cover the domain of tree species. Since 2018, she is a Senior Programme Officer at AFF. Marie-Louise is always jovial and highly sociable. She always dreamed to make people happy and be proud of her!
Dr. Doris Mutta Senior Programme Officer
Dr. Doris Mutta is a Senior Programme Officer at the African Forest Forum and project manager for a project on Strengthening management and use of forest ecosystems for sustainable development in Africa. She holds a PhD degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, an MSc degree in Botany from the University of British Columbia, Canada and a BSc degree in Forestry from Moi University, Kenya.
She is a forest scientist with over 30 years of professional experience in research and management of forestry, coastal, and marine ecosystems in several institutions in Africa in various capacities. Her research focuses on forestry management, forest-based value chain analysis, forest-based livelihoods and poverty eradication, indigenous knowledge and traditional medicine, and integrating agrobiodiversity into national development in Africa.
She previously worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as Projects Officer, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) as the Centre Director Coast region, and the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) as PhD Fellow focusing on science-based management, policy and institutional analyses. She has provided significant technical contributions to development of policy documents for governments and intergovernmental processes on management of forestry, coastal and marine ecosystems in Africa.
Dr. Djibril S. Dayamba Senior Programme Officer
Dr. Djibril S. Dayamba is a Senior Programme Officer for African Forest Forum (AFF), supporting the implementation of the projects “Strengthening management and use of forest ecosystems for sustainable development in Africa” and “African forests, people and climate change”. He is a national from Burkina Faso with 12 years’ post-doctoral experience in agro-sylvo-pastoral domains, environment and climate related issues.
He holds a PhD degree in Forest Biology, Ecology and Management from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and an Engineer degree in rural development (sylvo-pastoralism) from Nazi Boni University of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Before joining AFF, Djibril was a Regional Senior Scientist and Climate Impact and Adaptation Expert for Climate Analytics (CA) and worked on science-based support to national adaptation processes. He was also involved in a technical assistance project supporting the West African Development Bank in strengthening its strategic approach in terms of climate change and climate finance. Djibril also worked for World Agroforestry (ICRAF) as Postdoctoral Scientist 8 on climate-smart agriculture and for Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) as Research Assistant on land restoration and climate mitigation projects. He is also part of the national research system in Burkina Faso.