PhD, Plant Genetic Resources and Crop Protection, University of Abomey-Calavi, Benin

Sustainable use and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, biodiversity assessment, germplasm characterization, crop phenotyping, plant domestication, participatory plant breeding, and access and benefit sharing.

Sognigbe N’Danikou, Beninese by nationality, joined Worldveg in April 2019 as Scientist - Traditional Vegetable Conservation and Utilization. Among other activities, Sognigbe will maintain and improve the traditional African vegetable germplasm collection and associated documentation at the WorldVeg genebank in Arusha Tanzania.

Sognigbe has considerable experience in conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources in West and Central Africa, including the conservation and production of several traditional vegetables. He previously worked for Bioversity International (2012 - 2019) on seed systems development, participatory plant breeding, crop intraspecific diversity management for climate-resilience, and plant domestication to diversify farming systems and improved income and nutrition. From 2010 - 2011 he worked for the Vegetable Research Programme of the National Agricultural Research Institute of Benin (INRAB) on traditional vegetables germplasm collection and characterization, and plant domestication. He is an Adjunct Professor at the National Agricultural University of Benin. Sognigbe has experience with international agreements on plant genetic resources, such as the International Treaty and the Nagoya Protocol.