Dr. Leonard Oruko, the Director of the Agricultural Transformation Office in Sierra Leone, is a renowned research economist with extensive experience in agricultural development, policy advisory, and program design. Over the years, he has provided expert advice on strategy development, formative evaluations, and policy formulation for leading organizations in the agri-food sector.
Notably, Dr. Oruko played a pivotal role at the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, where he supported the development and execution of strategies to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. This experience is particularly relevant to his current role in Sierra Leone, as he will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to implement the “Feed Salone” Strategy—a flagship initiative aimed at achieving sustainable food security and agricultural growth.
In addition to his work in Ethiopia, Dr. Oruko has collaborated with organizations such as IDinsight, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the African Development Bank Group. He also served as a consultant for the Kingdom of Eswatini and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), where he developed a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Rural Finance and Enterprise Development Programme (RFEDP).
Dr. Oruko brings a wealth of experience and passion for transformative agricultural models and is committed to driving impactful change in Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
“There is no substitute for political will as the primary driver of agri-food systems transformation. Commitment from the government, expressed through tangible investments and clear pronouncements from political leadership have a powerful and positive messaging effect to private investors. Sierra Leone offers the best opportunity for putting into practice all the agrifood systems transformation principles, given the unwavering political will, the caliber of leadership at the Ministry and the commitment from partner organizations working in the sector.”
Dr. Leonard Oruko, the Director of the Agricultural Transformation Office in Sierra Leone, is a renowned research economist with extensive experience in agricultural development, policy advisory, and program design. Over the years, he has provided expert advice on strategy development, formative evaluations, and policy formulation for leading organizations in the agri-food sector.
Notably, Dr. Oruko played a pivotal role at the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency, where he supported the development and execution of strategies to enhance agricultural productivity and sustainability. This experience is particularly relevant to his current role in Sierra Leone, as he will work closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to implement the “Feed Salone” Strategy—a flagship initiative aimed at achieving sustainable food security and agricultural growth.
In addition to his work in Ethiopia, Dr. Oruko has collaborated with organizations such as IDinsight, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), and the African Development Bank Group. He also served as a consultant for the Kingdom of Eswatini and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), where he developed a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Rural Finance and Enterprise Development Programme (RFEDP).
Dr. Oruko brings a wealth of experience and passion for transformative agricultural models and is committed to driving impactful change in Sierra Leone’s agricultural sector.
“There is no substitute for political will as the primary driver of agri-food systems transformation. Commitment from the government, expressed through tangible investments and clear pronouncements from political leadership have a powerful and positive messaging effect to private investors. Sierra Leone offers the best opportunity for putting into practice all the agrifood systems transformation principles, given the unwavering political will, the caliber of leadership at the Ministry and the commitment from partner organizations working in the sector.”