The West African Center for Sustainable Rural Transformation (WAC-SRT) is an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary Center of Excellence run in collaboration between ZEF and partner universities in Ghana and Niger. It is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and German Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs. WAC-SRT addresses socio-economic, political, cultural, administrative and technological aspects of sustainable rural transformation in West Africa. Bringing partners from Niger and Ghana together, WAC-SRT fosters synergies to address problems that are shared by many West African countries. Building capacities, enhancing academic networking and providing solutions, the program bridges rural-urban and Anglophone-Francophone divides, contributing to West African sustainable rural transformation in an interdisciplinary and transnational manner.

Since 2017, WAC-SRT has been leading action research in the fields of renewable energy for rural transformation and agricultural water management in Ghana and Niger. In the light of worsening energy crisis across West Africa and the need to promote climate resilience, the Centre supports the development, testing and dissemination of appropriate energy systems, farmer/community-managed water systems and capacity development for climate sustainable agriculture.

The Center also seeks to leverage innovative approaches in agricultural commercialization and locally adapted decentralized development planning in Ghana to strengthen sustainable rural transformation in partner countries.

Advanced experiences in the realm of renewable energy generation and agricultural water management, for instance, developed by our partners in Niger, benefit Ghana, especially in the light of its looming energy crisis and the need to promote climate smart agriculture. At the same time, innovative approaches in agricultural commercialization and locally adapted decentralized development planning conceived in Ghana can strengthen sustainable rural transformation in Niger.

The University for Development Studies Center of WAC-SRT specially focuses on addressing socioeconomic and development aspects of sustainable rural transformation. Since 2018, UDS WAC-SRT has supported students pursuing master of philosophy degree (MPhil) in Agricultural Economics annually. In the 2021-2022 academic year, the Center extended the funding to the PhD programme in Agricultural Economics.

Focal Areas:
  • Sustainable rural development in West Africa
  • Academic and professional capacity building
  • Climate risk analysis, resilience and adaptation
    • Renewable energy
    • Water extremes and agricultural water management
    • Land use change
    • and adaptation
  • Agricultural economy and rural finance
  • Local economic development and management

The partners in WAC-SRT are:

  • Ghana:
    • University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus
    • University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Faculty of Planning and Land Management, Wa
  • Niger:
    • Université Abdou Moumouni (UAM), Faculty of Science and Technology in Niamey
  • Germany:
    • ZEF, University of Bonn