Martin Fregene

Martin Fregene has extensive experience in the agriculture sector, particularly focusing on cassava and agro-industry. Notable positions include Director of Agriculture and Agro-Industry at the African Development Bank Group from September 2015 to December 2017, and Senior Technical Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria from September 2011 to September 2015. Fregene has a strong background in research and development, serving as Director of the Biocassava Plus project at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, where a $20 million initiative aimed to enhance the nutritional quality of cassava. Fregene's earlier career at CIAT involved molecular breeding and genetic mapping of cassava, with foundational education in Molecular Genetics (Ph.D.) and Organic Chemistry (Master’s Degree) from the University of Ibadan.