AfricaRice and the Birth of NERICA: New Rice for Africa Thrives in Saharan Drylands Rice is a staple food across Africa. Its growing importance is reflected in the food security policies of many nations, with West Africa leading rice production in Africa . Coumbayel Coulibaly holds a calabash of high-yielding NERICA rice. In 1992, the Africa Rice Center — with support from CGIAR, the Gatsby Foundation, IFAD, Japan, the Rockefeller Foundation, UNDP, and the World Bank — began developing a new rice variety suited to African conditions. The result was New Rice for Africa (NERICA) , a hybrid created by crossing hardy African rice with high-yield Asian rice. Designed for the African climate , NERICA now includes 18 upland (dryland) varieties that grow well in rain-fed fields across sub-Saharan Africa. Rice remains a critical food for African families and central to food security planning . There are 39 rice-producing countries on the continent, but local farmers...

The Portuguese brought the first slaves in the year 1444 from Northern Mauritania in Africa. Age of Discovery, Portugal and the Transatlantic Slave Trade Born around 1394 Infante Dom Henrique de Avis also known as Henry the Navigator or Prince Henry is looked upon as a significant patron of the Age of Discovery. His father King John I conquered Ceuta in 1415. Ceuta is a small Spanish territory that lies just 18 miles from Gibraltar in North Africa. Prince Henry wanted to expand the business opportunities of Portugal at the same time destroy the operational base of the dreaded and feared Barbary pirates. There was extensive trade in gold and salt across the Sahara Desert that Prince Henry wanted to control. Prince Henry began an agenda to seek out direct sea trade routes to gain access to the gold trade in West Africa. In 1460 Henry the Navigator died but the exploration of Africa by Europeans continued, the Age of Discovery lived on. The Portuguese brought the first s...

18 Cowpea facts, Cowpeas are commonly referred to as black-eyed pea or niébé. Read cowpeas also known as black-eyed peas listing of facts.   Cowpeas Black-eyed peas listing of facts.  1. Cowpea is an important staple crop in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in arid Savannahs of West Africa and the Sahel.  2. Cowpeas are a valuable source of vegetable protein, vitamins as well as valuable income.  3. Western and Central Africa is the leading cowpea producing regions in the world producing around 64 percent of the estimated 3 million tons of cowpea seed produced each year.  4. Nigeria is the world’s leading cowpea producing country; Senegal, Niger, Ghana, Mali, Cameroon and Burkina Faso are significant also significant producers.  5. Niébé is a variety of cowpea grown by many women small farmers, throughout West Africa.  6. Black-eyed peas get their name from their characteristic appearance of a black dot in the middle of a cream colored bean....

Modern Fine art from Ghana and Zimbabwe Take a personal tour of a contemporary installation of Ghanaian and Zimbabwean Art. As Ghana celebrates fifty years of independence in 2007, the San Diego Museum of Man is collaborating with artists from Ghana and Zimbabwe to highlight artistic expressions of paintings and sculpture from accomplished African artists. Fifty years ago, independence movements started to sweep across the African continent, bringing to the newly independent nations the promise of political, economic, and cultural freedom from their colonial rulers. As Ghana celebrates fifty years of independence in 2007, the San Diego Museum of Man is partnering with artists from Ghana and Zimbabwe to showcase artistic expressions paintings and sculpture from accomplished African artists. Guest Curators Kwamina Ewusie, Peter Swaniker, and Joe Kinsella have selected a number of artists to participate, and the exhibit will feature their first-person narratives to describe their w...

Through the Canvas: The Story of Ghana's Art Legacy in Seth Dei's Collection Seth Dei: The Business Visionary Preserving Ghana's Artistic Soul Contemporary Ghanaian art from one of West Africa's most significant private collections The Masterpieces That Tell Ghana's Story Ablade Glover's "Market Scenes" Among the crown jewels of Dei's collection are Ablade Glover's vibrant market scenes—thick impasto paintings that capture the energy of Ghanaian daily life. These works don't just decorate walls; they preserve the rhythm of Accra's markets in bold, passionate strokes of color that seem to move with the chaos and beauty of Ghanaian commerce. El Anatsui's Early Works Before El Anatsui became an international art superstar with his bottle cap installations, Seth Dei was collecting his earlier wooden scul...

African Art What is African art? If the answer seems self-evident it is not. What is African Art Explore and Understand Africa Through Her Food and Culture Art plays an essential role in the lives of the African people and their communities and people across the world.  What is African art? If the answer seems self-evident it is not.  What is African art? What is meant by ‘African’ is just a matter of geography or ethnicity?  Africa is a diverse continent of many cultures and African art falls under many headings as well. African art was once regarded as primitive art in museums. Each African artist has their own uniqueness providing a positive glimpse into the talent of Africa’s artists and their continuing inspiration on art and culture thru the world. South African artist Marcus Neustetter created Chasing Light in 2010 as a digital projection. Chasing Light has been presented as laser and glow stick ...

Yoruba carvings. Olowe of Ise was born about 1875 in Efon-Alaiye, a town in eastern Yorubaland that was once a kingdom and one of the most important centers of Yoruba carving. Famous Yoruba African Sculptor Olowe of Ise The details Olowe of Ise early life and training in sculpture are not known. Olowe moved to Ise at a young age to serve the King as a court messenger. Yoruba carvings of Olowe of Ise Olowe of Ise descendants claim he was self-taught, but it is likely that he learned the Yoruba canon and perfected his carving skills during an apprenticeship.  Eventually he became a master artist at the King's palace, and as his fame grew, other Yoruba kings and wealthy families commissioned him to carve architectural sculptures, masks, drums and other objects for their palaces. Among the Yoruba such elaborately carved and decorated bowls were prestige objects used to offer kola nuts to guests or to deities during religious worship.  Olowe was an innovative and virt...