A Legacy of Food Security Improvement Left by Late PhD Graduate

BY: .

Just two months before he was due to be capped at UKZN with a PhD in Agricultural Economics, Ghanaian Dr Alhassan Jinbaani sadly died from multiple myeloma.

Jinbaani, who spent more than 20 years as a scientist championing food security in Ghana, was an agricultural economist at the West African country’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), where he spent his entire professional career.

The last born of nine siblings in a household in which farming was part of life, Jinbaani believed that education and hard work presented a solution for his family - he was the only child who continued his education to a tertiary level. His mother, who played a crucial role in motivating him to combine farming with his education, died while he was in high school, and he continued to support many of his family members until his unexpected passing.

From northern Ghana, Jinbaani attended Wa Senior High Technical School and Damongo Agricultural College, working for a short time at a bank before joining CSIR-SARI, where he and his colleagues contributed to the release of 75 improved varieties of crops to hundreds of thousands of smallholder farmers in northern Ghana, enhancing agricultural productivity while prioritising environmental health.

He funded his own undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University for Development Studies in Ghana, paid for in part by his work as a shoe-shiner and selling chickens. Jinbaani also attended six intensive months of training on land restoration at the University of Iceland and the United Nations University in 2016.

Pursuing his PhD later in his career, he chose UKZN because of its excellent reputation in Agricultural Sciences.

‘His passion and love for humanity can soar through his research work at this University,’ said his wife, Ms Ruby Jinbaani.

Jinbaani explored the role of Ghana’s Fertiliser Subsidy Program (GFSP) in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and enhancing household food security. Using nationally representative data and econometric analysis, he addressed three key areas: the impact of fertiliser subsidies on the adoption of sustainable intensification technologies, their contribution to food security resilience, and the complementarity between fertiliser use and integrated soil fertility management practices. His findings underscored the importance of input support policies in strengthening smallholder productivity and food security.

His supervisor, Professor Edilegnaw Wale Zegeye, spoke of his shock at Jinbaani’s death only weeks after the final version of his thesis was submitted.

‘Alhassan was a very dedicated and committed man with many desirable attributes, not only as a student but also as a human being. He was a man of God, humble and hardworking.’

In 2024, Jinbaani attended the 32^nd Triennial International Conference of Agricultural Economists in India with Zegeye, with whom he was planning to submit manuscripts from his thesis to journals for publication. His research resulted in one peer-reviewed journal publication and was presented at five other conferences.

‘It is heartbreaking that he is no more,’ said Zegeye. ‘His work ethic and professionalism were second to none. Once he commits, he will make sure to get it done. Despite his health challenges, he was determined to complete his PhD on a topic of significant policy interest in Ghana and beyond. It was a great privilege to work with him. May his soul rest in peace!’

A tribute by the Grow Further non-profit organisation in the United States, which funded a project led by Jinbaani selected from over 700 applications, described his specialisation in smallholder farming, particularly in gender issues, and his hypothesis that underutilised opportunity crops could empower women in rural Ghana.

He was lauded as a champion for food security.

Jinbaani led a project at the CSIR-SARI to develop the world’s first commercial variety of the nutritious, drought-resistant Bambara groundnut.

A committed Muslim, Jinbaani was remembered by his colleagues as being confident, humble, respectful, generous, and compassionate.

He is survived by his wife and three children.

Words: Christine Cuénod

Photograph: Kwekwe Photography, Courtesy of Grow Further