Jacinta Adoma Opoku (Ph.D.)
Jacinta Adoma Opoku (Ph.D.)
Phone number: +233202449526 / +233242928831
Email: jacintaadomaopoku@gmail.com / okratotheworld@gmail.com
Nationality: Ghanaian
Station: Kwadaso
Qualification: Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Breeding
Current Grade: Research Scientist
Research Interest
Horticultural crops (especially vegetables and fruits i.e., okra) and sugarcane
Research Experience (Projects/ Number of Publications/ Peer review publication):
Currently working on Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Okra Breeding which is sponsored by CIMMYT and Transformation for African Agricultural Technologies phase two (TAAT II). I have been co-author to several book chapters and peer review publications.
Brief Biography
I aspire to become one of the leading female scientists in my field of research. I earned my Bachelor’s degree (2007–2011) and Master’s degree (2013–2015) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). From 2012 to 2017, I worked with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture at the Ejisu Municipal Assembly as both an Agricultural Extension Officer and a Crop Officer.
In 2017, I joined the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), where I currently work as a Research Scientist. I pursued my PhD at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, University of Ghana, from January 28, 2019, to April 1, 2023. While my earlier research focused on tomatoes and leafy vegetables, I now specialize in sugarcane and okra.
I had the privilege of contributing to the Technology for African Agricultural Transformation Phase II (TAAT II) initiative. Currently, I am involved in the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) breeding project, which aims to develop resilient agrifood systems through diverse, nutritious, and climate-adapted crops grown in healthy soils. This project has enabled me to collaborate with a broad network of stakeholders, including farmers, extension agents, and research institutions, to enhance agricultural resilience—particularly in okra, a crop that remains under-researched in Ghana.
My ultimate goal is to develop high-performing, climate-resilient crop varieties that contribute to food security, improve nutrition, and enhance the well-being of vulnerable populations, especially women and children.
