Nicolas Uwitonze

Masters in Integrated Crop Management (ICM), University of Neuchatel, Institute of Biology, Switzerland, 2020

B.sc Agric. Sci., Agricultural extension education, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, 2013

During his first year at Virginia Tech, Nicolas worked with Drs Thomas Archibald and Sarah Baughman, in support to the the evaluation capacity building (ECB) work within Virginia Cooperative Extension. During Summer 2022, Nicolas worked with the Virginia residential summer Governor's school for agriculture (GSA). He was part of the 12 GS leaders helping with the mission of GSA to develop about 95 high school students into future leaders and scientists for careers in agriculture. Prior to Virginia Tech (2021), Nicolas was the capacity development and climate smart agriculture specialist with FAO Rwanda, where he was the lead consultant to develop an integrated curriculum on climate smart and nutrition sensitive agriculture, a training guide for capacity development of agricultural extension workers & nutrition promoters in Rwanda. Prior to FAO, Nicolas have been working with Cultivating New frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA), serving as the Climate Smart Agriculture and Extension Advisor for the USAID’s Feed the Future Rwanda Hinga Weze Activity, where he coordinated extension services provision in efforts to help more than 535,000 smallholder farmers to become more resilient to climate change in 10 districts of Rwanda, during a service period of nearly 4 years (July 2017-July 2021).

Selected publications

Uwitonze N., Senge Moussa. 2021. Rwanda Customized Module: Climate Smart Agriculture in Extension and Advisory Services (part of the NELK Customized package adapted from Module 13: Risk Mitigation and Adaptation in Extension and Advisory Services). Global Forum for Rural Advisory Services (GFRAS), Switzerland. Available at Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture (CNFA) website.

Franzel, S., Miiro, R., Uwitonze, N., Davis, K., Luzobe, B. and Rurangwa, R. 2021. Engaging Youth in Agribusiness through Private Sector Extension and Advisory Services: Lessons from Rwanda & Uganda. In: AIAEE Executive Board (ed.) Proceedings of the Virtual Conference of the Association for International and Agricultural Extension Education. April 12-14, 2021 pp. 207-2014

Rutikanga, A., Claude, N., Nkurunziza, C., Habimana, S., Uwitonze, N., & Mutoni, T. (2020). Climate-Smart Staking Strategies for Boosting Yield of Iron-Fortified Climbing Beans. Rwanda Journal of Social & Applied Sciences, ISSN: 2310-3205 (Vol 6, Issue 1)

Franzel, Steven; Lowicki-Zucca, Jane; Miiro, Richard; and Uwitonze, Nicolas. 2020. Demand-driven extension and advisory services: Catalysing opportunities for youth in agriculture. The International Journal for Rural Development Rural 21 54(2): 23-25.

Uwitonze, N., Gatali, C., Niyonsaba, E., & Boa, E. (2016). Rwanda pioneers rapid responses to crop diseases. In CABI Research Brief Series (Issue No.2, p. 4 pp.). CABI. DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.1079/CABICOMM-62-8115 .

Uwitonze, N., Niyonsaba, E., Gatali, C., Boa, E.2014. Mass extension in Rwanda: Exploring method and connections. CABI Plantwise Poster. Available at Research Gate

Uwitonze N., Ndaruhuye J.D, Rurangwa R., Davis K., Franzel S., Luzobe B., Miiro R. 2020. Rwandan Youth Engagement in Private Extension and Advisory Services. Agrilinks First published online on July 30, 2020 

Davis K., Franzel S., Luzobe B., Miiro R., Rurangwa R., Uwitonze N. 2020. Including Youth in Agriculture through Extension and Advisory Services. Feed the Future Developing Local Extension Capacity (DLEC): Agrilinks First published online on July 10, 2020