KIGALI – The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) has appointed Senegalese academic Dr. Momar Dieng as its new Vice Chancellor, effective November 1, 2026.
Dr. Dieng succeeds Dr. Olusegun Yerokun, who has served as Interim Vice Chancellor during a 16-month international search for a permanent leader. Dr. Yerokun will remain at RICA as Deputy Vice Chancellor, where he will continue overseeing the institute’s academic programmes.
RICA announced the appointment on Thursday, describing Dr. Dieng as an experienced higher education leader with more than 20 years of expertise in university leadership, government reform and international development across Africa and the United States.
He joins the institute from the African School of Governance (ASG) in Kigali, where he serves as Director of Executive Education and Associate Professor of Decision Science and Quantitative Methods.
Before joining ASG, Dr. Dieng was Dean of the School of Business at the African Leadership University (ALU), where he led the redesign of the school’s academic model and launched a sector-focused MBA programme.
He has also served as Chief Strategy and Partnerships Officer at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Senior Technical and Policy Advisor to Senegal’s Minister of Education, and a consultant to the World Bank on education and digital transformation programmes in West and Central Africa. He has taught quantitative methods at Harvard University for more than 15 years.
Dr. Dieng holds a PhD in Mathematics from the University of California, Davis, a Master of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, advanced studies in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics from Macalester College.
Ann Kelly Bolten, President of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Chair of RICA’s Executive Council, said Dr. Dieng brings the strategic vision and leadership experience needed to guide the institution through its next phase of growth.
“Dr. Dieng’s career has been defined by his ability to lead institutions through change and strengthen their impact,” she said. “He brings the strategic vision, fundraising experience, and a deep understanding of how to drive innovation through institutions of higher education that RICA needs as it enters its next chapter.”
The Senegalese academic Dr. Dieng said he was honoured to lead the institute and build on the progress made under Dr. Yerokun’s leadership.
“RICA is a recognised centre of excellence for conservation agriculture, and I am grateful for the opportunity to empower smallholder farmers in Rwanda and beyond through research, education and extension,” he said. “I look forward to working with the RICA community, our partners and the Government of Rwanda to lead the next chapter of this visionary institute.”
Paying tribute to the outgoing interim Vice Chancellor, Howard G. Buffett, Chairman and CEO of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and RICA’s Chancellor, commended Dr. Yerokun for steering the institution during a critical transition period.
“He stepped into the Interim Vice Chancellor role at a pivotal moment and led RICA with steadiness, expertise and deep care for our students and our mission. We are fortunate that he will continue to guide RICA’s academic programme alongside Dr. Dieng,” Buffett said.
Founded in 2019 through a partnership between the Government of Rwanda and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, RICA is an accredited higher education institution focused on conservation agriculture, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The institute trains students through a combination of classroom learning, practical experience and applied scientific research aimed at improving agricultural productivity and promoting sustainable farming.
