WAS African Chapter (WAS-AC) Welcomes Dr. Khalid Salie as its new President as other new members are appointed to its Executive Board of Directors

Following a successful election period in 2025, Dr. Khalid Salie from South Africa now takes over as President of the WAS African Chapter for a period of two years, effective January 2026. Other newly elected Board Members include Dr Francisca Delgado (as President-Elect); Dr. Victoria Tarus (as Regional Director: Eastern Africa); Prof. Daniel Adjei-Boateng (as Regional Director: Western Africa); Prof. Maryam El Bakali (as Regional Director: North Africa).

Dr. Khalid Salie is the Head of the Aquaculture Unit, Department of Animal Sciences, at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He was also the Founding WAS-AC Regional Director for Southern Africa 2018-2023 and an active Council Member of the Aquaculture Association of Southern Africa. An ardent WAS member since 1999, Dr. Salie is renowned to have steered the formation of the African Chapter since the very beginning, prior to 2018. Dr. Salie takes on a vibrant chapter with a rapidly growing membership and active programme base which has been greatly advanced by his predecessor, Dr. Foluke Areola (Nigeria) - who now moves to the WAS Global Board as President-Elect. Madame Foluke will stay in the WAS AC Board/Excom position, being its Immediate Past President.

Dr. Francisca Delgado, an Angolan aquaculture professional and former National Director at Angolan Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is now the PRESIDENT-ELECT of the Chapter. She has served in the WAS-AC Board of Directors in various capacities since 2018, recently as Chapter Secretary and also assumed positions of Regional Director for Central Africa (2018-2023). She is currently the Vice President of the African Women in Maritime (WIMAfrica) and coordinator of the nearly formed WAS-Portuguese Platform (PALOP/CPLP).

Dr. Victoria Tarus, a Kenyan aquaculture professional and Deputy Director of Technical Capacity Building at Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) has retained her position as REGIONAL DIRECTOR: EASTERN AFRICA. Dr. Tarus has served within the WAS structures for a number of years including being a Director in the WAS Global Board. She was also instrumental in Steering the organisation of the World Aquaculture Safari 2025 Uganda. Being an Eastern African lead Director, she will be strongly involved in the organisation of World Aquaculture 2026 in Tanzania. This is Dr. Tarus’s re-election to a second term.

Prof. Daniel Adjei-Boateng, from the Department of Fisheries and Watershed Management at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana is now the REGIONAL DIRECTOR: WEST AFRICA. A long serving, passionate member of the WAS and renowned aquaculture professional in Ghana and West Africa, Prof. Adjei-Boateng takes over one of the most vibrant regions of the WAS-AC, containing the largest membership base. He is presently the coordinator for the upcoming World Aquaculture Ghana 2027 and well as Programme Committee Member for World Aquaculture Tanzania 2026. Prof. Adjei-Boateng replaces Mr. Lanre Badmus (Nigeria) who has been the Regional Director since 2018.

Prof. Maryam ElBakali, the Associate Professor of Biology-Aquaculture at Abdelmalek Essaadi University in Morocco, now takes over as REGIONAL DIRECTOR: NORTH AFRICA. With over a decade of experience in research and international collaborations amongst other educational roles, Prof. El Bakali is expected to bring a wealth of energy and professionalism to a region that is very active on aquaculture research. A President and Founder of RAISEAqua Foundation, Prof El Bakali takes over the North African regional leadership from Dr. Nevine Shabana (Egypt) who held that position since 2018. She desires to motivate the bringing of an AFRAQ to Morocco in few years to come.

These newly elected leaders bring extensive experience in aquaculture across the regions of Africa — further strengthening the Chapter’s cross-regional approach to advancing the long-term sustainable aquaculture development in Africa.

WAS-AC also extends its sincere appreciation to its long-serving Board Members, who will stay in the Executive Board’s emeritus positions. Dr. John Walakira (Uganda) will now be President-Emeritus; Dr. Nevine Shabana (Egypt) and Mr. Lanre Badmus (Nigeria) will both take positions of Regional Director Emeritus.

The Board of Directors Structure for 2026 now stands as follows:

Dr. Khalid Salie  - President (South Africa) Excom

Dr. Francisca Delgado - President Elect/Secretary (Angola) Excom

Dr. Foluke Areola  - Immediate Past President (Nigeria) Excom

Dr. Bernice Mclean  - Treasurer (South Africa) Excom

Dr. Victoria Tarus  - Regional Director (Eastern Africa), Kenya

Dr. Judith Makombu  - Regional Director (Central Africa), Cameroon

Ms. Alushe Hitula  - Regional Director (Southern Africa), Namibia

Dr. Daniel Adjei-Boateng - Regional Director (West Africa) Ghana

Prof. Maryam Elbakali  - Regional Director (North Africa), Morocco

Dr. Kevan Main  - WAS AC Strategic Advisor (USA)

Mr. Blessing Mapfumo - Executive Officer : Secretariat (Zimbabwe)