Dr. John Adriko

Dr. John Adriko has been appointed as the new Director for the National Forestry Research Institute (NaFORRI), succeeding Dr. Hillary Agaba. Dr. Adriko is an agriculturalist and researcher. He will take up his position on 2 August 2024.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in medicinal plant research, plant disease diagnostics and management, agricultural and environmental biotechnology, and phytochemical profiling and product development.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Adriko held various positions at the National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO). He worked as a Molecular Biologist and Principal Research Officer, respectively, at the National Agricultural Research Laboratories (NARL), where he led the Biodiversity and Biotechnology programme, providing direction and oversight for research in biodiversity, integrated pest management, and biotechnology.

Dr. Adriko chaired the taskforce of the NARO Lab Accreditation Committee, supporting the development of quality management systems for NARO laboratories and the accreditation process of the NARO Laboratories. He has also been taskforce leader for the establishment of the regional Gene Bank, leading in the development of the concept and a fundraising strategy.

He is a co-author of a number of publications in the fields of agriculture, food security, and livelihoods. He led and contributed to research in the development of plant-based crop protection solutions for banana pests; tissue culture systems for medicinal and high-value plant species, coffee wilt disease; biopesticide formulation for banana weevil and fruit fly management; algae-based animal and fish feed products; and an ICT tool for linkage of the National GeneBank to Community Seed Banks, among others.

Dr. Adriko has served on several committees and task forces, such as the task force for the establishment of the National Sugar Research Institute (NSRI); NARO Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee Member; and the Working Group on Plant Genetic Resources Management (WG-PGRM) of the African Seed and Biotechnology Platform for the African Union Commission (AUC), among others.

In recognition of his work, Dr. Adriko has received several accolades, including the presidential citation of the President of the Republic of Korea (Yoon Suk, Yeol) in 2022; the Most Outstanding Scientist—Biodiversity and Biotechnology Research, NARL, 2016; and the Best Scientific Paper at the NARO Scientific Conference, October 2012.

Dr. Adriko holds a PhD in Plant Pathology from the University of Copenhagen, a master’s degree in crop science, and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Makerere University. He is married to Queenie Adriko.