Welcome to the First Sahelian Africa Congress on Bamboo and Rattan – SACOBAR, 2024!

For the promotion of tropical bamboo and rattan purposes, the First Sahelian Africa Congress on Bamboo and Rattan - SACOBAR for short – which is an annual flagship outreach Programme of the Sahelian Institute for Bamboo Research and Entrepreneurship Development (SIBRED) at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Southeast Nigeria, brings stakeholders from around the world together to meet, discuss, network, collaborate, and exchange to improve understanding and stimulate potential on revolutionizing bamboo and rattan value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa and by extension the Global South horizon of the Globe.


The theme of this inaugural hybrid SACOBAR 2024 is: (Hybrid)’ on the theme: ‘Bamboo and Rattan Innovations for Entrepreneurship, Livelihoods and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)'.


Please join us for the First Sahelian Africa Congress on Bamboo and Rattan (SACOBAR), 22 – 25 May 2024. This hybrid event will occur online and onsite at the ASUU Secretariat within the Awka Campus of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Southeast Nigeria.


UNIZIK is easily accessible by inter-state road taxis and from Anambra Airport (known officially as Chinua Achebe International Airport at Umueri in Anambra State) for domestic flights which can only be boarded from any of the following International Airports in Nigeria, viz: Abuja, Lagos Port Harcourt or Kano Airports using either Air Peace (https://www.flyairpeace.com/) or United Nigeria (https://flyunitednigeria.com/) airliners. The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) will arrange airport pick-up. Travel from the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Passenger Airport, Umuleri at Ivite, Umuleri 432104, Anambra to Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU) - ASUU Secretariat is a 45-minute taxi ride


The hosts of the First SACOBAR 2024 are the Vice Chancellor Office of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, the Federal Department of Forestry at the Federal Ministry of Environment, Abuja; and the International Network of Universities and Research Centers related to bamboo (RIUCI bamboo).

SIBRED has invited political authorities, policy authorities, university dons, diplomats, bamboo and rattan entrepreneurs, investors, and farmers from all over the world to share fruitful experiences to revolutionizing bamboo in Sub-Saharan Africa in various fields such as landscape restoration, circular economy, sustainable housing, bamboo and rattan cultivation, architecture, arts and crafts, design, community participation, Africa free trade zone and international trade and policies, environmental sustainability law and policy, remote sensing and artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable bamboo and rattan management, etc.


This unique epoch-marking event will provide an opportunity to feature:

  1. Scientific conference presentations
  2. Bamboo/rattan arts and crafts exhibitions
  3. Competitions relating to bamboo/rattan arts and crafts and bamboo food vendor
  4. Industry technology exposition
  5. Bamboo & Rattan Entrepreneurial skills Acquisition workshop for young people
  6. Delegates annual General Congress

    From the 16 SIBRED’s member countries in Central and West Africa, namely: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, Guinea, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal including countries that border the Sahelian countries such as Benin Republic, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo.

  7. SIBRED's Advisory Board meeting:
    • Chair: Honourable Minister of Environment, Abuja, Nigeria.
    • Co-Chair: Prof. Charles Okechukwu Esimone, FAS, - Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria.
  8. Cultural events such as musical concerts, bamboo leaves tea ceremonies, and bamboo shoot cuisine will be carefully arranged to give delegates and participants, the diversity of bamboo culture from within Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
  9. All of the above listed plus a field tour to some selected SIBRED project sites and cultural arenas where the Igbo culture of Anambra State can be displayed to give international visitors a sense of intercultural diversity.

The event has an affordable registration cost. We plan to allow MSc and PhD students to present their Conference Preprint Papers free of charge but they will be required to seek travel scholarships if they choose to participate, onsite!

Plan now to be at this exceptional international SACOBAR 2024 event! We look forward to welcoming you to Awka – the Seat of SIBRED.