CoELIB continued to expand its international imprint this week during the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA 2025) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the centre's director, Prof. Alexander Kahi, receiving the Outstanding Development and Cultural Communication Award presented by His Highness Sheikh Sultan Al Ahmed Qassimi, deputy ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, during the ceremony that drew innovators and leaders from around the world.

The SGCA, which happened between 10th and 11th September 2025, is a prestigious award established in the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Qasimi in September 2012 to recognise and promote excellence in government communication.

The award has grown in leaps and bounds into one of the most respected platforms honouring the creativity and effectiveness of initiatives that seek to empower and inform communities towards a more sustainable and inclusive future.

For CoELIB, the award validates the centre's work in empowering small-scale producers, creating more equitable food value chains and integrating marginalised community voices across value chains for enhanced quality of life in and beyond agri-food sectors by addressing long-term causality and impacts on entrepreneurship, well-being, governance, socio-economics and multi-sectoral leadership.

"This prestigious award is more than an acknowledgement of impact. It is a stepping stone for scaling commitment and action to advance community resilience for improved quality of life." Prof. Alexander Kahi.

The award further demonstrates alignment between CoELIB and SGVA's vision of using communication to foster development and innovation and provide a platform for systems growth globally.

"CoELIB is now more strategically positioned to enhance collaborations, deepen its engagement with farmers and innovators, and amplify solutions in sustainable food systems across Africa." Prof. Alexander Kahi.