Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — An African agricultural research centre is to be established in Addis Ababa under the aegis of the World Bank to co-ordinate research in the field in the continent, the government press reported Sunday in Addis Ababa.

The Ethiopian Herald said the second international conference of the agricultural research special programme took the decision Friday at the end of its six-day meeting, which gathered some 120 researchers from within and outside Africa.

The Ethiopian agricultural research organisation (EARO) organised the meeting, which also decided to change the headquarters of the African agricultural research special programme from Washington, D.C. to Accra, Ghana.

The director-general of EARO, Dr Seifu Ketema says Africans will head the new centre, which will represent the continent in international forums on agricultural research.

He stated that the World Bank has pledged to support the establishment of the centre and its research activities.