First Guyanese appointed IICA Director General

January 16 2025

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Thursday attended the inauguration ceremony marking Muhammad Ibrahim’s assumption of office as the new Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), held in San José.

Minister Mustapha joined Vice President of Costa Rica, Mary Munive Angermüller; Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arnoldo Tinoco; Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Alejandro Solano; Brazil’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Cleber Soares; and other government officials from more than 30 countries.

The ceremony also marked the formal handover of leadership from outgoing Director General Manuel Otero to his successor.

Congratulating Ibrahim, Minister Mustapha—who also serves as Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ministerial Task Force on Agriculture—described the appointment as historic, noting that Ibrahim is the first Guyanese to lead the prestigious hemispheric institution.

He said Ibrahim’s professional journey, both in Guyana and internationally, reflects the immense potential of the Caribbean region.

In his inaugural address, Ibrahim pledged to elevate standards of excellence at IICA, strengthen collaboration with member states, and bridge existing gaps to promote more sustainable agrifood systems across the Americas.

“I am going to be a Director General for all the Americas, recognizing that we need differentiated strategies for each region of the hemisphere,” Ibrahim said.

Also addressing the ceremony via a video message from Georgetown, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali underscored IICA’s critical role in fostering value-added agriculture and supporting regional development.

He extended congratulations to Ibrahim on assuming the responsibility of leading the institution.

IICA is a specialized agency of the Inter-American System that supports agricultural development and rural well-being across the Americas.