Professor Dr Obert Jiri is the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. Prior to his appointment as Permanent Secretary, Professor Jiri served as Chief Director, where he was responsible for national agricultural extension and acted as an advisor on crop, livestock, and fisheries production and development. He also oversaw migratory pest surveillance and control, as well as extension personnel development, farmer training, and capacity building.
Before joining the Ministry, Professor Jiri served at the University of Zimbabwe for nearly 20 years as a Lecturer and Professor, and later as a Research Specialist in Natural and Applied Sciences. He has extensive experience working with government, the private sector, and institutions of higher education in areas such as climate change adaptation, indigenous knowledge systems, agricultural research, seed production, precision agriculture, geotechnology, education, and integrated natural resources management.
He has also conducted field surveys and worked closely with communities on issues related to land reform, land redistribution, general agriculture, and climate change adaptation. His recent research interests have focused on investigating indigenous knowledge systems and their impact on livelihoods in smallholder farming communities. He has published over 50 research papers on a wide range of topics, including climate change perceptions and adaptation in these communities.
