2026 Annual Meeting: Rwanda
Save the date for February 4-6, 2026 for the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network Annual Meeting.
Join this meeting of the best minds in the world working together for healthy African Great Lakes.
Collaboration is paramount. With our six advisory groups and other global experts, we activate collective knowledge, passion, and resources to solve the challenges that threaten the African Great Lakes.
At this meeting we will:
- Learn from each African Great Lakes Advisory Group to advance solutions
- Inform the future of AGL monitoring, education, and training
- Break down gender barriers to tap into strong, inclusive solutions
- Work across borders to inform game-changing freshwater decisions
The African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network is a highly collaborative group of freshwater and large lakes experts from around the world. At the heart of the network is over 150 African Great Lakes experts who are, together, addressing the most critical issues on these seven African Great Lakes which hold over 25% of the world’s freshwater and support millions of people.
This meeting is open to the public and guests, observers, and specialists are warmly welcome to attend and participate.
The African Great Lakes Stakeholders Network, and this meeting, are facilitated by the African Center for Aquatic Research and Education and developed, informed, and advised by the partners and experts working on the African Great Lakes.
Annual Meeting Agenda
Updated: January 13, 2026
Day 0: Tuesday, February 03, 2026
Various times: participants arrive
8:30am – 4:00pm: ACARE Board Meeting (Closed: Board and Secretariat)
5:00pm – 6:00pm: New AWIS 2026 cohort orientation (AWIS 2026 only)
6:00pm – 8:00pm: African Women in Science (Re)union (Closed: AWIS and invite only)
Members of the 2026 AWIS Cohort and AWIS Alumni to gather, meet, and network
Day 1: Wednesday, February 04, 2026
7:00am – 8:00am: Registration and arrival
8:00am-9:30am: Opening Ceremony (Plenary):
Welcome with guest speakers
9:30am – 10:00am: Group Photo & Tea Break
10:00am – 11:am: ACARE Updates:
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- -Advisory Groups
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- -AWIS (Alumni, Mentorship, Call for AWIS 2027-2028
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- -African Lakes Hub training
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- -Education and Training
Partner presentations:
-Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research – Melissa Mattwig
-Africa Fish and Aquaculture Welfare Program
-Dept. Fisheries Malawi
11:00am – 12:30pm: Advisory Group Presentations w/ Q & A
12:30pm – 1:00pm: Advisory Group Strategic Plan (Plenary)
Presentation of the revised 10-page AGSP & Thematic Action Plan
1:00pm – 1:55pm: Lunch
2:00pm: Move to breakout rooms
2:00pm – 3:30pm: Individual Advisory Group Breakouts
Review Goals 1 and 2 & Thematic Action Plan
3:30pm – 4:00pm: Tea Break – Networking
4:00pm – 5:30pm: Individual Advisory Group Breakouts (Cont.)
Review Goals 3, 4, and5 & Thematic Action Plan
6:30pm: Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Thursday, February 05, 2026
7:30am – 8:30am: Meeting check-in and arrival
Welcome Day 2:
8:30am – 8:55am: Recap of AGM Day 2
9:00am – 10:25am: Plan for AG report-outs: Decisions
Actionable themes of the Strategic Plan
- Scientific Knowledge & Innovation
- Capacity Development & Empowerment
- Resource Mobilization & Institutional Building
- Ecosystem Sustainability & Climate Resilience
- Governance, Collaboration & Partnerships
10:30am – 10:55: Tea Break
11:00am – 12:30pm: Progress Report-outs
12:30pm – 12:55pm: Preparation for afternoon budget and M&E Sessions
1:00pm – 1:55pm: Lunch
2:00pm – 3:25pm: Individual Advisory Group Breakout
- Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
- Coordination Framework
- Governance and Leadership
- Knowledge Management and M&E Dashboard
- Sustainability and Scaling Up strategies
3:30pm – 4:00pm: Tea Break
4:00pm-5:30pm: M&E
Defining metrics and indicators
5:30pm: Poster Session and Networking
6:30pm: Dinner
Day 3: Friday, February 06, 2026
7:30am – 8:30am: Meeting check-in and arrival
8:30am – 10:30am: Summary of Deliberations (Plenary)
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LEAAG, LKAG, LMNN, LT-SAG, LTuAG, LVAG
10:30am – 11:00am: Tea Break
11:00am – 12:00pm: Presentation and adoption of AGM Communique
12:00pm – 12:30pm: Closing Session (Plenary)
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Lunch
Workshops and Trainings:
1:30pm – 6:30pm: TBD
No scheduled evening events; dinner on your own, explore Kigali
Venue and Hotels
Conference Venue:
Lemigo Hotel
KG 624 St, Kimihurura
Kigali, Rwanda
Hotels:
Please note: You are responsible for reserving and paying for your own accommodations. The below hotels are suggestions only. You are responsible for assessing suitability of accommodations for your needs and comfort. A code for reduced prices will be sent to you or you can request one here. Please also know, Kigali is a walking-friendly city and also has a vast motorcycle-taxi system, by which you can hail and take a moto to the conference. This should not cost more than 500 RWF.
| Hotel Name | Cost | Dist. // Time walk to Lemigo | Notes: |
| Lemigo Hotel Ph. +250 784 040 924 reservation@lemigohotel.com |
$145 | 0 meters // 0 min | This is the hotel and venue location. |
| Grazia Hotel Ph. +250 785 797 095 graziaparts@gmail.com |
$135 | 200 meters // 4 min | A nice hotel very near the conference hotel. |
| Oasis Park Hotel Ph. +250 792 401 986 management@oasisparkrwanda.com |
$70 | 350 meters // 7 min | This hotel will be used by ACARE Secretariat. |
| Beausejour Hotel Ph. +250 788 388 885 reservations@beausejourhotel.rw |
$70 | 900 meters // 17 min | A great hotel, a little more of a walk, but good views over the city. |
| DMall Ph. +250 781 711 343 dmallhotel@gmail.com |
$70 | 900 meters // 17 min | This hotel provides airport pickup/dropoff and daily conference shuttle van! Also has a great Chinese restaurant on location.Highland |
| Highland Suites Hotel Ph. +250 789 111 457 info@highlandssuiteshotel.com |
$70 | 1 KM // 19 min | This hotel provides airport pickup/dropoff and daily conference shuttle van! Also has a great Chinese restaurant on location. |
| Kalih Villa Ph. +250 791 653 446 kalihvillas@gmail.com |
$35 | 1.2 KM // 20 min | This is a nice and inexpensive place, a lot of character and is Ted’s current favourite place to stay in Kigali. A bit longer of a walk, but pleasant. |
Please note that there are ample hotels and other accommodations in the area. They range in location, price, and distance.
Transportation:
Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from their hotel to the conference centre daily. The hotel options we have listed above are all within reasonable walking distance to the conference centre.
Travel Tips, Needs, and Information
Visa Acquisition:
Citizens of all countries are allowed to get visa upon arrival without prior application. There are two main categories, “no fee” and “fee”:
No Fee Visa:
Fee
Rwanda Visa Overview of Visa on Arrival: https://www.migration.gov.rw/visa-on-arrival
Meeting Contact, Questions, and Inquiries:
Ted Lawrence: ted@agl-acare.org
ACARE Business Office: info@agl-acare.org
Hosts
Partners
Funders
Supporters
Conference Participants
A list of participants of the Annual Meeting of the African Great Lakes Stakeholder Network, Kigali, Rwanda, February 4-6, 2026 will be listed here after the meeting. The purpose is to enhance connectivity between experts. If you wish to contact any of the participants, please first contact ACARE, we will facilitate communications.