Scovia Adikini is a senior research officer, plant breeder and geneticist at the National Semi arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI). As team leader of the dry land cereal research program she ensures that appropriate technology is generated, promoted and disseminated to the right stake holders in order to reduce poverty and hunger, improve income and health and ensure environmental sustainability. Scovia also doubles as a breeder, where her current research focuses on improving finger millet and sorghum productivity for food and nutritional security and income through breeding for varieties that are well adapted and has required market traits. She is currently evaluating over 1000 lines of finger millet for various traits.

Previously, Scovia worked as plant health specialist at the National Crops Resources Research Institute where she managed to develop and operationalize the first cassava seed system inspection and certification standards of its kind for Uganda. Scovia also worked with IITA and contributed in genetic transformation of banana for nematode resistance. She has authored five publications in peer reviewed journals. Scovia holds BSc. Agriculture, MSc and PhD in crop science, all from Makerere University. Scovia also attended gender training by Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) and next generation genomics and breeding for crop improvement by ICRISAT India.