IITA News

Nutritious Food Fair 2019 calls for intensified efforts at ensuring adequate nutrition for everyone

The fifth edition of the HarvestPlus Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) with the theme “Nutrition is everybody’s business” is taking place at IITA HQ, Ibadan. NFF is an annual flagship event of HarvestPlus Nigeria, which aims to drive the production, consumption, and marketing of nutritious food in Nigeria. This year, the event spans through 13‒15 November….

Obasanjo urges industrial scale agriculture for self-sufficiency in Africa

Former Nigerian President and IITA Goodwill Ambassador, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has called for the adoption of agriculture as a business, which when implemented on an industrial scale will generate employment, especially among youth, as well as drastically reduce national food import bills. He made the remarks in Kalambo, Democratic Republic of Congo, during the inauguration…

In front of the inauguration slab (L-R): President Felix Tshisekedi of DR Congo; Former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo; and IITA Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga.

IITA names Kalambo station “The President Olusegun Obasanjo Research Campus”

IITA has named its research station in Kalambo, Democratic Republic of Congo, after former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo in an event that took place on 8 October. The IITA Board of Trustees decided to name the station after Obasanjo in recognition of his contributions to agricultural research throughout Africa. This was also an acknowledgement of…

New tissue culture laboratory launched in DR Congo

IITA Kalambo station, newly inaugurated as the President Olusegun Obasanjo Research Campus, commissioned a new tissue culture laboratory during an inauguration ceremony in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 8 October. The world-class laboratory, which is the second of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa, is intended to multiply clean and disease-free planting materials of banana,…

Team of IITA BoT members embark on IITA Rwanda visit

On 9 October, the IITA Board Chair, Dr Amos Namanga Ngongi, and the Programs Committee Chair Dr Christian Borgemeister, paid a courtesy visit to the IITA Rwanda offices. They were transiting through Kigali from Bukavu where they attended the inauguration of the President Olusegun Obasanjo Research Campus at IITA Kalambo. “The purpose is to see…

“Pay attention to nematodes, they have adverse effects on African food security”, scientists warn

Although the world has fully turned its attention to climate change and is continually looking for ways of slowing down its effects on humans, plants, and animals, there is another consequence sneaking up—and no one seems to notice. This consequence is nematodes! Africa’s high population growth rate and rapid urbanization, coupled with climate change, has…

African agriculture needs more nematologists

Researchers from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kenya in partnership with the Nematology Research Unit of Ghent University, Belgium carried out the first-ever structured survey on nematology in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The study which was published in July 2019, in the journal Nematology, aimed at promoting nematology as a training and research discipline in SSA. Read…

IITA-Mozambique provides relief for victims of cyclone Idai

Staff of IITA-Mozambique have delivered relief materials to The National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) office in response to those who had been affected by cyclone Idai that devastated parts of Mozambique on 14 and 15 March 2019. Some provinces were severely affected and some locations, such as the cities of Beira and Buzi in…

IITA rejoices with AfDB President on honoris causa

IITA celebrates with its ardent supporter and champion, HE Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank (AfDB) as he receives an honorary award of Doctor of Entrepreneurship from Bowen University, Nigeria. This award is recognition for his commitment to youth empowerment, contribution to subsistence farming, publications on agriculture and policy development as well as…

Scientists prepped for nutrition survey

A team of scientists have been trained to carry out a nutrition survey in selected communities throughout Nigeria. The week-long training workshop, which took place from 27 October to 2 November, focused on preparing the scientists for the field and designing a good survey. IITA Head of Administration, West Africa Hub, Sylvia Oyinlola, welcomed the…