IITA News

Picture of DG and Lawrence Kaptoge discussing the progress of construction during the visit.

IITA DG visits East Africa hub for meetings

DG Nteranya Sanginga was recently in Tanzania where he attended the third meeting of the Independent Steering Committee (ISC) of the CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers, and Bananas (RTB) and held meetings with the Belgian Ambassador and the Institute’s staff and youth Agripreneurs at the hub.

Picture of PROMEDA will improve productivity of small producers and their access to markets.

Burundi government and IITA partner on PROMEDA project

The Agricultural Markets Productivity and Development Project (PRODEMA) commenced officially on 28 August.

Picture of Khatib Haji and Seif Ali Masood from ZARI, collecting data from harvested samples at Matangatwani Trial Farm, Pemba Island, Zanzibar. Photo: Ngome – IITA.

ACAI harvests Cassava Intercropped with Sweet potato trials

Four months after planting 102 trials for the Cassava Intercropped with Sweet Potato (CIS) project in the Islands of Unguja and Pemba, Zanzibar in the United Republic of Tanzania, ACAI and implementing partners in Zanzibar, ZARI, has begun harvesting potatoes from the trial fields.

Picture of James Perrin, Regional Manager, Africa and Middle East receives gift from IYA member, Adetola Oladini.

Representatives of University of Hertfordshire, UK visit IITA-Abuja

A delegation from the University of Hertfordshire (UH), UK, comprising Stuart Smith, Head of International Affairs; Ave Vinick, Director of Development; and James Perrin, Regional Manager, Africa and Middle East, accompanied by Moyo Jolaoso, Former Director, Agriculture and Agro-allied Dept. of Nigeria Raw Materials Research and Development Council and Olusola Kayode, Consultant and Former Representative of Nigeria to UNIDO-France, visited the IITA-Abuja Station.

Picture of Dr Chikoye welcoming participants to the 2017 SARAH Retreat in Livingstone, Zambia.

IITA-SARAH holds annual Hub retreat

On 21-25 August, staff of the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administrative Hub (SARAH) converged at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge in Livingstone, Zambia, to hold their annual regional Science Week and Retreat. Around 80 members of staff based in Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique—as well as invited guests from IITA-HQ and IITA-Nairobi—attended the 5-day event.

Picture of Dr Chikoye addressing SARAH staff during the IITA@50 cocktail celebration.

Southern Africa Region celebrates IITA’s Golden Jubilee

As a complementary event to the SA Hub retreat, regional staff also celebrated IITA’s 50th founding anniversary with a cocktail on 21 August at the David Livingstone Safari Lodge, fronting the scenic Zambezi River.

IITA’s 50th anniversary features at 14th Malawi National Agriculture Fair

Partners, donors, NGOs, and farmers in Malawi joyfully took part in IITA’s 50th anniversary celebration during the 14th Malawi National Agriculture fair held on 16 ̶18 August in Blantyre.

Picture of Mr Kawalewale in his inoculant production lab.

N2Africa success story: Malawi

This is the second in a series of articles on the beneficiaries /successes of the N2Africa project, a large-scale, science-based, research-in-development project focused on putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers growing legume crops in Africa.

N2Africa in Malawi

IITA-Malawi has been implementing the N2Africa project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, since 2010. Malawi is one of eight countries in Africa where the project is operating.

Picture of Tahirou Abdoulaye giving a presentation at the STMA training.

STMA trains Francophone stakeholders on proficiency upgrade

A 5-day training course on variety testing and seed production of open-pollinated and hybrid seed was held 21–25 August at IITA..