Bulletin story Archives - Page 25 of 138

Agribusiness: Way out for youth rural–urban migration

Research has associated the increase of rural‒urban migration amongst youth in Africa with lesser food expenditures and the incidence of poverty. The major reason for this rural‒urban youth migration is attributed to unemployment. The recent study funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), under the Enhancing Capacity to Apply Research Evidence (CARE) in…

Head of IITA’s banana breeding program receives dedicated scientist award at the International Banana Conference

The Head of IITA’s banana breeding program, Rony Swennen received the “Dedicated Scientist Award for his exemplary commitment to Banana research” during an International Conference on Banana held in Trichy, India on 22–25 February 2020. Swennen also gave the first keynote presentation of the conference on “Breeding plantain and cooking banana (Matooke and Mchare) hybrids…

IITA builds six cassava processing factories in Liberia

The former President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, entrusted IITA with a project to build six processing factories in Liberia within two months. It was the end of her tenure and the close of the financial year, but Mrs Sirleaf wanted the factories built and commissioned before her retirement, as it was her brainchild. IITA…

Harmony with nature: The story of Alec Butler

As a research institute, the main business of IITA centers on science and measurable data. However, walking or driving into the IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria for the first time may leave you feeling like you just stepped out of reality and into a fairytale. Such is the beauty and excellence of the one thousand…

Forward movement for STEP as teams exceed 6-month target

The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) had a 6-month review meeting with the Start Them Early Program (STEP) team in Kenya on 13 February. The meeting was chaired by Jemimah Njuki, a Senior Program Specialist at IDRC and the Director-General of IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga. The meeting was attended by the STEP-Kenya team: Paul Woomer,…

IITA’s labor of love, transforming African Agriculture

To love, or not to love, that is not the question! How to love…now that is real the question. Since 1967, IITA has been on a journey of love, developing solutions to eradicate hunger by ensuring food security, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. The Institute has done this by championing research to increase crop yield and…

YIIFSWA-II participates in Plant and Animal Genome Conference (PAG XXVIII) in San Diego

Billed as the largest Plant and Animal Genome meeting in the world, scientists from around the world converged at San Diego, California, USA, for PAG XXVIII from 11 to 15 January to promote research discoveries, exchange ideas, and gain new insights on plant and animal genome research and development. YIIFSWA-II scientists, Norbert Maroya and Morufat…

IYA celebrates success in its youth empowerment programs for 2019

Since its inception in 2012, the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) has been working tirelessly, creating capacity development programs and projects to engage youth in agribusiness. Although IYA has experienced challenges in accessing funds and credit facilities to assist some of the trained youth in establishing and expanding their agribusinesses, about 7,000 youth have benefited from…

IITA signs major project agreement with the EU to enhance livelihoods in Northern Uganda

IITA has signed an agreement with the European Union and Uganda Government to start the implementation of a three-year, multidisciplinary program that seeks to enhance food and nutrition security, increase household incomes, and improve maternal and child nutrition and health in Northern Uganda. The project will, among others, promote diversified food (production; commercialization of agriculture;…

IITA alumnus receives 2019 Japan Prize for outstanding achievements in soil management

On 16 January, Rattan Lal, an eminent IITA alumnus and a University Professor of Soil Science at College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES), Ohio State University, was awarded the 2019 Japan Prize, considered one of the most prestigious honors in science and technology. The award was for original and outstanding research on sustainable…