May 2017 - Page 2 of 3

Picture of the IITA team listening keenly to the proposition of the partners.

IITA partners with private sector to boost soy oil production

IITA has pledged to provide its best soybean varieties to Al-Abass Holdings—a private sector organization aiming to establish an edible oil refinery in Nigeria.

Picture of YIIFSWA’s Morufat Balogun handing over clean yam plantlets for multiplication in the Bioreactor.

YIIFSWA enhances NACGRAB capacity for efficient pre-basic seed yam multiplication using Temporary Immersion Bioreactors

The IITA-led YIIFSWA-II project is equipping institutional partners with infrastructure, technical know-how, and clean planting materials from the project’s promoted varieties that will enable key research institutions.

Picture of students getting an opportunity to use scientific equipment in the labs.

IITA marks Fascination of Plants Day with tomorrow’s scientists

IITA joined other scientific institutions, universities, museums, schools, farmers, and companies all around the world to celebrate the Fascination of Plants Day on 18 May.

Tributes: Dr Bede Nwoye Okigbo and Dr Barnabas Sanyaolu Oloruntoba

IITA is privileged to have worked with two very distinguished and outstanding individuals: the late Prof Bede Nwoye Okigbo, one of the most prestigious scientists in the African continent, and Dr Barnabas Sanyaolu Oloruntoba, the father of Nigeria’s agricultural development.

IITA Cameroon and Congo Basin Institute host donors and potential partners in conservation projects

The sustainable ebony project funded by Taylor Guitars is a joint project implemented by the Congo Basin Institute (CBI) partners: UCLA, IITA, and the Higher Institute of Environmental Science (HIES).

Picture of Rony Swennen explaining the hybrid breeding process that led to NARITA.

IITA-led project on breeding better banana surpasses major targets as it moves into its third year

A team of international banana experts have developed 48 hybrids of Matooke, a popular cooking banana in the highlands of Eastern Africa, that are now under field assessment in Uganda to select those with the highest yields and confirm resistance to four major pests and diseases.

Building capacity of IITA gender scientists to analyze qualitative data

The story behind the numbers is as important as the numbers themselves. However, analysis of qualitative data collected in terms of stories and narratives is not an easy task compared to the more straightforward analysis of quantitative data.

Picture of children being taught how to conserve nature.

IITA celebrates World Migratory Bird Day

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD)—an annual global awareness raising event which highlights the need for the conservation of migratory birds and their habitats, was celebrated at IITA on 10 May.

Picture of media interacting with staff at the Eastern Africa hub.

IITA hosts media as part of 50th anniversary celebration

Recently editors and senior journalists from nearly all the major media houses in Tanzania spent half a day at IITA’s Eastern Africa Hub interacting with the researchers to get a better understanding of the Institute and its activities.

Gates provides open research platform

As an institute implementing various projects with funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Gates), IITA will comply with the recent directives from the Gates requiring all institutions and projects that it funds to make discoveries from such research efforts immediately available without charge to others needing such information on its newly developed Gates Open Research repository.