August 2017 - Page 2 of 3

Picture of Ms Jacinta Ezurike showing participants how to make various value-added products.

Capacity of youth in agribusiness gets a boost

About 38 youth drawn from Onne, Rivers State, were trained on agribusiness and entrepreneurship and improved agronomic practices and value addition for cassava and plantain/banana.

Picture of IITA Abuja Station Head, Dr Gbassey Tarawali, welcomes Burkina Faso Ambassador and his spouse to IITA.

Burkina Faso’s Ambassador to Nigeria visits IITA Abuja station

The Ambassador of Burkina Faso to Nigeria, His Excellency Dr Firmin Ndo, accompaned by his spouse and aide, visited the IITA station in Abuja recently to “understand IITA’s work and to strengthen the relationship between Burkina Faso and IITA,” Ambassador Ndo said.

Picture of Hon Dr Charles Tizeba, Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries (far left), when he visited the Africa RISING Project farmer demonstration site at Kigugu Irrigation Scheme in Mvomero District.

Tanzanian Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries cites Africa RISING-NAFAKA project scaling model

The Africa RISING-NAFAKA project’s model for scaling and disseminating improved technologies has been lauded as “exemplary” and the kind of approach needed to ensure sustainability of improved agricultural interventions for farmers said Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries, Hon Dr Charles Tizeba. The Minister made the remarks during his visit to the Africa RISING-NAFAKA…

Picture of Africa RISING – NAFAKA project partners pose for a group photo during the end-of-phase meeting. Photo by Gloriana Ndibalema, IITA.

Africa RISING–NAFAKA Project legacy under the lens as partners meet for end-of-phase one review meeting

On 3-4 July 2017, partners involved in the Africa RISING-NAFAKA project implementation came together to review achievements made during a largely successful run of the project’s initial 3-year phase. Partners present at the meeting reported on the milestones made on key intervention areas of the project like the introduction of improved crop varieties, good agricultural…

Picture of female focus group discussion in Bulabakulu Village in Zirobwe Sub-county, Luwero District in Central Uganda.

GREAT appoints IITA social scientist as ambassador

An associate Social Scientist/Gender Specialist at IITA Cameroon, Lilian Wopong Nkengla, was recently appointed as one of two Africa Gender Specialists, ambassador, and advisory board member of the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT) Community of Practice.

Picture of Dr Abdulai Jallo, ACAI project coordinator, and Mr James Watiti of CABI in a discussion during the ACAI inhouse planning meeting in Zanzibar.

ACAI sets pace for 2018

The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) team met on 21-22 June in Zanzibar to review the second season results and plan for the project’s third season activities that will be undertaken during the 2017-2018 season in Tanzania.

Picture of Ananga Messina, who represented the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, at the event tasting some finshed and nutritious food products from IITA staple crops.

IITA-Cameroon marks 50th anniversary

Activities marking the 50th anniversary of IITA in Cameroon were organized and held at Nkolbisson, Yaoundé on 28 June.

Picture of Chris Okafor, OiC, IITA in Kalambo accepting an award on behalf of IITA at the ceremony.

IITA-Kalambo celebrates IITA’s Golden Jubilee in grand style

IITA-Kalambo Station celebrated the IITA50 Anniversary on 29 June at College Alfajiri premises Bukavu, South Kivu Province, DR Congo with the theme “Youth in Agripreneurship”.

Picture of Dr Tata Hangy explains a poster on CBSD activities to the Minister of Agriculture

IITA50 anniversary celebrations held in Kinshasa, DR Congo

At IITA-Kinshasa, the golden jubilee was celebrated on 18 July at the Pullman Hotel, Kinshasa. In attendance were Kabongo Kazadi, the Minister of Agriculture and other representatives from partner and donor organizations including INERA, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Picture of the guest of honor, Ms Simkanga (in yellow), with hub Director Victor Manyong at the even

Partners in Eastern Africa praise IITA contributions to agric sector at 50th anniversary celebration in the region

IITA’s 50th anniversary celebration moved to its Eastern Africa hub in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with an exciting two-day program on 11-12 July. The first day brought together major partners and all staff from IITA stations in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda to mark this important milestone.