January 2020 - Page 2 of 2

IITA-ACAI trains Liberian extension workers on weed management and agronomy best practices

As part of efforts to transform the Liberian cassava sector, a team from the IITA-led African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) trained about 70 extension service providers from across Liberia in Bentol, Montserrado County. The training, which took place in October 2019, centered on the IITA-ACAI developed agronomy toolkit known as the Six Steps to Cassava…

IYA to commence training of youth in Niger Delta

The IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) will commence another training for youth in the Niger-Delta region under the Community Youth in Agribusiness Group (CYAG) project funded by Chevron Nigeria Limited. The training, which will run from 27 to 31 January in Warri, Delta State, will focus on catfish and cassava production and processing. They will also…

DG Sanginga calls for intensified youth engagement in agribusiness at “Future of Food Forum”

About 250 professionals from six countries and 19 states attended the University of Florida’s “Future of Food Forum”, sponsored by the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The forum comprised farmers, researchers, chefs, aquaculturists, students, and academics. One-third of the registered audience were from the private sector. The forum had five panels, each comprising recognized…

Students of Afe Babalola University benefit from hands-on molecular biology training in IITA

The IITA Bioscience Center organized a training program for 41 students of Afe Babalola University, from the department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Science. The 5-day Basic Molecular Biology Techniques and Bioinformatics workshop took place from 13 to 17 January at the IITA Ibadan Campus. The purpose of the workshop was…

IITA Board of Trustees approves DG-led growth initiatives to transform agriculture in Africa

For the eighth time, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has given a vote of confidence and commendation to the Institute’s management under the leadership of its Director-General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga. Board Chair, Dr Amos Namanga Ngongi, expressed great pleasure over the management and growth of IITA over…

Central Bank of Nigeria to collaborate with IITA GoSeed on cassava production

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) hosted different stakeholders in the cassava value chain in Nigeria as it works on developing the sector in the country. Stakeholders included a team from IITA comprising IITA-Abuja Head of Station Tarawali Gbassey, ATASP-1 Cassava Commodity Specialist Richardson Okechukwu, and Akinyemi Ibikunle of the IITA GoSeed team. The meeting,…

Osun State Commissioner of Agriculture visits IITA to seek collaboration

On 3 December, Honorable Adedayo Adewole, Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Osun State visited IITA to explore collaboration opportunities. Directors and Deputy Directors of research and extension, fisheries, livestock, and the Program Manager of the Agricultural Development Program, all working with the Osun State Ministry of Agriculture accompanied the Commissioner. IITA Director General Nteranya…

CIALCA on track to improve profitable agriculture in the Great Lakes Region

Improving food and nutrition security and developing climate-resilient and profitable agriculture were discussed at the mid-term review meeting of the Consortium for Improving Agriculture-based Livelihoods in Central Africa (CIALCA). The three-day meeting was held in Kigali, Rwanda between 29 October and 1 November. CIALCA operates in Rwanda, Burundi, and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and…

IITA Forest Center holds the second edition of Nigerian Bird Festival

The IITA Forest Center has recorded a growing interest in bird conservation, especially among students. From 28 to 29 November, the Center, which advocates for the preservation of biodiversity and is funded by the AG Leventis Foundation and the US Consulate General Lagos, celebrated the second edition of the Nigerian Bird Festival (NBF). The two-day…