IITA News

Picture of DG Sanginga and an Agripreneur presents a plaque to HE, Kemi Adeosun.

Nigerian Finance Minister: ENABLE Youth should be rolled out

The Nigerian Minister of Finance, Honorable Kemi Adeosun, visited IITA on 10 June to look at the IITA Agripreneurs Program (IYA) and learn more about the African Development Bank-funded ENABLE Youth (Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment) Program.

Picture of Researcher inspecting cowpea plants.

Using wild relatives in breeding cowpea for improved adaptation to drought and heat

Cowpea is an important staple crop of the savannah region of West Africa but efforts to increase its productivity may be hampered by climate change particularly reduced and erratic rainfall and increased temperatures.

Picture of workshop participants in East Africa Hub.

Study on youth and commercialization of agriculture in Africa kicks off with a planning workshop

Agriculture is one sector that many Africa countries are banking on for their economic development. For this to happen there is need to transform and commercialize the sector.

Picture of IITA Maize Breeder Abebe Menkir with other members of the high table.

SARD-SC maize conference leverages on private sector partnership

The SARD-SC maize conference, held in Livingstone, Zambia, 14—20 May, was a valuable opportunity for the maize project and its partners to interact with other stakeholders from Zambia, Nigeria, and Africa in general.

IITA West Africa holds second retreat

IITA West Africa scientists, specialists, and support staff came together in Cotonou, Republic of Benin in April, for their second retreat.

IITA50-LookingBack: Biafran War almost impeded IITA establishment! [History]

The official legislation that would eventually construct IITA was just being reviewed by representatives of the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations when Nigeria’s first military coup took place on 15 January 1966.

Picture of participants at the commodity management workshop.

IITA hosts US-Nigeria commodity management workshop

On 30 May-1 June, IITA Ibadan hosted participants from Africa and the US who attended the seventh joint commodity management workshop of the United States and Nigeria.

Picture of the participants pose with the Station OIC Chris Okafor (center, wearing a cap) after the workshop.

CCPC operators in South Kivu, DR Congo, meet to chart action for steady progress

For two days, 9—10 May, managers of eight community cassava processing centers (CCPCs) in Kavumu, Katana, Mulamba, Bunyakiri 1, Bunyakiri 2, Kamanyola, and Luvungi as well as technicians in charge of production met at IITA Kalambo to take stock, exchange experiences, share knowledge, and articulate strategies on the way forward.

R4D Special: Has agriculture research failed to deliver on the fight to reduce poverty in Africa?

Over 50 years of agriculture research in Africa has not delivered the expected results in terms of self-sufficiency in food production and reduced poverty in many countries in the continent.

Picture of Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Head of State, 1966-1975.

IITA50-LookingBack: The Nigerian Government’s role in the establishment of IITA

IITA’s 1000-hectare land was actually a donation of the Nigerian government, with an annual rental fee of one peppercorn (if demanded).