IITA News

MSU and The MasterCard Foundation partner to increase youth employment in Africa

A five-year, $13 million collaboration between Michigan State University and The MasterCard Foundation will help 15,000 young people access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the fast-growing horticulture, aquaculture, poultry, cassava, and oilseed sectors in Tanzania and Nigeria.

Picture of Africa RISING management team delegation in Zambia during a visit to Good Nature Seed Ltd.

Africa RISING management completes monitoring visits to project sites in East and Southern Africa

The leadership team of the IITA-led Africa RISING project in East and Southern Africa recently concluded monitoring visits to project sites in Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania to assess the status and progress of implementation of various project activities by partners. These took place between 15 and 22 February in Malawi and Zambia, and 21 and 31 March in Tanzania

Picture of visitors thronged to the IITA exhibition stand

IITA participates in Nigeria’s biggest Technology and Innovation Expo

IITA had a strong presence at the recently concluded week-long “Technology and Innovation Expo 2017” in Abuja.

Picture of youth being trained on seed production.

ATASP-1 completes first batch of seed production training for youth

Following the flag-off of the seed production training for youth by Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh on 27 March, ATASP-1 has commenced training young people on seed production. The training which ran concurrently in Abuja, and Kano and Niger states ended on 5 April.

Picture of Cassava stakeholders celebrating the project BASICS in developing sustainable seed systems in Nigeria.

Seed sector: Economically sustainable seed businesses can transform cassava production in Nigeria

Nigerian seed sector professionals said that businesses selling improved varieties and high quality cassava stems for cultivation could help farmers significantly raise their productivity. The benefits of this raised productivity are expected to be enjoyed by all the stakeholders across the value chain in a sustainable way.

SARD-SC project stimulates rural economy through establishment of cassava community processing centers in DR Congo

The cassava community processing centers (CCPCs) are currently stimulating the economy and creating employment for the rural population of Kavumu village, in the Kabare territory of South-Kivu Province of the DR Congo. Until the introduction of the CCPC in early 2015, there was a high level of unemployment in Kavumu community.

Picture of Oyo State Security Services representatives meeting with IITA staff in Ibadan.

Local agencies pledge security and safety of IITA staff

Representatives of two local entities—the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Oyo State Security Services (SSS)—visited IITA in Ibadan recently and assured the safety and security of staff.

Picture of Breeding Management System training participants in Zambia.

Southern Africa soybean breeders train on Breeding Management System

A recent training workshop held and hosted by the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH) in Lusaka, Zambia on 21-24 March, on Breeding Management System resulted in shared enthusiasm by participants – mainly soybean breeders from national programs in the region – to use and adopt Breeding Management System (BMS) in their respective soybean breeding programs.

Breeders charged to develop yam varieties responsive to tomorrow’s challenges

In early March, 50 international breeders gathered in Ibadan, Nigeria, for the AfricaYam project’s third annual progress review and planning meeting, which looked at the progress of yam research in West Africa.

Picture of The Zambia IITA Youth Agripreneurs (ZIYA) Program successfully conducted a training course on cassava value addition for 11 ZIYA members―all female―on 6–16 March at the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH) campus in Kabangwe, Lusaka Province. The 11 women came from different youth groups from Kaoma District in Western Province, Monze District in Southern Province, and Serenje and Mkushi districts in Central Province partnering under the ZIYA umbrella. T he training course was conducted with support from the Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC) project. Facilitators included Emmanuel Alamu, Food Scientist; Prisca Chileshe, Postharvest Utilization Research Assistant; Nhamo Nhamo, ZIYA Youth Coordinator; and Jeremiah Hantolo, Zambia SARD-SC Maize Coordinator, all based at IITA-SARAH. The 10-day, hands-on course covered the various steps in preparing cassava-based food products―from root preparation (cleaning, peeling, chipping, and drying) to processing and cooking/ baking. Specifically, the youth were taught how to make confectionary products such as biscuits, chin-chin, fritters, titbits, and cupcakes. At the end of the training, the trainees presented the different food products that they had produced to IITA-Zambia staff as well as to Hilde Koper-Limbourg, Deputy Director General for Corporate Services, who coincidentally was also in Zambia on a familiarization and monitoring trip to the southern Africa Hub. “These are very impressive products that you have prepared,” David Chikoye, IITA Southern Africa Regional Director, said during the presentation by the trainees. “I sincerely hope that you will apply what you’ve learned here―and what you will still learn in the future from ZIYA―in your respective groups when you go back,” he added. “These are really delicious,” added Koper-Limbourg. “I see a really good business opportunity for these products, and a great business venture for the ZIYA youth. You should be proud of yourselves and what you have accomplished here.” Asked what they will do with the knowledge that they gained from this training, Caroline Liwena, ZIYA Youth Chair, who also participated in the course, related that they would also train other members of their respective youth groups. “Apart from echo training, we will also start some small businesses producing and selling these food products. And, of course, start making money,” she proudly added.

Zambia IITA Agripreneurs Program train 11 youth on cassava-based food production

The Zambia IITA Youth Agripreneurs (ZIYA) Program successfully conducted a training course on cassava value addition for 11 ZIYA members―all female―on 6–16 March at the IITA Southern Africa Research and Administration Hub (SARAH) campus in Kabangwe, Lusaka Province.