IITA News

Nutritious Food Fair 2019 calls for intensified efforts to ensure adequate nutrition for everyone

The fifth edition of the HarvestPlus Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) with the theme “Nutrition is everybody’s business” took place in Ibadan, Nigeria at the IITA Headquarters. NFF is an annual flagship event of HarvestPlus Nigeria, which aims to drive the production, consumption, and marketing of nutritious food in Nigeria. This year, the fair took place…

DG Sanginga appointed as Grand Patron of Naija Farmer Reality TV Show

In recognition of his invaluable contribution to modern Agriculture and the well-being of ordinary Nigerians and Africans, NTA- Startimes in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has appointed IITA Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga as Grand Patron/Partner of “Naija Farmer Reality TV Show.” Receiving the Certificate of Partnership on behalf of…

Early career researchers benefit from CONNECTED’s capacity development efforts

The Community Network for African Vector-Borne Plant Viruses (CONNECTED) and IITA organized a training program at the IITA Ibadan campus, from 4 to 8 November. Seventeen early career professionals from 10 African countries received training on the application of molecular diagnostics for plant virus surveillance. CONNECTED is a vector-borne disease network with a mandate to…

IITA Bioscience Center hosts training on molecular techniques

IITA Bioscience Center in collaboration with the Capacity Development Office, organized a five-day training workshop on molecular biology techniques, for National Agricultural Researchers (NARs) across Universities and Research Institutes in Nigeria. The training, which was targeted at familiarizing students and researchers with the science of biotechnology through hands-on training, took place on 4–8 November at…

Virologists discuss alleviating plant virus disease impact on food security in Nigeria at first national conference

The Nigerian Society for Plant Virology (NSPV) held its maiden conference at the IITA Ibadan campus to inaugurate the society and discuss ways plant virology can improve food security in Nigeria such that its impact spreads throughout Africa. The conference, which was held from 28 to 31 October, assembled over 70 scientists and students from…

“Let’s train more youth in agribusiness,” Senator of Oyo South calls

On 1 November, Senator Kola Balogun of Oyo South senatorial district visited IITA to explore partnership opportunities in the agricultural development of Oyo South senatorial district, Oyo State. He was welcomed by Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery who said, “We have partnerships with federal and state governments, and private organizations.” Senator…

IITA Eastern Africa Hub sets out agenda for Institute’s future in the region

The IITA Eastern Africa Hub organized a two and a half-day retreat for its staff in Nairobi, Kenya, with the theme ‘Beyond our vision—shaping our future, together!’ During the event, the hub team with members drawn from Kenya, Madagascar, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda, looked at their past achievements, including the development of the first-ever East…

IITA GoSeed launches first e-commerce site for breeder and foundation seed in Nigeria

IITA GoSeed, a unit of the IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP), launched the first e-commerce website in Nigeria, making breeder and foundation seed of the best varieties of important food crops available. The website was officially unveiled at a promo day highlighting IITA’s smart tools for smart farming, and buyers can now order online at…

Why Plant Health?

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). The objective of IYPH is to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development. IITA joins the rest of the world in commemorating IYPH. Over the…

IITA joins partners to foster innovations in agricultural sector

IITA partnered with the organizers of the International Conference and Expo on Research and Innovations in Agriculture (ICERIA) to celebrate research milestones and innovations in agriculture while creating awareness to facilitate opportunities for networking, collaboration, and exchange of ideas with renowned leaders in agriculture. The conference, themed “Harnessing Agricultural Innovations for Economic Development,” took place…