IITA News

Forest Center Plant Specialist demonstrates seed propagation techniques to participants.

IITA Forest Center trains coordinators of School Conservation Clubs

In an effort to train trainers, who are coordinators of various Schools Conservation Clubs (SCCs) in southwestern Nigeria, the IITA Forest Center (FC) organized a workshop at the IITA Headquarters in Ibadan on 8 February. Twenty-three SCC Coordinators from primary and secondary schools in Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, attended the workshop. In partnership with…

IITA scientists develop decision support tools to improve cassava agronomy in Africa

Scientists under the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) have developed decision support tools (DSTs) which can help farmers with the best recommendations for planting cassava in their fields. The new DSTs were developed to replace the older “blanket” recommendations, which did not consider site-specific conditions and thus often produced poor results. ACAI is a five-year project focusing on six use-cases, which reflect the different issues…

IITA joins world celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was celebrated globally on 11 February. The day offered a unique opportunity to remember the achievements of women and girls in science, but more importantly, it was an opportunity for the world to encourage more women and girls in science and to break the stereotypes that…

IFAD fellowship awardees at a past training

IFAD awardees attest to the importance of youth engagement in agribusiness for economic development in Africa

Some of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) fellowship awardees for the scholarship grant on “Enhancing Capacity to Apply Research Evidence (CARE) in Policy for Youth Engagement in Agribusiness and Rural Economic Activities in Africa, during one training course in IITA, discussed the benefits, prospects, and problems their research findings intend to solve in…

A field worker identifying the female parent plant before hand pollination.

Lessons from 21 years of breeding East Africa‘s popular cooking banana

As part of a review of a breeding program for the East Africa Highland Banana (EAHB) started by IITA and Uganda’s National Agricultural Research Organization (NARO) in the mid-1990s, a team of scientists at IITA, NARO, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) assessed the progress and efficiency of this breeding program in the…

IITA Director General, Dr Sanginga, inaugurates renovated facilities of Virology and Germplasm Health Units

The Virology and Germplasm Health Units (GHU) kicked off 2019 with renovated research labs. IITA Director General, Nteranya Sanginga, accompanied by members of the management team, Kenton Dashiell and Hilde Koper, inaugurated the upgraded facilities on 14 February. Dr Sanginga congratulated the team and said the new facilities add to the world-class research environment IITA…

IITA News goes mobile: App launched today!

Director General Nteranya Sanginga launched another digital innovation for IITA–the IITA News app–IITA news on your mobile device. The official launch took place on 14 February as part of the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated labs of the Virology and Germplasm Health Units. In launching the application, Communication Unit head Kathy Lopez said that…

Staff Talent Development Competitive Grant for 2019

The IITA Staff Talent Development Competitive Grant is an annual offering organized by CDO to help achieve the Institute’s commitment to the professional development of staff. The 2019 edition has been announced and applications are now open until 1 March. A Joint Selection Committee of CDO, HRS, and other staff representatives along with the regional…

Training unit announces the commencement of CARE project

The Capacity Development Office (CDO) of IITA has announced 30 research fellowships for 2019 under the framework of “Enhancing Capacity to Apply Research Evidence (CARE) in policy for youth engagement in agribusiness and rural economic activities in Africa” funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). IITA carries out this project in partnership with…

Women scientists in IITA speak on “International Day of Women and Girls in Science”

IITA joins the world in celebrating on 11 February the fourth International Day of Women and Girls in Science themed “Investment in Women and Girls in Science for Inclusive Green Growth.” According to the United Nations, a significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)…