IITA News

Picture of Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, President AFDB

General background of TAAT: AfDB committed to developing African agriculture and economy through TAAT

The concept of “Africa Feeding Africa” is inarguably the only way the continent can best feed itself and transform its economies by targeting agriculture as a source of wealth and job creation. For the realization of these laudable goals, “Africa Feeding Africa” is a new and core priority of the African Development Bank, as encapsulated…

Picture of Dr. Yemi Akinbamijo ,FARA Boss.

FARA and IFPRI to offer capacity development and policy support, respectively, to TAAT

“We are concerned about downloading technologies to farmers and ensuring that they are adopted and used for agricultural transformative impact of countries under TAAT. So this must be handled by experts who know how the technologies will be disseminated and outscaled to the end-users and ensure all the value chains are covered,” said Dr Jonas…

Picture of Dr Jonas Chianu, TAAT Task manager

TAAT project pre-appraisal meeting focuses on technology outscaling for African agricultural transformation

The International institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) held a project pre-appraisal meeting for the Bank’s new initiative, Feeding Africa or Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, 18-30 July 2016, at the IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. The TAAT program is a critical strategy for transforming agriculture on the…

Picture of IITA staff demonstrate to the visiting team the production of AflasafeTZ at IITA-EA hub in Tanzania.

IITA efforts to control Aflatoxin in Tanzania impress US Senate staff

Visiting staff from the United States Senate, Washington, D.C., have applauded efforts by IITA to tackle aflatoxin contamination in key staple crops in Tanzania. Aflatoxin is a poison produced by some naturally occurring species of the fungus, Aspergillus that renders crops unfit for human and livestock consumption and reduces their sale value. When consumed, aflatoxins…

Picture of IITA DDG Partnership for Delivery Kenton Dashiell (left) and Lehmann listen attentively as Ylva Hillbur, IITA DDG Research (right), highlights major agricultural research activities at IITA.

Research in IITA has much potential to benefit the world – Paul Lehmann, Australian High Commissioner

During a visit and tour of facilities at IITA Ibadan, His Excellency, Paul Lehmann, the Australian ambassador to Nigeria, accompanied by Hope Ayabina, the Public Affairs Officer Australia High Commission, praised the ongoing projects of the Institute and acknowledged that IITA has great promise for the world. The visitors were received by Kenton Dashiell, DDG…

IITA Graduate Researcher named Borlaug LEAP awardee

Martha Shirley Epiphaneia Williams, a PhD student in the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Abeokuta and a graduate research fellow at the Food and Nutrition Sciences Laboratory, IITA has been awarded a fellowship for the prestigious Norman E. Borlaug Leadership Enhancement in Agriculture Program (Borlaug LEAP). The Borlaug LEAP awards fellowships to…

Picture of Board chair and the MD of the Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TADB) listening to TYA youth on their activities and products.

IITA Youth Agripreneurs win award at National Agricultural Exhibition “Nane nane” in Tanzania

The IITA Tanzania Youth Agripreneurs (TYA) have received a trophy for being good ambassadors for young people through their efforts to tackle unemployment through agribusiness. This was during this year’s National Agricultural Exhibition dubbed ‘Nane Nane’ held from 1 to 8 August in Lindi, Tanzania, which they participated in showcasing their activities and products. The…

Picture of Festo Ngulu, Africa RISING Babati coordinator noting down information given by Paskali, a farmer from Mananga village-Babati

Africa RISING showcases improved agricultural technologies at “Nane Nane” agricultural fair in Tanzania

Improved agricultural technologies by the IITA-led Africa RISING project attracted lots of attention and even won awards at the recently concluded nane nane agricultural fairs held in Arusha, Morogoro and Dodoma, Tanzania. The nane nane agricultural fairs are held in different cities in Tanzania annually to recognize the important contribution of farmers to the national…

Picture of Michael Abberton addresses participants during the training course

STMA trains partners in Ibadan

A 4-day training on Conduct and Management of Field Trials and Seed Production of Open-pollinated and Hybrid Varieties was held 15-19 August, at IITA, Ibadan for representatives from the Anglophone partner countries of the Stress Tolerant Maize for Africa (STMA) Project. The training aimed at upgrading the technical capabilities and skills of field technicians, seed…

Picture of A delegate from Leuven University addresses participants.

Leuven University seeks partnership with IITA in research programs

IITA hosted a team from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium (also known as KU Lueven) at its campus in Ibadan, Nigeria. The team led by Professor Georges Gielen, the Vice Rector of the University, was at the Institute to explore ways to expand and strengthen collaboration with IITA in research programs and projects to deliver…