IITA News

Picture of President Olasegun Obasanjo (left) talking to Lava Kumar (right) about efforts to contain banana bunchy top.

IITA launches campaign to stop BBTD in Nigeria

The ‘Stop Bunchy Top’ campaign to prevent the spread of the Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) in Nigeria was launched by IITA in partnership with the Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS), National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), and the Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture on 3 December, in Abeokuta, Ogun State. This campaign seeks to sensitize…

Picture of SARD-SC staff and AfDB officials during the visit to IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria.

AfDB commends SARD-SC project as one of the Bank’s best managed projects

The SARD-SC project funded by the AfDB has come out tops once again, as the members of the Bank’s Supervisory mission have unequivocally described the project as one of the Bank’s best managed projects. This was the verdict of the AFDB officials who recently undertook the sixth supervisory mission to the IITA/SARD-SC project from 29 November –…

Picture of Stakeholders from Lushoto district DC, MAFC, VPO, IITA and PMO -RALG holding hands at the launching of the Lushoto district climate change Learning Alliance

COP 21 at the grassroots: stakeholders meet to launch district climate change learning alliances and develop local adaptation strategies

As the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) was ongoing in Paris on 30 November to 11 December, in both Kilolo and Lushoto districts, various stakeholders came together and established the district climate change learning alliances with the aim of sharing knowledge, strengthening capacity. and pooling synergies for influencing adoption of…

Picture of participants at SAPP project launch, Zambia

IITA-led cassava agribusiness project launched in Zambia

On 3 December, IITA launched the Smallholder Agribusiness Promotion Programme (SAPP) Cassava Intervention Plan, a project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Ministry of Agriculture. SAPP aims to improve income generating opportunities for smallholder cassava producers in Zambia through the creation of major market pull for products used in the…

Celebrating a day for soils

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) commemorated the World Soil Day on 5 December with the theme “Soils: a solid ground for life”. At the FAO Headquarters in Rome, and at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and in Bangkok, Thailand, the celebration of the World Soil Day and the closure of the International Year…

Picture of Participants deliberating during the workshop

Climate proofing Uganda’s agriculture sector strategic plan

Non-state actors in Uganda recently met to review the country’s draft Agriculture Sector Strategic Plan (ASSP)–a five-year strategy document outlining the priorities and interventions for the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF) from 2015/16 to 2019/20–to ensure it adequately addresses issues of climate change and food security. The meeting was convened by the…

Picture of Charity Mutegi, IITA’s East Africa Aflasafe Project Coordinator with farmers.

Still flying high

A short narrative highlighting the background, impression, and achievements of Charity Mutegi, IITA’s East Africa Aflasafe Project Coordinator, is currently being featured on the Featured profile of the week section of the modernizing African food systems’ website. Mutegi was recognized as a role model for young women professionals in agriculture and for her outstanding contribution…

Picture of Courtesy Visit on UNIPORT Vice Chancellor by Rony. From left to right: Prof N.E.S. Lale, VC, UNIPORT; Prof Rony Swennen, IITA Scientist; Dr G.E. Omokhua, Director, IARD.

Reviving IITA Onne station

Discussions about IITA’s plan to revitalize its plantain breeding in the rainforest station in Onne, south Nigeria, was the center of a presentation delivered by Rony Swennen, IITA banana Breeder, in Port Harcourt. Swennen disclosed this plan during his visit to the University of Port Harcourt for the first public lecture at the Institute of…

Congratulations, IITA is proud of you!

The Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) has conferred its prestigious fellow award on Abebe Menkir, IITA Maize Breeder/Geneticist. The award ceremony took place during the 2015 international annual meeting of the CSSA in Minneapolis, USA, on 17 November. Menkir was selected among 10 other recipients by the members of the society, in recognition of…

Five IITA-developed cowpea varieties released in Swaziland

The Government of Swaziland, through its Ministry of Agriculture, has officially released five IITA-developed cowpea varieties, paving the way for their widespread adoption and use in farmers’ fields. In its National Seeds Varieties List Notice of 2015, Swaziland’s Ministry of Agriculture listed the following IITA cowpea varieties: IT-16, IT-18, IT-04K-321-2, IT-97K-390-2, and IT-99K-494-4. “The release…