IITA News

IITA collaborates with Ogun State government on agriculture

As part of measures to foster partnerships in agricultural transformation with governments in Nigeria, CGIAR-IITA signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Ogun State. With agriculture being a vital source of income in southwest Nigeria and the country as a whole, IITA is exploring partnerships that will out-scale the available agricultural innovations…

IITA empowers Ogoni youth on agribusiness for sustainable livelihoods

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Environment in partnership with IITA, under the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), commissioned a cassava processing factory in Korokoro Community, Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar, represented by the Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Marvin Dekil, during the commissioning, noted…

STEP initiative to reduce number of out-of-school children in Oyo State

The Start Them Early Program (STEP) can help the Oyo State government reduce the number of out-of-school children in the State. The Coordinator of IITA’s STEP initiative, Adedayo Adefioye, made this assertion on 23 July 2020, during the official launch of the program and the modern agribusiness training facilities at Fasola Grammar School in Oyo…

Researchers evaluating a potato field for resistance to PCN.

IITA scientists spearhead efforts to save East Africa’s potatoes from a new pest threat

Scientists at CGIAR-IITA, working with the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) under the joint Nematology Unit, NemAfrica, housed at icipe’s campus in Nairobi, and their national and international partners, have been at the forefront of efforts to address a new emerging pest threat to the production of potato in the East Africa region, and in many…

Gone too soon: IITA staff obituaries

“It is hard to forget someone who gave us so much to remember.” Those words captured the mood at IITA, as staff in different locations mourned the recent demise of three members of the IITA family in June 2020. On 3 June, former leader of the Moist Savana Program in the Resource and Crop Management…

ACAI pretests Farmers’ Field Guide in Nigeria and Tanzania

The African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) project has placed a high priority on creating materials that will help both partners and end-users to easily understand, use, and apply recommendations from the AKILIMO agronomy advisory tools. One of the materials developed is the AKILIMO farmer’s guide, an image and text illustration outline of the good agronomic…

IITA Business Incubation Platform appoints first Advisory Board

The IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP) has announced the appointment of its inaugural Advisory Board, which held its first board meeting last June. CEO of Enviro Gro Farms, Mrs Nkiru Opareke, will serve as Chair of the Board, which will provide leadership and overall guidance to increase organizational growth and impact. The appointed board members…

Kenton Dashiell, IITA DDG Partnership for Delivery and Dr Adeola Odedina, Hon Commissioner of Agriculture, Ogun State signing the MoU

IITA collaborates with Ogun State government on agriculture

As part of measures to foster partnerships in agriculture transformation with governments in Nigeria, IITA signed an MoU with the government of Ogun State. With agriculture being a major source of income generation in southwest Nigeria and the country as a whole, IITA is exploring partnerships that will out-scale the available agricultural innovations to meet…

IITA and Bayer launch modern breeding project

Yield improvement of important African food crops will get a boost with the launch of a new project to be implemented by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration with Bayer. Known as Modern Breeding Project (MBP), the project will focus on ensuring that IITA mandate crops—cassava, maize, cowpea, banana, yam, and soybean—achieve…

IITA produces basic seeds for major crops, including cassava.

IITA plays vital role in Cameroon seed system during COVID-19 crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic IITA-Cameroon is providing high-quality seeds of improved crop varieties to smallholder farmers through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER). The seed legislation in Cameroon classifies seed into basic seeds, certified seeds, and standard (commercial) seeds. IITA, in collaboration with Cameroon’s Agricultural Research Institute for Development (IRAD), has the responsibility…