IITA News

Private company explores cassava uptake in the Bida-Badeggi zone

One of the oversight functions of the commodity value chains in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program, Phase One (ATASP-1) is to link farmers and producers to off-takers of their products. Based on this, a team from Dufil Prima Foods Plc., Lagos, makers of Indomie Noodles, Power Oil, and Hypo bleach, was in Niger State…

Sanginga: A double-digit investment in the agricultural sector is needed to transform agriculture

IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga has stated that a double-digit investment in the agricultural sector backed by a vibrant rural infrastructural network will help states in Nigeria to accelerate the transformation of agriculture. He said this as the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency Seyi Abiodun Makinde, received a delegation from IITA on 15…

IITA launches Internet radio station to enhance dissemination of agricultural information for farmers, other stakeholders

Smallholder farmers in Africa can increase their productivity and improve their means of livelihood if they are able to access agricultural information, which is a key factor in IITA’s goal of transforming African agriculture. Using radio to disseminate vital agricultural messages, especially for rural dwellers, is one way of achieving this. To harness this advantage,…

IITA Youth celebrate International Youth Day

The IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) and Business Incubation Platform (BIP) joined the rest of the world to celebrate International Youth Day (IYD) 2019 with a symposium themed, “Transforming Education,” on 15 August. This year’s IYD highlighted the need for transformation in education systems to make them more inclusive, equitable, and relevant for the 21st century….

Scientists discover best practice for minimizing aflatoxin contamination of maize

Scientists recommend best practice for minimizing aflatoxin contamination of maize

R4D Special IITA researchers, working with scientists from other agricultural institutions, have come up with a pre-harvest practice for minimizing aflatoxin contamination of maize. The practice was developed and outlined in a study in Kenya, which was carried out to document the rate at which aflatoxin contaminates physiologically mature maize in the field. Aflatoxins are…

World Bank to work with IITA in DRC

On 8 August, World Bank Country Director in Africa, Dr Jean-Christophe Carret, embarked on a successful tour of the IITA Kalambo Station in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). His visit was part of the implementation of the Integrated Project for Agricultural Growth in the Great Lakes [Projet Intégré de Croissance Agricole des Grands Lacs…

IITA yam breeders trained on Yamcross, a mobile application for data management

From 5 to 9 August, IITA yam breeders were trained on the use of Yamcross, a mobile application for data management in yam breeding. The application manages the activities of seed and tubers in yam breeding programs. The training was held in IITA Ibadan and was facilitated by Margaret Karanja, Research Assistant and Associate at…

IITA participates in 2019 National Micronutrient Conference

IITA participated in a two-day National Micronutrient Conference organized by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in Abuja. The conference took place on 1–2 August and aimed to create an interface and generate discussions among multiple stakeholders representing different sectors on leveraging strengths to scale up micronutrient interventions within the country and contribute to…

Scientists call for new Striga-resistant and drought-tolerant genes in bi-parental maize populations

R4D Special Scientists say that genomic selection is effective for yield improvement in bi-parental maize populations infested by Striga and drought. This conclusion was made in a study titled “Yield gains and associated changes in an early yellow bi-parental maize population following genomic selection for Striga resistance and drought tolerance.” The study was carried out…

A double-digit investment in the agricultural sector is needed to transform agriculture, Dr. Sanginga says

A double-digit investment in the agricultural backed by a vibrant rural infrastructural network will help states in Nigeria to accelerate the transformation of agriculture, says Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). “No matter our good intentions, we cannot see a transformation in agriculture if we continue to invest…