IITA News

IITA and partners combat poor nutrition in women and children

Malnutrition in young children and pregnant women is known to have adverse consequences on their survival and long-term well-being. It also has far-reaching effects on human capital, economic productivity, and national development; changes in diet can help improve mental health, prevent or control many health problems, including diabetes, obesity, and certain risk factors for cancer…

IITA donates elite planting materials to boost FCT farmers’ productivity

Farmers in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, received a boost as the IITA-Abuja team donated 330 kg of improved, disease- and drought-tolerant seedlings to the Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA). The Head IITA-Abuja Station, Gbassey Tarawali, presented elite planting materials comprising maize, cowpea, and soybean to the FCTA Management at the ministry’s head office in Abuja. In…

Educating youth to bridge the protein gap in livestock feed

One of the key requirements for healthy livestock is the availability of a protein diet. However, protein for livestock is often in limited supply, as it is in high demand by humans. Hence, many youth-led livestock enterprises often do not rely on a single means to get protein for their animals. One innovative solution provided…

Governor Seyi Makinde commissioning the STEP Agribusiness Building.

STEP-Oyo bets on the next generation to secure food security

Oyo State has realized that the interest of teenagers and youth can be captured through modern agriculture. In partnership with IITA on the Start Them Early Program (STEP), the Oyo State government (OYSG) commissioned the first STEP-Oyo project at the Methodist High School, Ibadan, on 28 May. The project was established to introduce this initiative…

Dr Lilian Nkengla-Asi (Middle), after a brief introductiory discussion on gender research with men and women banana farmers in Idologun community/study site.

Understanding the gender dimensions of the spread of banana diseases in Nigerian communities

Seeds are essential agricultural inputs in food production, biodiversity conservation, and overall crop yield. However, seeds can carry plant pathogens and serve as vehicles for pathogen spread, naturally and through formal and informal seed distribution, from one season to the next, and within and between geographies. The global spread of the banana bunchy top virus…

Improving entrepreneurial-p1.jpg: The Government of Benin is implementing various initiatives to promote youth and women entrepreneurship in agribusiness.

Improving the entrepreneurial orientation of young female agribusiness owners in Benin

With agriculture accounting for about 20% of GDP in the Republic of Benin and employing over 50% of the nation’s workforce (aged 15‒64) according to statistics, various initiatives have been implemented to promote youth in agribusiness in the country. However, there seems to be an inability to develop businesses for sustainable income among the youth,…

New study: Use of genome editing confers resistance to Banana Xanthomonas wilt (BXW) disease

Disease-resistant varieties developed through genome editing are an effective strategy for managing diseases in food crops, a new IITA study shows. The study shows that recent advances in CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing can accelerate banana improvement. The study, published in May in the Plant Biotechnology Journal, was conducted at IITA-Nairobi between 2019 and 2020. ‘‘It is…

IITA partners in launch of Tanzania’s national cassava strategy

IITA and other cassava stakeholders came together for the official launch of the National Cassava Development Strategy by Tanzania’s Minister of Agriculture on 7 May in the country’s capital, Dodoma. IITA was also among the main sponsors and played a key role in organizing the event, which provided a forum for stakeholders to discuss how…

British government strengthens partnership with IITA while planning for more areas of collaboration

On 21 May, His Excellency, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, the new British Deputy High Commissioner, visited IITA headquarters, accompanied by his Political Adviser, Wale Adebajo. His visit aimed to explore and understand the activities and technologies of IITA contributing to climate-smart agriculture (CSA), combating climate change, increasing yield, and supporting food security on the continent. During the…

GRC expands facilities for cryobanking and conservation

On 19 May, IITA Genetic Resources Center (GRC) inaugurated its revamped, ultra-modern gene bank and office complex at the Institute’s headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. The new building provides more workspace and facilities for cryobanking—the long-term conservation of crops such as cassava, maize, plantain and banana, cowpea, soybean, yam, and some of the important underutilized crops…