IITA News

IITA Cassava Specialist elected as the new ISTRC president

On 7 December 2018, Richardson Okechukwu, IITA Cassava Commodity Specialist and Head of Onne Station, was elected as the President of the International Society for Tropical Root Crops-Africa Branch (ISTRC-AB), for his commitment and expertise on Root and Tuber Crops (RTC) along various value chains. He takes over from the President, Prof Lateef Sani, whose…

Picture of happy farmers at the field day in Mokwa, Niger State.

Farmers’ field day and donation of 200 hectares of land at Mokwa

IITA’s Maize Improvement Program (MIP) with support from Robert Asiedu, the IITA West Africa Regional Hub Director, organized a farmers’ field day on 29 October to demonstrate maize technologies for combating Striga hermonthica prevalent on the fields of smallholder maize farmers in Mokwa, Niger State and its environs. The day also marked the official inauguration and…

IITA’s circular bioeconomy innovations contributing to food security and natural resource management in sub-Saharan Africa

Innovations on the circular bioeconomy from IITA have contributed positively to increasing crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This is according to a study by the CGIAR-IITA research team that assessed the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy innovations to economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The findings…

Picture of representative of IYA-Abuja, Per Hillbur, Gbassey Tarawali (Head of station), and Sadiq Gulma at the IITA-Abuja Station.

Abuja Agripreneurs learn about the prospects of urban farming

Per Hillbur, associate professor at Malmo University, Sweden, accompanied by Sadiq Gulma, environmental engineer at the Abuja-based NGO Green Habitat, visited IITA Abuja station on 24 August to discuss with the Agripreneurs the prospect of urban and organic farming as a means of practicing agriculture sustainably. The visitors listened keenly to the presentation of the…

IITA to work with Osun State in raising agribusiness ambassadors

On 23 January, the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Hon Folarunsho Oladoyin visited IITA Ibadan campus with his Assistant, Bukola Elufisan and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Jamiu Olawumi. The purpose of their visit was to collaborate with IITA through the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) and Start Them Early Program (STEP) platforms,…

Picture of Participants who took part in the Africa RISING training on farming systems research design

Twice smarter for phase 2: Africa RISING partners pore over farming systems research design

“There aren’t any “grab and go recipes” in participatory farming systems research design. It can only benefit from iterative improvements with time and we get better at it.” This was according to the participants at the end of a recent training on farming systems research design for Africa RISING scientists held 3 to 4 October…

The Drip irrigation system: The way to efficient farming

The IITA Farm Office experimented on an irrigation system, a project supported and funded by IITA management to minimize inputs and maximize output. Drip irrigation is a micro-irrigation system that is efficient in saving water and nutrients by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants from above the soil surface or buried…

Enhancing youth’s willingness to engage in agripreneurship

With about 14% of Nigerian youth experiencing unemployment in 2020, research showed that youth between 15 and 24 years are not only available for employment but are actively seeking various means of employment. The huge youthful population in Nigeria faces high rates of unemployment, underemployment, and poor livelihood. A recent study by IITA–CARE youth researcher…

Panelists at the Africa Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) 2020

Youth empowerment key to African agricultural transformation

“Investing in young people is never a waste,” and to achieve the required agricultural transformation on the continent, Africa’s youth must be empowered and mentored. Training Coordinator of Young Africa Works-IITA, Evelyn Ohanwusi, asserted this at the Generation Africa panel, which took place on 9 September during the AGRF in Kigali, Rwanda. Ohanwusi joined other…

Picture of Participants at the workshop. Photo by Lucky O. Omoigui, IITA

Tropical Legumes III and HOPE II projects hold in-country review and planning workshop at IITA, Kano

Recently, Tropical Legumes III (TL III) and Harnessing Opportunities for Productivity Enhancement (HOPE II ) projects held a three-day, in-country review and planning workshop at IITA, Kano Station.