IITA News

Vice-Chancellor of Uni of Abuja visits IITA Abuja Station

A 5-member delegation from the University of Abuja led by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na’Allah visited IITA Abuja Station on 14 September. The objective of the visit was to explore the possibility of reviving a 2009 MoU between the University and IITA. Head of IITA-Abuja, Gbassey Tarawali, and the IITA Yam Seed Systems Specialist and former University of Abuja…

Picture of Researcher inspecting cowpea plants.

Using wild relatives in breeding cowpea for improved adaptation to drought and heat

Cowpea is an important staple crop of the savannah region of West Africa but efforts to increase its productivity may be hampered by climate change particularly reduced and erratic rainfall and increased temperatures.

Using video to promote improved potato seed quality in southwestern Uganda – Preliminary results from a randomized intervention

In Uganda, low quality of potato seed is a major contributor to low potato yields among smallholder farmers. This finding was one of the main conclusions from an ongoing policy research project (PASIC). The research, led by the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF) with support from IITA, IFPRI and EPRC, collected…

Using R: Seed health interventions and risk-based surveillance and mitigation strategies

An international workshop on using R packages for Seed Health was held on 18 March at the IITA headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. Prof Karen Garrett of the University of Florida, Gainesville, organized the workshop as part of the RTB Seed System Cluster CC2.1., which had in attendance 20 participants representing eight countries, and was co-anchored…

USAID Mission Director to Nigeria visits IITA

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission Director to Nigeria, Stephen Haykin, paid a visit to IITA headquarters on 23 March, to discuss existing partnerships between USAID and IITA. Haykin was received by senior IITA management including Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D) and Hilde Koper-Limbourg, Deputy Director General, Corporate Services…

Picture of USAID delegation visiting the aflasafe and BIP facilities in Ibadan, Nigeria with IITA staff.

USAID delegation visits Aflasafe project at IITA-Ibadan

A delegation of three from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), IITA’s foremost donor and co-funding agency of the AgResults Aflasafe pilot project, recently concluded a field visit to IITA-Ibadan to better understand the Project and the planned Africa-wide commercialization of Aflasafe™. The one-day visit, which took place on 4 February, comprised a briefing…

Picture of Alejandro Ortega-Beltran explains about aflatoxin contamination and aflasafe development to DSU visitors.

US university explores areas of collaboration with IITA

Delegates from Delaware State University (DSU) in the United States of America visited IITA on 17 November to explore possible areas of partnership that will provide its students with opportunities of acquiring the global experiences needed to enable them to face the world after graduation. The delegates, led by the University’s President Harry Williams were…

US journal cites IITA as outstanding partner for progress

Foremost agricultural journal of American farmers—The Progressive Farmer—has said that IITA’s partnership with the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Soybean Value Chain Research (SIL) is providing the needed technical support to improve agriculture and address African nutritional needs. The innovation lab which is located at the University of Illinois also collaborates with researchers from…

US Consul General visits IITA for collaboration on advocacy matters

On 11 March, the US Consul General, Ms Claire Pierangelo and her team visited IITA Ibadan campus. The purpose of the visit was for the Consul General to understand the activities of IITA and help in areas of advocacy and partnership with international organizations. After giving the team a warm welcome, Kwame Akuffo-Akoto, Acting Director-General…

US and Nigeria launch GFSS Country Plan to improve food security

The Federal Government of Nigeria and the US Government have formally launched a Feed The Future (FTF) Global Food Security Strategy (GFSS) Country Plan for Nigeria. The launch and signing of a Declaration of Partnership took place during an official ceremony at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on 18 July. Following welcome remarks by the Director,…