IITA News 2590 Archives

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…