IITA News no. 2574 Archives

Young Africa Works-IITA commences multilocation training for 40,000 youth

The Young Africa Works-IITA project commenced the first cohort of its training program in Lagos, Kaduna, and Kano states in Nigeria. This capacity–building activity began on 1 February and focuses on training 40,000 young Nigerian women and men between 18 and 35 years to become self-employed or gain employment in agri-food systems. The training is running concurrently in the three states for six weeks and participants will gain practical…

Scientists discuss ways to manage climate risks in protecting plant health

CGIAR, in conjunction with various partners including the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), has launched a series of webinars to celebrate the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), which continues in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic disruption. The four-webinar series is themed “Unleashing the Potential of Plant Health.” The first webinar, “Climate change and…

ACAI project: Upscaling cassava agronomy in Africa

IITA has commenced a new phase of the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI) project to increase the availability of appropriate and affordable technologies to sustainably improve cassava productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. The 5-year project, which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will focus on five countries: DR Congo, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, and…

Control of mycotoxin effect in plantain

Plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.) is a tropical staple found in Central and West Africa. They are often cooked green but may also be dried or ground for use as a meal. And the plantain meal can be refined further to flour. Fresh plantains are rich in potassium; a 100 g fruit provides 499 mg of potassium. They also provide adequate levels of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous. Mature unripe plantain can be…