Tanzania’s deputy minister applauds joint IITA–University research on cooking banana

Tanzania’s Deputy Minister for Education, Science and Technology has praised the collaboration between IITA and the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST).

Hon Eng. Stella Manyanya who was on a tour of the Pan-African university on 21 January, said that great things happen when academic institutions partner with world class research institutes such as IITA.

The deputy minister was particularly impressed by the banana propagation project jointly implemented by NM-AIST and IITA. She also perused research projects by students and faculty members and toured the university’s well-equipped laboratories. IITA refurbished and equipped one of the laboratories and has its banana breeding project office at the university where the leader of the program, Alan Brown and his team are stationed.

“I commend the efforts made by IITA and NM-AIST and hope that many more of such efforts and projects that touch lives and the needs of the society and industries will be developed. That is how we can truly achieve national industrialization and pave the way to living the ‘motto’Academia for Society and Industry,” she said.

Hon. Eng. Manyanya was received by top NM-AIST management including Prof Karoli Njau, the acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) – Academic, Research and Innovation (ARI); Mussa Chacha, Ag. DVC- Planning, Finance and Administration (PFA); Victor Bwindiki, Zonal Chief School Quality Assurance Officer; and IITA and NM-AIST staff in Arusha.