IITA Director General reinforces strategic partnerships to advance agricultural transformation in Nigeria

The IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, led a high-level mission to Abuja to deepen collaborations with government institutions, development partners, and diplomatic missions towards advancing agricultural transformation and food security in Nigeria.

During the mission, Dr Ehui held a series of meetings with key ministries and partners, emphasizing the importance of scaling agricultural technologies, fostering private sector engagement, and mobilizing resources to achieve sustainable impact.

At the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ehui met with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, and the Minister of State, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, to discuss alignment of IITA-CGIAR’s agricultural research outcomes with national priorities for economic growth and food security. “We have had several interactions highlighting IITA-CGIAR’s major milestones as a key player in agriculture in Nigeria,” said Dr Ehui. “This visit is a follow-up to drive these discussions for impact. I want IITA-CGIAR’s role to be more visible, and there is a need to scale our existing technologies, so they reach farmers in rural areas. We want to be seen as solution providers in areas where there is a lack of comparative advantage.”

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