IITA strengthens capacity at the University of Liberia
The IITA–CGIAR in Liberia, through the EU-funded Soils4Liberia Project, successfully concluded a three-day intensive digital data management training for 14 laboratory staff of the University of Liberia (UL) and one representative from the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), and three representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).
The IITA–CGIAR in Liberia, through the EU-funded Soils4Liberia Project, successfully concluded a three-day intensive digital data management training for 14 laboratory staff of the University of Liberia (UL) and one representative from the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), and three representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Held from 2 to 4 December 2025, at the UL Soil Testing, Plant and Water Analysis Laboratory, in the Fendall Campus. The training marks a significant step toward enhancing national capacity for soil data generation, which is linked with the upcoming national land and soil survey.
The Soils4Liberia Project is expected to play a central role in supporting Liberia in building the knowledge and institutional capacity required for sustainable land and soil management. Soil samples collected during field campaigns will be analyzed at the UL Soil Lab, making the University a critical partner in advancing the project’s goals. Recognizing this, IITA-Liberia organized the training to ensure that national partners possess the digital competencies required for accurate, efficient, and traceable laboratory operations.
Speaking during the opening session, Abebe Shiferaw Dakka, Soils4Liberia Project Manager (Ph.D.), emphasized that capacity building remains one of the project’s fundamental pillars. He described that similar training sessions, seminars, and workshops will be organized in soil science on topics relevant to the project for staff at partner institutions. It was also indicated that the training will be coupled with opportunities for graduate study and investment in the supply of key laboratory equipment, particularly as Liberia expands its soil analysis work and sustainable national systems.