News Overview

From  14 to 15 April in Kinshasa, IITA launched the Strengthening the Supply of Improved Seeds and Improved Public-Private Partnerships in Central Africa (SISCA) Project under the patronage of the Minister of State for Rural Development, His Excellency Francois Rubota Masumbuko. The IFAD-financed SISCA is a regional project, which will be implemented in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic

Following the launch of a new gender research webinar series by the IITA Gender Science Network (GSN), the GSN held its first quarterly meeting in 2022. The meeting took place on 29 March and assembled scientists, communications staff, and project managers to discuss activities carried out in the first quarter of the year, plans for the next quarter, and highlights of the first webinar. Steven

A significant agricultural transformation is underway for maize breeders across the globe to overcome the challenge of data loss. IITA, Excellence in Breeding (EiB), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and other partners launched the Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) for maize breeding data management on 22 April. CGIAR EiB platform led the EBS development. EBS supports CGIAR and National Agricultural Research System (NARS) programs

Representatives from the National Center for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) visited IITA headquarters on 21 April. The team, consisting of research and technical staff, was led by Dr Olawale Ajibola, Director of NCEEC. NCEEC focuses on research and energy conservation; hence the team visited IITA to identify areas of partnership in line with their mandate. In a meeting with the NCEEC

IITA and Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), through the Muhogo Bora (Better Cassava) program, recently organized an intensive training for extension officers, district agricultural officers, and regional agricultural advisors working in the Western Zone of Tanzania. The training is part of efforts to support the development and expansion of seed systems in the cassava subsector. The five-day-long training was held from 14 to 18 March

Scientists and communication specialists from various Kenyan organizations participated in a four-day training workshop to improve gene editing communication. Thirty-five participants graduated from the workshop and received certificates. Participants, all of whom are from Kenya, included scientists conducting gene editing research, science writers, representatives from academia, MSc and PhD students in biotechnology and breeding, and a representative of a farmers’ consortium. The

His Excellency, Prof. Mohammed Belhocine, the Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation at the African Union Commission (AUC), Addis Ababa, visited IITA Headquarters on 5 April. He was accompanied by the Pan African University Institute of Life and Earth Sciences Ibadan (PAULESI) staff and other dignitaries. The purpose of the visit was to discuss partnership opportunities with the Institute’s management team and meet

The Research and Innovation Coordinator at Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Ukiriguru Center, Dr Deusdedit Peter Mlay, has emphasized the significance of the AKILIMO App in improving crop yields. He described how cassava farmers could use it to make informed decisions on the type and amount of fertilizer to apply in their fields to increase productivity. Mlay revealed this to