News Overview

On 24 May, the Halleluya Techno-based Agro Farm Estate team visited IITA. The team, which launched its farm in 2018, seeks to partner with IITA and other agricultural institutes like the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and WorldFish to scale agricultural production. The group consisting of Chairman Bosun Arebua, Business Development Manager Cliff Odogun, and General Manager Ezekiel Akingboye, met with IITA management staff. The

IITA, in partnership with the Innovation Lab for Policy Leadership in Agriculture and Food Security (PiLAF) and Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency (OYSADA), organized a one-day workshop with the theme, “Enhancing the Status of Agricultural Equipment Fabrication for Food Security in Oyo State”. The workshop aimed to address the need for modern agricultural equipment manufacturers to strategically meet the demands of partners, investors, and

Plantain (Musa spp.) is a staple food crop and a key source of income supporting the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, pests and diseases, synthetic chemicals, and climate variation threaten production and productivity. A recent study titled “Subterranean Microbiome Affiliations of Plantain (Musa spp.) under Diverse Agroecologies of West and Central Africa” published in Microbial Ecology explored

Researchers, civil society organizations, and private and public sector stakeholders from Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria converged at the Annual CocoaSoils Week 2022 at IITA headquarters, Ibadan, from 9 to 11 May. The event aimed to facilitate expert discussions on progress towards closing knowledge gaps in cocoa production and outline the priority areas for the program’s next phase. It also aimed

Representatives from the Japan and Kano office of Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) visited IITA headquarters on 18 May. The team, led by SAA President and General Manager Dr Makoto Kitanaka, came to strengthen the relationship between IITA and SAA. To achieve this, SAA decided to identify new areas of partnership and extend the existing partnership to other countries where SSA and IITA hubs are

Their Majesties, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, with the representatives of the Belgian community in the Democratic Republic of Congo, visited the President Olusegun Obasanjo, IITA Research Campus, during their visit to South Kivu on the recommendation of the President of the Republic, His Excellency, Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo. Since 2005, the CGIAR’s Consortium for the Improvement of Livelihoods

Tanzania’s Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Hon. Andrew Massawe applauded IITA’s achievements in attaining agricultural milestones. He noted partnership for impact with national agricultural stakeholders, the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) to improve breeding, seed propagation innovations, and multiplication, and the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI) to build capacity in seed certification. This was revealed in a three-day official visit

IITA and partners organized an annual CocoaSoils forum themed “Looking back and moving forward: Overview of results, achievements, and key learnings” on 12 May. The conference highlighted the progress achieved and defined priorities for the program’s next phase. During the welcome address, the Director R4D, Central Africa and Natural Resource Management, Bernard Vanlauwe, said the forum aims to support the private and