News Overview

An important staple crop in many countries, optimizing yam production will help narrow the widespread nutritional deficit in Africa. Nairobi, Kenya: The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with Pairwise, a US-based technology company pioneering the application of gene editing in food and agriculture, is delighted to announce a grant of US$ 3,874,356 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This

The Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) came on a two-day visit to IITA on 17 – 18 September to engage and garner IITA-CGIAR‘s expertise to kick-start the Alternative Development Project (ADP) for youths and young adults in Nigerian states. ADP is an NDLEA project aiming to change mindsets and introduce alternative sources of livelihood to Nigerians who grow illicit crops

The IITA Project Development and Administration Unit (PDAU) organized a three-day workshop in Accra, Ghana, titled “Meeting donors’ expectations in resource mobilization (RM) and grants management.” The workshop was held from 26 to 28 August to enhance partner capacity in managing donor relationships and resource mobilization. Participants included researchers and administrative staff from the National Centre of Agronomic Research (CNRA), the Council

On 23-25 September, CGIAR RTB Cassava and Yam WCA Network brought together breeders, researchers, and stakeholders from across West, East, and Central Africa to tackle one of the most pressing issues in the region’s agricultural landscape—how to better align yam and cassava breeding programs with the diverse needs of regional markets. The meeting focused on consolidating country-specific market segments and

IITA, Alabaster International (Alabaster), and the Girl Child Network (GCN) have forged a strategic partnership to transform Enset cultivation in Ethiopia. This collaboration seeks to leverage each organization’s unique expertise and resources to tackle key challenges in Enset cultivation and utilization, focusing on tissue culture, bacterial wilt management, genomic sequencing, and gene editing of Enset. Enset, often referred to as

30 August 2024, Rwamagana District, Rwanda – The Assistant to the Administrator for the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security (REFS) at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Deputy Coordinator for Development of Feed the Future, Dina Esposito, led a delegation comprising Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) President Dr Agnes Kalibata, USAID Bureau

In recent months, the use of AKILIMO has seen a remarkable rise, particularly in cassava farming, where it has helped farmers significantly boost yields, productivity, and income. Recognizing its potential, several projects have integrated AKILIMO into their programs to ensure smallholder farmers benefit and the cassava value chain is strengthened. Among these initiatives are the Muhogo Bora (MB) project, led

Recently, a delegation from IITA visited Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), to strengthen the partnership between IITA and the University. The partnership between IITA and ABUAD, dating back 12 years, has evolved. Both institutions collaborate to provide employment opportunities for youth and promote technologies and research in the agriculture sector. However, the collaboration will be expanded to advance agricultural research, disseminate cutting-edge