Africa’s leading banana production region is threatened by the invasive spread of the banana bunchy top virus (BBTV). The virus occurrence in East African countries was recorded in 2021, and the virus spread is unabated in the region. Urgent regional action is required to halt the expansion of the most lethal banana virus spread to safeguard banana production and banana biodiversity. The emergence of
The Executive Director, National Agency for the Great Green Walls (NAGGW), Dr Yusuf Bukar, visited IITA headquarters on 8 September accompanied by his team. The visit aimed to explore various areas to collaborate with IITA. Kwame Akuffo-Akoto, IITA Deputy Director General, Special Duties, welcomed and introduced the team to the activities and different hubs of the Institute in sub-Saharan Africa. He said
In a virtual seminar organized by IITA–CGIAR on 12 September, Program Manager of Biotech and Genome Editing Communication in IITA Nairobi, Patricia Nanteza, spoke about “Empowering effective science messengers through capacity building and communication.” Nanteza highlighted her work in Science Communication over the last three years and its impact across Africa. Nanteza shared her experience working with the IITA Communication Office in Ibadan as
On 25 August, IITA Forest Center contributed to ecosystem restoration in a tree planting exercise sponsored by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI), with forest rangers from Okomu National Park, Edo State. Other participants included nature lovers from the Center for Sustainable Development, CESDEV-Ibadan, the Ibadan Bird Club, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The planting ceremony commenced with a brief indoor session, highlighting
His Excellency Gabriel Mbairobe, Hon Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER) from the Republic of Cameroon, visited IITA headquarters on 14 September. His visit aimed to strengthen collaboration with the Institute, mainly to increase the production of cassava, which is in high demand in Cameroon. He also discussed finding a solution to the cassava root disease in the country. During a meeting
Stakeholders in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) organized a workshop to analyze the results of studies on the cassava and maize seed sectors. The workshop, under the Strengthening the Supply of Improved Seeds in Central Africa (SISCA) Regional Project, took place in Goma, on August 29 and 30, in the province of North Kivu. Based on the studies’ conclusions,
The Alliance for Science (AFS), in conjunction with the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Nigeria, Boyce Thomson Institute, and IITA–CGIAR, organized a 3-day training for scientists and science communicators on Communicating Gene Editing in Abuja, Nigeria. The training took place on 19−21 September and aimed to provide participants with the appropriate communication skills to communicate on gene editing for food
Under the Long-term EU-AU Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (LEAP4FNSSA) project, IITA hosted agrifood experts from 13 organizations from Africa and Europe to discuss two recently conducted studies to understand the impact of trade, innovation, and entrepreneurship for improved food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA). The expert workshop, facilitated and hosted by IITA