News Overview

To fulfill the IITA Youth Agripreneurs’ (IYA) mandate to drive youth participation in agriculture for improved food systems and job creation, many beneficiaries of the various projects in the unit have continued to make significant contributions to agricultural productivity through their various enterprises. In addition to training in the value chains of various commodities, including poultry, aquaculture, livestock, horticulture, cassava, maize, yam,

Efforts to enhance agriculture breeding programs in countries, specifically those considered fragile, are crucial to addressing the ongoing food and water shortages in the current climate crises. Strong research programs equip countries with a pipeline of modern agriculture solutions that help these nations respond to climate shocks and erratic rainfall patterns. These solutions must ensure that breeding programs are paired

Rwanda’s seed sector is crucial to the country’s agricultural development, food security, and economic growth. However, the industry faces significant challenges, including inadequate seed quality and ineffective management practices among seed companies. To address these issues, the Feed the Future/USAID-funded Great Lakes Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative Rapid Delivery Hub (AID-I GLR) Project, led by IITA–CGIAR, organized a comprehensive training program in

by Simeon Ehui, Director General, IITA and Regional Director, Africa, CGIAR and Bernard Vanlauwe, Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA and Lead, Excellence in Agronomy, CGIAR West Africa and the Sahel are grappling with a severe soil health crisis that threatens food security. Two-thirds of the region’s land is degraded, and fertilizer application rates remain far behind global averages.

In their stride to promote sustainable agriculture practices among farmers, the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), a partner of the BSF for Bio Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (BBEST) led by IITA, organized a workshop on rearing black soldier fly (BSF) in Kinshasa in DRC. The three-day training from 29 to 31 July aimed to equip agripreneurs to produce BSF and

The recent Radio IITA Farmers Outreach, held in collaboration with the IITA Soybean Breeding Unit, focused on the critical factors influencing soybean yield, providing farmers with practical knowledge and tools to improve their crop production. Held at the IITA headquarters, the outreach brought together local farmers, IITA scientists, and research associates, all committed to enhancing soybean farming practices in the region. IITA Soybean Breeder Abush

As part of the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) for Bio-Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (BBEST) project activities, led by IITA and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), one of the project’s partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Institut National pour l’Etude et la Recherche Agronomiques (INERA), held a two-day technical workshop in Kinshasa on

To increase research efforts, align with the country’s agricultural agenda, and define collaborative areas in Sierra Leone, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, led a high-level delegation to meet with President Julius Maada Bio and some members of the Sierra Leone government. Emphasizing the meeting’s significance to achieving the goal of food sufficiency in Sierra Leone, DG Ehui