News Overview

The IITA-CGIAR Cassava Breeding Program held the first stakeholder engagement meeting across research institutions in West and Central Africa in Kumasi, Ghana, on 10 – 13 June. The meeting, held in collaboration with CSIR-CRI and designed to develop stronger CGIAR-NARES networks for crop improvement, had cassava value chain actors, including farmers, input suppliers, extension workers, transporters, and marketers across Ghana present. The meeting engaged

In a country with a population of over 5 million, agriculture serves as the primary source of livelihood for more than 60 percent of Liberia’s population, with crops like cassava, maize, and rice. While the country has abundant arable land, according to the Africa Union Liberia Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compact, around 15 percent of the population is food

Following the launch of the Fertilizer and Soil Health Hub building, OCP Africa Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Anouar Jamali met with a team of IITA–CGIAR scientists in Ibadan to align collaborative roles and efforts for transforming agrifood systems, fertilizer use, and soil health. IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, led the IITA team. During the meeting,

The landmark agreement will support the implementation of the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health in West Africa and the Sahel. Ibadan, Nigeria – July 3, 2024 – Today, OCP Africa and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) signed a pivotal Agreement at the launch of the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health in West Africa and the

The BSF for Bio Circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (BBEST) project team, led by IITA Ghana Country Representative Richard Asare, with partners and stakeholders, received the three black soldier fly (BSF) processing facilities established at Kofisah in the Nsawam Adoagyiri Municipality to begin mass production of BSF larvae and frass. BBEST, which is a research for development (R4D) project, seeks

As part of the IITA PROSSIVA initiative, a landmark event was hosted at Field CS7, uniting farmers and agricultural experts to enhance yam cultivation practices. The event showcased the benefits of traditional farmer varieties compared to IITA-developed yam varieties, with participation from two prominent farmers’ cooperatives—Ifesowapo and Eniosa. A field supervisor from IITA, Lasisi Jimoh, highlighted the yam planting process

Mozambique is on the verge of initiating significant research in crops and animals using genome editing, as the country’s biosafety authority plans to develop a framework to guide such research activities. This was highlighted during a biotechnology workshop held on 5-7 June in Maputo, organized by IITA in collaboration with the University of California-Davis and AUDA-NEPAD. The event assembled scientists,

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock in Niger, ElHadji Mahamane Ousmane, paid an official courtesy visit to the regional headquarters of Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique du Niger (INRAN) at CERRA in Maradi as part of his plan to engage scientists on issues related to their working conditions, including food security in the country. Meeting with the deputy secretary