Since the establishment of the IITA BoT Awards in 2012, the Pathology and Mycotoxin/Aflasafe Unit of IITA–CGIAR has been frequently recognized for the science, partnerships, and teamwork that are resulting in safer food for millions of consumers and higher income for tens of thousands of farmers who are moving from subsistence to commercial agriculture. The team has achieved the unique milestone of
IITA Goodwill Ambassador and former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that Africa becomes a food-secure continent and that the zero hunger vision is achieved. Chief Obasanjo said this during a courtesy call by IITA’s newly appointed Director General, Dr Simeon Ehui, accompanied by Dr Nteranya Sanginga, the outgoing Director General. “As the Institute’s Goodwill Ambassador, I
Incoming IITA–CGIAR Director General, Dr Simeon Ehui, has expressed his satisfaction with the state of the Institute after a familiarization visit to the research center’s headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria. Following his appointment as the next DG, Dr Ehui embarked on the tour, during which he met with the Institute’s Senior Management Team and directors, including outgoing DG Dr Nteranya Sanginga. After an excellent
To help reduce food insecurity and malnutrition aggravated by climate change, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in partnership with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) at UC Berkeley, and other members of the African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC), and World Agroforestry, officially launched the African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA) CRISPR Course on 23 January 2023, in
Maize is a staple cereal across Africa that is also consumed globally. Rich in protein, the crop that is a significant source of dietary fiber in human nutrition is also one of the primary ingredients in animal feed production because of its high-energy content and digestibility. However, for many years, farmers in rural Africa have lacked access to improved farming
The IITA Digital Delivery Working team led by virologist and Head of the Germplasm Health Unit at IITA–CGIAR, Lava Kumar, met with the Commissioner of Agriculture in Nigeria’s southwestern Ogun State, Dr Adeola Odedina, to present a report on the progress on the development of Ogun State Information Management System (OGFIMS). The project, commissioned as part of the Ogun State Economic Transformation
Following IITA Forest Center’s impactful contributions to forest restoration in Africa, the Ogun State Ministry of Forestry has committed to further community-based reforestation programs and activities. On 1 February, IITA Forest Center signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to reforest additional 300 hectares of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve to implement the AFR100 reforestation project. This followed the successful implementation of an
Women account for less than 30% of scientists and researchers in the world, partly due to the lack of encouragement from family, peers, teachers, and society, which serves as a barrier to their development. IITA–CGIAR, being an advocate of gender equality, encourages and values the active engagement of women in all aspects of life including science. To demonstrate this, IITA