After a training and mentorship period of 15 months, ENABLE-TAAT beneficiaries Jonathan Mutinda and Ian Mambo created their own enterprise in Kenya. At the beginning of their venture, they leased one-eighth of an acre at Dukuma Dam, Makueni County, where they began planting and selling orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and other vegetables. Within a year, their customer base had increased
Bayer has developed and launched a new crop protection product known as Lagon to help farmers tackle the problem of cassava weeds in cassava and boost yield. Tested on more than 200 trials and demos across Nigeria and Tanzania, users rated Lagon among the best preemergence herbicides for controlling grasses and broadleaf weeds in cassava. “The launch of Lagon today
With agribusiness gaining more attention in entrepreneurship development, youth-operated small enterprises in agriculture can contribute significantly to growing Africa’s economy and reducing poverty. These enterprises can help address the issue of youth unemployment across the continent. Despite growing concern about the lack of interest in agriculture among African youths, engaging them in agriculture has become a prominent topic and has
The IITA Gender Science Network (GSN) is a team that comprises social and biophysical scientists, communication staff, and project managers. The Network’s goal is to be a vibrant community of practice for gender advocacy and enhancing gender research, communication, and impact. It also envisions having an innovative and diverse network of scientists in IITA to strengthen the quality and visibility of gender
IITA, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-funded Value Chain Development Program (VCDP), flagged off a workshop in Makurdi, Benue State tagged “Training of Extension Agents and Advisory Providers” under the Zero Hunger Project. This was done recognizing that agricultural extension agents serve as the critical drivers of information dissemination for farmers. The Benue State Hon. Commissioner
The TAAT Cassava Compact, in partnership with the Togo Presidential Initiative on Cassava and the Togo Ministry of Agriculture, has established two commercial processing factories in two agripoles in Togo—the Notse processing factory and New Life service at Ahosoume. The collaboration targets the production of more foods, exposing the processors to modern processing machines, and creating employment opportunities for youth and women.
The Ibadan Malimbe, range-restricted and endemic to Ibadan, is an important bird for conservation. Its home, food, and climatic habitat are in the forest areas in Ibadan alone. Between 1994 and 1996, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed it as critically endangered due to its rarity and closeness to extinction. It was later listed as endangered, as
On 14–16 September, the Accelerating Impact of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa-Ghana Cluster (AICCRA) was launched at the Alisa Hotel, Accra, Ghana. The project aims to bridge the gap between research institutes that produce improved technologies and development organizations that promote improved technology adoption. The project, funded by the World Bank and led by IITA, seeks to scale the most strategic