News Overview

IITA–CGIAR, in partnership with the Ecological Project Office (EPO) under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has engaged key stakeholders to advance sustainable irrigation and dry-season farming to boost agricultural productivity under the project “Community-based engagement on sustainable agriculture and biodiversity restoration for the Kano irrigation scheme,” in the Kano South Senatorial District in Kano State.

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria has reiterated its continued support for initiatives that place young people at the center of agricultural transformation in Nigeria.

In Uganda, value addition and product development are crucial for enhancing agribusiness competitiveness and sustainability. However, many youths and women in agri-food enterprises face challenges in processing, product formulation, and quality assurance, limiting their ability to meet market standards and scale their businesses.

The IITA–CGIAR in Liberia, through the EU-funded Soils4Liberia Project, successfully concluded a three-day intensive digital data management training for 14 laboratory staff of the University of Liberia (UL) and one representative from the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), and three representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA).

The Emerald Forest Reserve (EFR), located in Ikoyi-Osun, Osun State, Nigeria, has been officially designated a global Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), following years of rigorous, IITA Forest Center–led scientific research and biodiversity monitoring contribution.

Poor diets are now the leading global risk factor for chronic disease. A new policy note from IFPRI, CGIAR’s TAFSSA initiative, and MSSRF unpacks what’s driving India’s cereal-heavy, increasingly ultra-processed diets, and lays out practical, evidence-based actions to shift the food environment.

IFPRI and Mercy Corps researchers will share more insights on graduation models in fragile contexts, with reflections from a panel of experts, at a policy seminar on January 21, 2026—both in person at our Washington, D.C. office and online. Join us for the discussion!

In Cambodia, where rice is life, climate change is shaking the foundation. Intensifying droughts, falling prices, and unpredictable rainfall means the monoculture model is breaking down. Integrated rice-field pond systems (RFP) appear to be a solution, as successfully piloted under the CGIAR–Asian Mega Delta initiative.