The IITA
CGIAR
No. 2337
1 –5 August 2016
Japan, IITA to foster closer ties to benefit farmers through research
H
is Excellency Sadanobu Kusaoke, the new Japanese ambassador to Nigeria who assumed duty in 2015, has enjoined IITA management to work out more avenues through which the Japanese government and the Institute can collaborate. He made this call during his first meeting with DG Nteranya Sanginga and IITA management in Ibadan on 5 July. Kusaoke noted that Japan needs to work closely with IITA to help Nigeria Ambassador Sadanobu Kusaoke (center) flanked by DG Nteranya Sanginga (left), DDG Kenton improve its agricultural production and Dashiell (right), DDG Kwame Akuffo-Akoto, the officers from the embassy of Japan in Nigeria, especially benefit its smallholder farmers. Japanese scientists at IITA, members of staff and representatives of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs. In addition to directly supporting IITA, the Fisheries (MAFF), and also support External Trade Organization (JETRO) was Ambassador also assured the continuous under various initiatives and collaboration held at IITA, paving the way for possible support of the Japanese government to with Japanese organizations, such collaboration. the Institute through contributions to the as the Japan International Research World Bank and the African Development Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), “IITA will continue this good partnership Bank. Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA), the with Japan and work closely to continue transporting new technologies For many years, contributions by the Japan International Cooperation Agency from Japan to the African farmers,” government of Japan have played an (JICA) and other partners. One Japanese DG Sanginga said at the end of the important role in advancing science and private sector company―Taiyo Industry meeting. research at IITA. This has mainly been Africa― also has been collaborating with through support to the postdoctoral IITA, deploying Japanese technologies This August, DG Sanginga will participate fellow system by the Ministry of Foreign to boost fish and vegetable production in the Sixth Tokyo International Conference Affairs (MOFA), joint projects with the in Nigeria. In August last year, a mission on African Development (TICAD VI) in Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and of private Japanese sectors via the Japan Kenya, led by the government of Japan.
African horticultural experts to meet on improving livelihoods through horticulture
T
he Nigerian Society for Horticultural Sciences, under the aegis of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) is hosting the 3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress (AAHC) on 7-12 August. The workshop “Horticulture for improved livelihoods” will be held at IITA, Ibadan, and is aimed at strengthening the voice of African agriculturists in their respective academic, research, and economic communities and industries.
their various fields, spanning biotechnology, climate change, pest and disease management, and gender, among others.
The AAHC is an initiative of the ISHS. It is a platform created to facilitate interaction among the different sectors of the horticulture industry in Africa, build synergies, and ultimately, unleash the underexploited potential of horticulture in
Africa. The AAHC is held on rotational basis in the subregions of Africa. The first and second editions of the AAHC were held in Kenya and South Africa, respectively. “We look forward to renewing acquain tances with delegates from the previous Congress and taking the opportunity to make new friends!” – The 3rd AAHC Organizing Committee.
The event will bring together scientists involved in diverse horticultural endeavors in Africa; and provide a platform that will encourage a spirit of communication, collaboration, and sharing of knowledge for the benefit of Africa. It will include plenary speakers, who will share their expertise in The AAHC conference will be held at the IITA-Ibadan campus.
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IYA concludes training for Borno State youth
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he “Putting nitrogen fixation to work for smallholder farmers in Africa” (N2Africa) project, in collaboration with the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA), has concluded training for the fifth batch of selected youth in the north of Nigeria. The trainings commenced on 3 September 2014 and were held through about eight workshops convened at different periods in Kano State as well as in the Biu and Kwaya Kusar local government areas of Borno State. It has empowered 45 spray service providers, as well as 127 young men and women in the sustainable agronomic requirements for the production of cowpea, soybean, and groundnut. The beneficiaries have also been equipped with the necessary skills for a successful venture in the grain legume value chains, as well as having their entrepreneurship skills in agribusiness developed. The N2Borno youth training was brought to a close on 28 July in a ceremony that was attended by scientists, members of staff, and successful pioneers of the first set of the youth training. “Make efficient use of the training and be good ambassadors of Borno State and Nigeria at large” said IYA’s Ajibola Olaniyi who represented Molayo Owoeye, Head of the Capacity building unit, IYA. Mercy Wakawa, MD Confianza Global Resources and a member of the pioneer Borno youth training shared her experience and success story of how she started and how she has employed four other youth. Nkekki Kamai, Coordinator of the N2Africa Borno State Project, in his
Northern Nigerian youths proudly display their certificates of completion.
Kamara in a brief keynote address also congratulated the youth for coordinating themselves well and for successfully completing the training. He encouraged them to make good use of all they had learnt during the course of the training. An award of excellence was presented to “The main idea is to directly target DG Sanginga by Yagana Bukar Shehu, 200 unemployed youth for capacity a representative of the youth, for his building and empowerment, and work fatherly support for the Borno Youth. towards the projection that each of the empowered youth will, on average; N2Africa Borno State project, in the create job opportunities for at least ten words of Borno State Honorable other youth leading to the set milestone Commissioners for Agriculture & Rural of job opportunities in agribusiness for at Development and Poverty Alleviation & least 2000 youth in Borno State. Currently, Youth Empowerment; “is an excellent I am happy to report that 85 out of the initiative that has come as a child of total 127 youth trained and empowered circumstance, but at an auspicious to date, are engaging in agribusiness time in the overall interest of our people, activities under this intervention. This is particularly smallholder farmers and taking place in 10 value chains which the youth. Engaging young men and the Agripreneurs have independently women in agricultural value chains and chosen, out of the 20 identified business entrepreneurship is a real panacea out of opportunities in the grain legumes value hunger and poverty.” chain. All of these businesses also have the potential to create direct and indirect Certificates were issued to the participants job opportunities for other youth and and goodwill messages where received from ICRISAT and IAR. women,” said Kamai. address appreciated the Borno State government for training her youth and also thanked DG Sanginga and Alpha Kamara, IITA scientist, for their support which led to the successful completion of the training.
DG Sanginga lauds IITA-Kano staff during visit
D
G Nteranya Sanginga paid a courtesy visit to IITA Kano station on 27 July to monitor ongoing projects and research activities. During his welcome meeting, the DG congratulated staff members for their hard work and efforts in making IITA what it is today. He stressed that his priority is staff wellbeing but emphasized that duties should be handled diligently. He spoke about his game-changing strategies and his four major initiatives, which are the Business Incubation Platform, working with the African Development Bank, the IITA Youth Agripreneurs, and R4D. He also encouraged IITA Kano to have IITA Bulletin 2337
DG Nteranya Sanginga (left) is shown the recent research developments within IITA-Kano campus.
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an identity. In his words he said “the then to an ongoing research on world should know what Kano station the effect of shade on cowpea and backcrosses of some selected varieties stands for”. of cowpea. The DG was taken around the station to see improvements, developments, DG Sanginga was also accompanied and some of the research carried to Minjibir Local Government Area of out within the campus. He was taken the state to see some more research to the new building and offices, being undertaken by scientists. He
commended every effort towards research which is targeted for development and proffered advice on some of the plots. On the Agripreneurs tomato fields, he encouraged the use of a greenhouse to check and regulate disease/pest infestations while he requested a business plan for the Livestock farm.
IITA R4D to get better, stronger support with institutional restructuring – Sholola
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ITA has experienced rapid growth in the last five years under the current leadership of DG Nteranya Sanginga―tripling its annual budget and nearly doubling numbers of staff and partnerships. This, in turn, necessitated institutional restructuring and reorganization currently underway to ensure more efficient and stronger support for its research-fordevelopment (R4D) work. This was said by Omoshalewa Sholola, the IITA Director of Finance, who was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 1 to 5 August where he met and updated the IITA staff on the current developments taking place at the Institute. He particularly focused on the new management structure (organogram). “IITA has tripled its budget from US$ 47 million in 2011 to US$ 140 million in 2016, and is expected to reach US$ 200 million by end of 2017. And this is still
Staff at hub listen intently to Sholola.
excluding expected funding from TAAT (Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation) and Enable Youth (Empowering Novel Agri-Business-Led Employment),” Sholola said. “Add these two major initiatives and IITA is looking at a budget of about US$ 300 million,” he added. He said the number of staff had also increased almost at the same rate as the number of partners the organization was working with. All these changes required that IITA revisit its organic structure. “The refreshed organogram will see a highly decentralized IITA. All the four IITA hubs―Central, Eastern, West, and Southern Africa―will be more independent, with the respective Regional Directors having more decisionmaking authority related to their hubs,” he explained. Sholola added that at the IITA Headquarters, the three Directorates are also undergoing organizational revamp. “Most of these changes will be finalized by end of this year and will cost the Institute nearly half a million dollars,” Sholola revealed. “All these changes are primarily aimed at providing a more efficient and stronger support system for our R4D work, which is the core business of IITA,” he added. On his part Victor Manyong, IITA East Africa Regional Director, thanked Shalewa for taking time to update the
Omoshalewa Sholola addresses IITA-Tanzania staff.
staff on the changes and the rationale behind them. “Every member of staff at IITA is its ambassador, and therefore they can now explain the changes at IITA confidently. IITA is growing and the growth needs to be sustained by improving efficiency and increasing productivity and the team in Tanzania has taken this challenge seriously,” Manyong said. Sholola was in Tanzania to conduct interviews for a Senior Finance Officer for the hub and also cautioned the staff on the importance of fraud which he said the Institute had a zero-tolerance policy towards. He also encouraged them to work hard to support IITA and to make it an excellent and relevant institution in Africa. He was accompanied by the Head of Administration and Finance for Southern Africa Adeleke Ali.
Announcement
3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress, Theme: “Horticulture for Improved Livelihoods”, Conference Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 7–12 August. 7th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 4–8 December. More details on the conference are available here. Got a story to share? Please email it with photos and captions every Wednesday to Katherine Lopez (k.lopez@cgiar.org), Jeffrey T. Oliver (j.oliver@cgiar.org), Catherine Njuguna (c.njuguna@cgiar.org), or Adaobi Umeokoro (a.umeokoro@cgiar.org).
IITA Bulletin 2337
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