The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing agricultural transformation and food security in Nigeria through strategic partnership with the United Nations.
The Director-General of IITA, Simeon Ehui, met with UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Mohamed Fall in Abuja, to discuss how to strengthen collaboration on sustainable agriculture, youth agripreneurship, and food systems resilience.
Ehui highlighted IITA’s achievements in addressing Africa’s agrifood systems challenges, particularly in soil health, seed systems, and plant health. He showcased innovations like the award-winning semi-autotrophic hydroponics technologyy, enhancing crop propagation and productivity.
“For IITA, the biggest challenge remains scaling-taking proven technologies from the lab to farmers at a much larger scale”, Ehui said.
“This is why strategic partnerships are essential. We are committed to working closely with development partners like the United Nations to ensure that Africa becomes food-sufficient”, he added.
“The biggest challenge remains scaling – taking proven technologies to farmers at a larger scale”, Ehui said. He further emphasised the importance of strategic partnerships. Fall echoed the UN’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, citing agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation.
“This visit has been high on my list to not only connect with IITA, but to create a bridge between us. For a country like Nigeria, agriculture is the biggest channel for economic transformation, if the right investments are made”.
The partnership aims to deliver science-driven, inclusive, and sustainable solutions, strengthening food systems and improving livelihoods across Africa. The meeting underscored a shared vision between IITA and Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), a global research partnership that works to achieve the attainment of food security.
