In a bid to learn and implement constitutional reforms that will further improve agriculture in Nigeria, the Senate has invited IITA Director General Nteranya Sanginga to address them on how to sustainably undertake the quest. Sanginga announced this on 11 November in Ibadan, during an annual meeting with staff.
Sanginga will address the senators on agriculture-related issues in Nigeria, drawing experiences from the novel work, projects, and achievements of the Institute. Hopefully, Sanginga’s presentation will convince the Senators of the pivotal role of agriculture in eradicating the menace of poverty, unemployment, and hunger widespread in Nigeria.
The “meet with the DG” forum was also a platform for promoting transparency in governance and camaraderie among staff and also keeping staff members abreast of the financial status of the Institute for the closing year and the prospects for delivery in the coming year.
Sanginga said that compared to the situation in 2011 when he assumed office as DG, the Institute has steadily moved up from sixth to first place in 2015 in terms of research output and budget allocation among all 15 CGIAR centers. He also highlighted that IITA has almost tripled its budget within these years from US$47 million to more than $120 million.
“The financial outlook of the Institute looks good for the coming year…Despite the multiple budget slashes in 2014 and 2015, IITA is able to survive. Management has been able to contain the situation and will continue to keep all our scientists and staff…This is a victory for all of us, and as a team, we have to ensure that we will continue to win.”
Sanginga expressed gratitude to the World Bank, USAID, AfDB, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, IFAD, and MasterCard for providing the Institute with funds, and also praised the Youth Agripreneurs and the Aflasafe Project for their many achievements that have ensured the steady allocation of funds to IITA.
Underlining the strategy for delivery in 2016, the DG said gender balance and the motivation of women to be active participants in the activities of the Institute are strategic directions that the Institute should consider. He also urged the Human Resources team to work towards identifying and harnessing talents within the IITA family through training opportunities.
“I particularly appeal to the men to think seriously and work towards promoting the participation and motivation of women to work…this is because when people have the right incentives, their attitude towards work is encouraged”. Furthermore, Sanginga encouraged all members of staff to be open-minded and not relent in proffering constructive suggestions to help move the Institute to greater heights. He also enjoined all staff to remain very committed to the work they do, and ensure the judicious use of institutional facilities. He also challenged all to increase efficiency, work smart, and save time on their jobs. “This will make IITA to continue to be at the top,” he ended.
For more information please contact:
Katherine Lopez, Head of Communication, IITA HQ, K.Lopez@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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