IITA partners with both international and national organizations to transform African agriculture. National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) is one of the national institutes that has been in partnership with IITA for years, as both institutions have the mandate to improve livelihoods through agricultural research.
Hence, on 1 April, the new NIHORT Director and CEO, Dr Lawal Attanda, visited IITA to strengthen the existing partnership between the two institutions and propose new areas of collaboration. Senior staff members from NIHORT accompanied Attanda.
Welcoming the delegation, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, noted that although both institutions already have a strong partnership, IITA is open to new areas of partnership. “IITA has a major program in research, and we hope you will find areas that interest you,” he said.
In his response, Attanda explained that NIHORT’s research aims for competitive agriculture, resulting in a market-driven exchange of knowledge and products viable in domestic, regional, and global markets. This responsive agriculture must address multiple challenges of smallholder farmers and agribusiness, leading to a food and nutrition secure nation.
He highlighted the relationship journey between IITA and NIHORT over the years, stating that the partnership has thrived based on the network between individual scientists. “It is my utmost desire that these collaborations go beyond individual scientists to a symbolic institutional relationship,” he said.
The team identified multiple partnership possibilities, including plantain and banana suckers, Aflasafe, capacity building in grant sourcing and solar power generation, Start Them Early Program (STEP) under the Youth Project, equipment upgrade and maintenance, irrigation, aeroponics, and forestry.
Dashiell assured the team that IITA would prepare and share a formal proposal to capture these collaborative activities with NIHORT.
The NIHORT team toured the Institute’s facilities, visiting places like the IITA Forest, Business Incubation Platform, Youth in Agribusiness, Genetic Resources Center, Plantain and Banana Breeding, Irrigation and Farm Office, Virology Laboratory, and the Bioscience Center. They also drove through the campus to view the aesthetic environment of the Institute.
Contributed by Favour Eleta
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