While on a multi-level working visit to Sierra Leone, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, met with several partners in the country to discuss ways to strengthen existing partnerships with IITA and CGIAR.
Dr Ehui, in a meeting with the African Development Bank (AfDB) Sierra Leone Country Manager Halima Hashi, disclosed that the conditions are aligned for multi-lateral collaborative efforts.
“In my capacity as the Director General of IITA and CGIAR Director for Continental Africa, I intend to use these two positions to create a conduit for implementing programs across Africa in a synergy of CGIAR centers,” he said.
Welcoming the IITA delegation to the AfDB office in Freetown, Hashi gave a background to some of the projects being implemented in Sierra Leone while identifying the need to create strategic collaborations across board, which would include key stakeholders in the sector.
According to Hashi, exploring collaborations with major actors, including the private sector, will make a strong case for the success of the “Feed SALONE” agenda.
Speaking during the meeting, IITA Development and Delivery Director Alfred Dixon said one of the major areas IITA will focus on in Sierra Leone is the seed systems as there is the challenge of adequate supply of quality seeds to farmers. “Many input sellers and suppliers sell grains as seeds, resulting in poor yields and productivity. Hence, to leverage the seed value chain, IITA will provide technical backstopping for the production of seeds in the country,” he said.
“With the Food Systems Resilience Program (FSRP), IITA will use the program to scale existing technologies and support SLARI in areas like breeding and training seed entrepreneurs. This will address the dearth of seeds in the sector,” Dr Ehui added.
AfDB Agricultural Rural Development Task Manager Tomba Wai said IITA is providing technical backstopping for the ENABLE Youth program in integrated farming systems, and the Feed SALONE agenda can leverage the work already done with youths under the program.
Emphasizing the successes of some of IITA’s programs like the Youth program, IITA Business Incubation Platform, Aflasafe, and Nodumax, Dr Ehui said IITA and CGIAR are ready to collaborate to ensure the success of the Feed SALONE agenda, improve the food systems of Sierra Leone and Africa, and create sustainable solutions that can be adopted in countries on the continent.
Contributed by Timilehin Osunde
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