Innovation scaling is critical to advancing agriculture in Africa, with the private sector playing a strategic role. In recognition of this role, IITA–CGIAR hosted the Senior Manager of African Affairs at the Beijing JingWa Agricultural Science & Technical Innovation Center, Xiaoyan Ma, at the headquarters in Ibadan recently.
The visit aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange in agricultural innovation and development between both organisations.
During the visit, the Director of the Partnerships for Development Directorate (P4D) and IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP) CEO, Adebowale Akande, provided insights into IITA’s work in the private sector under the BIP.
He described it as a platform for incubating agricultural innovations and preparing them for commercialization while focusing on human capacity development. Akande emphasized the transformative impact of the youth incubation programs, which train young people and reshape their agricultural perspectives, yielding remarkable results across sub-Saharan Africa.
Noting that the visit is coming after the IITA Director General Dr Simeon Ehui’s attendance at the World Agrifood Innovation (WAFI) Conference in China, Akande said the need for strategic partnerships was identified during the conference.
IITA Director of Strategic Planning and Chief of Staff, Ibnou Dieng, highlighted the alignment of Ma’s visit with IITA’s goal of diversifying its partnerships.
“This visit is timely and aligns perfectly with our strategic objectives,” he remarked.
Ma outlined potential areas for collaboration with IITA, including talent and knowledge exchange, investment and business incubation, demonstration and production projects, concept testing, product validation, and consultation services.
She also presented an overview of JingWa’s innovation centers, such as the Dairy Innovation Demo Center, Horticulture Innovation Demo Center, and Orchard Innovation Demo Center. She noted the recent launch of the Dairy International Innovation Institute in January 2024. Additionally, she discussed JingWa’s funding model, which includes initial government sponsorship for five years and plans for sustainability through investor forums and paid training programs.
Akande expressed interest in potential collaboration areas, such as serving as a bridge for JingWa’s establishment in Africa, joint efforts in concept testing and product validation, and capacity-building training programs.
“Adopting your model for sustained funding would benefit us,” He said.
Adding that the ideas explored during the visit would be documented, and IITA’s short- and long-term goals would be shared with Ma.
Ma commended the productive discussions and expressed satisfaction with the outcomes, noting the success of their first in-person meeting. During her visit, she toured some of IITA’s facilities, including demonstration farms, a drip-system hydroponics facility for seed yam production, and the semi-autotropic hydroponics system for cassava propagation.
The visit marked a significant step towards fostering collaboration between IITA and the Beijing JingWa Agricultural Science & Technical Innovation Center, strengthening their shared commitment to agricultural innovation and capacity development in Africa.
Contributed by Ochuwa Favour Daramola
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