As Nigeria grapples with mounting challenges of food and nutrition insecurity, unemployment, and land depletion caused by rising costs of living, internal displacement and climate-related issues, strategic partnerships have become crucial for sustainable solutions.
During a recent courtesy visit to IITA–CGIAR’s headquarters in Ibadan, the new Comptroller of Immigration Service, Oyo State Command, Ikechi Ugbogu Nwosu, has expressed interests to deepen collaboration with the institute to further strengthen existing engagements.
The visit was aimed at also exploring new areas of collaboration. Comptroller Nwosu revealed that the Nigerian Government has authorized the Immigration Service to explore agriculture – an initiative for which he seeks a strategic partnership with IITA.
The IITA-CGIAR delegation, led by Hilde Koper-Limbourg, Deputy Director General Corporate Services, welcomed the Immigration Service team. Other key participants included Professor Michael Abberton, IITA’s Director for West Africa Hub, and Toyin Oke, Head of Resource Mobilization, Protocol, and External Liaison Office.
Toyin Oke expressed special appreciation for the Nigeria Immigration Service’s continued support of IITA-CGIAR over the years and emphasized the institute’s unwavering commitment to fostering the partnership. Prof. Abberton, highlighted the institute’s research activities across West Africa, emphasizing its expertise in plant health, adaptive variety development, seed systems, and climate-smart agricultural technologies.
In his address, the Comptroller commended IITA-CGIAR’s substantial contribution to agricultural productivity, noting that seedling improvements have sustained many farmers’ livelihoods. “According to one of the privileges the federal government granted our agency to venture into agriculture, we hope to work collaboratively to reverse the advancing effects of global warming and climate change,” he stated. “We no longer want to be merely consumers but active participants in attaining food security, and it would be tremendously beneficial to partner with this foremost agricultural institute.”
The Comptroller also announced that the Immigration Service has enhanced its operations, and IITA can now benefit from a wider range of visa options under the recently enacted visa policy.
Dr Mercy Diebiru-Ojo, IITA Assistant Specialist for Cassava Seed Systems, demonstrated the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics technology, explaining how IITA is working to accelerate the production of clean, disease-free planting materials. This innovation ensures that improved cassava varieties and yams reach farmers faster and more efficiently, allowing farmers to use manageable plantlets instead of the previously used cumbersome seeds.
The delegation toured key IITA facilities, including the Genetic Resources Center, Cassava Processing Unit, and Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics systems. They also visited the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) facility on campus, where the receiving team, led by Dr Adetayo Adekeye, expressed readiness to partner on high-quality cassava peel (HQCP) production and promote fodder potential from staple food crops, among other innovations.
Both organizations expressed optimism about deepening this collaboration and advancing their shared goals in agriculture and sustainable development.
Contributed by Anu Oyeleye
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