In a three-day high-level event ending with a Stakeholder Engagement in Abuja, IITA–CGIAR has realigned commitment to increasing efforts towards addressing food insecurity, malnutrition, and gaps in agricultural innovation scaling on the continent.
The strategic event focused on key areas like the role of IITA and the integration of IITA’s Genetic Innovation Science Area in the CGIAR Mega-Programs, among other areas discussed during the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) session on the first day.
Discussions also explored sustainable strategies for scaling for impact and the need for more specific approaches for research technologies on the continent.
During the IITA Board of Trustees meeting, long-term strategies for the institute spanning 2024-2030 were discussed, focusing on critical areas like policy engagement and multilevel partnerships.
The importance of deploying digitalization for science products, the science of scaling, and artificial intelligence were also highlighted during the three-day event.
In a major round-up of events on the third day, the high-level Stakeholder Engagement reinforced the significance of strong collaborations among key partners and engaging policymakers.
IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Africa, Dr Siméon Ehui, said the IITA strategy 2024-2030 is designed to align with government policies and multilevel partnerships. He added that policy engagement is a major factor in the impact of scaling agricultural innovations.
The highlight of the engagement was a panel session where the role of policy engagement and the private sector partnership in scaling technologies was critically examined. During the session, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (FAO) Country Representative Dominique Koffy Kouacou emphasized the importance of collaborating among stakeholders in the food systems and agriculture sector.
“When we build together, we build better,” he said.
IITA Board member and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Temitope Fashedemi, who represented the Honorable Minister Senator Abubakar Kyari, reiterated the minister’s commitment to tackling food insecurity in line with the government’s agenda while adding that the minister is open to working with both the private sector and research organizations like IITA and the CGIAR.
Addressing the agriculture policy outlook in Nigeria, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Senior Director, Transformation Strategies, Channing Arndt, made recommendations that can inform future strategies towards a sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria.
IITA Board Chair Professor Roel Merckx called on stakeholders to form networks that will birth solutions to sub-Saharan Africa’s food and nutrition insecurity. He added that IITA, as a research institute and CGIAR center, has been developing technologies that address challenges like climate change, pests and diseases, and malnutrition. However, substantial impact can only be achieved by significant collaboration.
During the panel discussion, Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the government is dedicated to fostering strong partnerships and supporting partners to achieve the Renew Hope Agenda.
Chief Executive Officer Psaltry International, Yemisi Iranloye, while making a case for private sector engagement in policy development during the panel discussion, said for research innovation to reach the hands of smallholder farmers, the private sector has to be actively involved, and this can happen through effective policy implementation.
With a focus on how stakeholders can contribute to strengthening food systems in Nigeria and across Africa, the IITA-CGIAR Stakeholder Engagement has established a platform for driving critical conversations and synergies that will yield impact in Nigeria and on the continent.
Contributed by Timilehin Osunde.
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