Delegates from the newly established Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama (FUAEB), Borno State, visited IITA–CGIAR from 19–23 July to explore strategic partnerships and technical collaborations to develop a new generation of self-reliant, innovative, and economically productive graduates. As Nigeria continues to seek innovative solutions to youth unemployment, food insecurity, and economic empowerment, FUAEB is charting an ambitious course to produce graduates who are economically independent.
The delegation, led by Professor Garba Ngala Mohammed, included the Vice-Chancellor of FUAEB, Professor Tijjani Kalli, and other university officials was met by Professor Michael Abberton, Director West Africa Hub, and Head of IITA Genetic Resources Center. According to the delegation, the visit was inspired by the contribution of the Borno State Governor, His Excellency, Babagana Zulum, to leverage IITA’s decades of experience in agricultural research, innovation, capacity development, and technology delivery to establish a strong foundation for the new institution.
“The focus is to ensure that the products of this university become job creators and not job seekers,” members of the delegation emphasized during the interactions. They highlighted how FUAEB can leverage the flexibility provided by the National Universities Commission’s Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), which allows universities to develop up to 30 per cent of their curricula to reflect local priorities and institutional goals. For FUAEB, this presents an opportunity to embed entrepreneurship, hands-on learning, and agribusiness management into their academic programs.
During the week, the delegation explored IITA’s world-class facilities, engaged with several IITA research and support units, and learned about research innovations that have transformed agriculture across Africa and that align with academic training modules. Discussions covered crop science, soil health, germplasm health, fisheries and aquaculture, livestock development, food science and nutrition, genetic resource conservation, biosciences, mechanization, capacity building, and agribusiness development.
At the Genetic Resources Center (GRC), visitors learned about IITA’s role in conserving vital crop diversity, including cassava, yam, banana, plantain, cowpea, Bambara groundnut amongst others. The center maintains valuable landraces and genetic materials in trust for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), making them freely available for global crop improvement efforts.
The delegation also visited the Bioscience Center, where opportunities for student training, researcher exchanges, and capacity-building in biotechnology and modern breeding techniques were presented. They learned how advanced molecular tools and marker-assisted breeding are accelerating crop improvement. At the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health, the team expressed particular interest in exploring future collaborations to support soil health assessments and sustainable land management initiatives for the university and the wider agricultural landscape of Borno State.
The visitors also interacted with experts from the Food and Nutrition Sciences Laboratory (FNSL), where discussions focused on food safety, product development, consumer preference studies, and breeding crops for improved nutritional quality. The laboratory’s work on High-Quality Cassava Flour and nutrition-sensitive innovations generated particular interest as potential areas for student learning and research collaboration.
Recognizing fisheries and aquaculture as a strategic growth area, the delegation met with WorldFish representatives to discuss curriculum development, research opportunities, and practical training models. Similarly, interactions with scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) emphasized the importance of integrating practical feed production, value addition, and agribusiness skills into academic programs to ensure graduates are equipped to establish successful enterprises.
The discussions also explored adapting IITA Youth Agripreneur (IYA) models and agribusiness hub concepts to support entrepreneurship training at FUAEB. The delegation also toured IITA’s Research Farm Unit, where they observed modern agricultural machinery and mechanization technologies that support efficient crop production. Discussions explored opportunities for technical support in developing the university’s farm infrastructure and practical training facilities.
At the end of the visit, the delegates identified several priority areas of collaboration in a future Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), including curriculum development, staff and student exchanges, industrial training placements, sabbatical opportunities for lecturers, laboratory development, manpower capacity building, crop resilience research, soil health management, fisheries, livestock development, and agribusiness incubation.
Describing the engagement as highly productive, members of the delegation expressed optimism that the emerging partnership would help position the Federal University of Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Bama, as a center of excellence for agricultural innovation, entrepreneurship, and youth empowerment in Nigeria.
As FUAEB prepares to admit its first students, the proposed collaboration with IITA is expected to provide valuable technical expertise, practical training models, and research support to nurture a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs capable of driving economic growth, food security, and sustainable development in Borno State and beyond.