A spirit of collaboration, curiosity, and cultural connection defined the recent visit of four Australian delegates to IITA from 7-11 July. The team, led by Professor Yasmina Sultanbawa, Director of Scientific Nutrition and Food Systems, University of Queensland, Australia, enjoyed a weeklong interactive exchange focused on deepening understanding of yam research and exploring innovative strategies to enhance yam production and utilization within Australia, particularly among Indigenous communities.
What began as initial conversations between research colleagues across continents became robust interactions across multiple IITA teams, offering the Australian delegation a rich, firsthand exploration of yam breeding, production, and value addition at IITA.
The IITA Director for Strategic Planning and Chief of Staff, Ibnou Dieng, and the Acting Deputy Director General Partnerships for Delivery, Dr Tahirou Abdoulaye, welcomed the delegates on behalf of IITA Management. They stressed the economic importance and the opportunities to explore yam breeding at IITA. “The objective is really to take yams to higher heights. Let’s make this happen together,” said Dr Abdoulaye, emphasizing yams’ role in regional economies and their untapped potential globally.
Through the training sessions, led by Yam Breeding Experts at IITA, participants gained insight into IITA’s yam breeding strategies, processing techniques, disease and pest management, yam seed systems, pollination, phenotyping, and propagation technologies. Their exploration extended beyond IITA’s campus, including a visit to Bodija Market to observe yam trade dynamics and a tour of NIJI Group’s processing facilities, reinforcing the link between research, industry, and market realities.
Responding to the resourceful package of the weeklong training program, Prof Yasmina said, “The interactions and the laughter between teams are very visible.” “The knowledge system you have here is second to none—advanced and world-class. For us in Australia, this knowledge can help us reintroduce yam into our climate-challenged environment and reconnect Indigenous communities with their traditional food sources. We won’t reinvent the wheel—we’ll ride on the wealth of IITA’s research to find adaptive solutions.”
The delegation included Prof Yasmina’s PhD student, Samson Fawale, and two members of the Yidinji community, Roy and Tracy Gray. “Yams may be the next European potatoes—affordable and accessible,” Roy noted. “Indigenous people are reclaiming their health, and traditional foods like yams are part of that resilience.” Tracy added, “Blending our ancestral knowledge with scientific research has been impactful. We’ll take these insights home to improve our food systems and share with our tribes.”
In a special edition of IITA’s Knowledge Café Seminar, Prof Yasmina and Samson presented research on the transformation of the local food system in Australia. They highlighted efforts to support sustainable nutrition and food security through engagement with Indigenous communities and science-based solutions. The discussions opened doors for future collaboration in food safety, diet diversity, climate resilience, and youth capacity building.
The IITA Head of Plant Breeding, Dr Hapson Mushoriwa, concluded, “This engagement has been immensely rewarding. From advanced breeding technologies to practical field knowledge, we’ve strengthened our collective understanding and the foundation for a long-term collaboration between IITA and the Center for Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Queensland.”
Looking ahead, both institutions have agreed to pursue a formal partnership agreement that fosters joint research, student exchanges, co-publications, and private sector engagement. These efforts aim to develop tropical crop innovations with real-world impact, particularly in food-insecure communities and underserved populations.
‘Together, we are moving yam research forward, from lab to farm and farm to table,’ Dr Mushoriwa concluded.
Contributed by Folake Oduntan
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