An IITA management delegation paid a courtesy visit to the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Prof Kayode Adebowale, on 24 March. The visit consolidated the longstanding partnership between both institutions as the 13th Vice-Chancellor of the University begins his tenure.
In 1967, when IITA was established, Nigeria was in the middle of a civil war. Giving a brief history of the relationship between the two institutions, Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, said: “The University of Ibadan was one of the reasons the Ford and Rockefeller foundations insisted on locating IITA in Nigeria, knowing that the University will provide needed partnership for the Institute.”
Dashiell enumerated the areas of similarity IITA shares with the University, “We work on all types of research in agriculture, transforming agricultural value chains. We are also for partnerships, extension, and delivery, just like the University.”
In 2006, the two institutions signed an MoU to strengthen the research capacity of students and collaborate on projects. Over the years, IITA has bolstered UI students’ research through the Graduate Research Program and Internship Program. Modupe Banwo, IITA External Training Manager, said, “Since 2013, IITA has trained 310 student interns. For the Graduate Research Program, of the 374 MSc and graduate students registered, 324 have graduated successfully, including Prof Felix Salako, the current Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof Kehinde Babatunde, and Prof Morufat Balogun, who are doing well and giving back to society.”
Prof Adebowale was pleased to see that the IITA team consisted of four females and two males. He said his board also acknowledges the role of women and the importance of their inclusion in managerial roles. “Women in managerial roles are a positive sign of great development,” he added.
He was at IITA in 2017 with a group of other delegates, reporting on what obtained in science, technology, and innovation for the development of agriculture and agro-allied industries, to the President of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari. He said, “Of the 22 countries visited globally, IITA provided the bedrock for the content of the report presented.”
Sylvia Oyinlola, Head Administration, West Africa, invited the VC to revisit IITA to see the various developmental projects of the Institute since his last visit in 2017. She added that IITA has leveraged digital research and apps to improve agricultural extension services in the country. Oyinlola said, “IITA has RadioIITA to disseminate Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to farmers; Akilimo et SeedTracker apps to help farmers identify quality seeds and make right hands-on decisions on their farms.”
Prof Adebowale promised to revisit the Institute to re-enact dormant partnership agreements and bring up new areas of partnerships and collaborations with IITA, especially in research, journal publishing, and citations.
Dashiell expressed that IITA values its relationship with the University as one of its most important partners and promised to uphold the partnership that has been ongoing between the institutions for 55 years.
Contributed by Folake Oduntan
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