IITA is not moving out of Nigeria.
This is the definite statement made by Dr Lakshmi Menon, IITA Deputy Director General for R4D Support, on speculations that the institute will soon be moving its operations from the country.
“We are well established in Nigeria and at this point in time we have no intention of moving out [of the country],” she emphasized on Tuesday during the visit by the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Baba Adisa Bolatanta.
“We have no plans of moving the headquarters of the institute from Nigeria. We have taken efforts to build up this place. Besides, we have been working closely with the Nigerian government and will continue to do that with the Ministry of Agriculture, universities and the national partners,” she explains.
Established in 1967, IITA has remained committed to providing solutions to Africa’s problems in eradicating hunger and poverty, thereby generating income and creating wealth for resource-poor farmers.
The institute has over the years provided jobs to hundreds of graduates across its stations in Nigeria.
Menon says the institute, with its headquarters in Ibadan, and various research stations throughout Africa also proffers answers to challenges confronting farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.
“This is done through research activities such as the development of new varieties for specific purposes or new technologies. Our m andate crops include, cassava, yam, banana, plantains, maize, cocoa and soybean and cowpea,” she says.
Mr. Bolanta says the police comm and will continue to provide adequate security to the institute, recognizing its vital role to the country’s agricultural development.
He says, “This is because IITA is important not only to Nigeria but also to sub-Saharan Africa. IITA is actually the home of agricultural research.”
He also directed the Oyo State police comm and to post more personnel to IITA to ensure the security of its scientists and the smooth flow of its research activities.
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For more information, please contact:
Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (West Africa)
Jeffrey T Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Communication Office
IITA-Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigéria
URL: www.iita.org
À propos de l'IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization founded in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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