{"id":13484,"date":"2026-06-20T12:28:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/iita-abuja-hosts-us-think-tank\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T21:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:38:34","slug":"iita-abuja-hosts-us-think-tank","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/iita-abuja-hosts-us-think-tank\/","title":{"rendered":"IITA Abuja hosts US think tank"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A three-member delegation from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.csis.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Center for Strategic  and International Studies<\/a> (CSIS), a US Congress think tank on global challenges including food security,\u00a0 visited the IITA Abuja Station on 10 September. The team of researchers are in Nigeria to evaluate a new research project <em>\u201cFeed the Future  and Resilience in Nigeria: Advancing Food  and Nutrition Security in Fragile Environment\u201d<\/em>\u2014a Global Food Security Project that will examine key issues relating to the implementation of the Feed the Future refreshed strategy in northern Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_17389\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17389\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/CSIS- and-IITA-representatives-in-a-group-photo.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-17389\" src=\"http:\/\/www.iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/CSIS- and-IITA-representatives-in-a-group-photo-300x147.jpg\" alt=\"CSIS  and IITA representatives in a group photo\" width=\"300\" height=\"147\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17389\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">CSIS  and IITA representatives in a group photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Receiving the CSIS delegation, the Head of IITA Abuja Station, <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/iita-staff\/tarawali-gbassey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Gbassey Tarawali<\/a>, gave an overview of IITA\u2019s work with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.usaid.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Agence des \u00c9tats-Unis pour le d\u00e9veloppement international<\/a> (USAID) in the past while expressing the readiness of IITA to lead other partners in implementing the USAID proposed Integrated Agricultural Program in North-East Nigeria. He equally informed the delegation of the intervention made by IITA in the North-East through the Seeds of Renaissance Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking on behalf of the CSIS delegation comprising CSIS Senior Adviser Emmy Simmons  and Nigeria CSIS Representative Adedeji Olubusayo, Dr Julie Howard, CSIS Senior Adviser, explained the objective of the team\u2019s mission to Nigeria which is to explore key resources  and opportunities for the implementation of inclusive  and resilient agri-food system development  and nutrition security in northern Nigeria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Howard, the US Congress wants to outline existing US Government policies  and programs that are relevant to rural  and agri-food development  and resilience in northern Nigeria. \u201cWith the vast experience  and work that IITA has done, it is very important to get information from IITA. I will also use this opportunity to congratulate IITA for winning the 2018 Africa Food Prize Award,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><figure id=\"attachment_17390\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17390\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Head-of-IITA-Abuja-Station-Gbassey-Tarawali-giving-an-overview-of-IITA.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-17390\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Head-of-IITA-Abuja-Station-Gbassey-Tarawali-giving-an-overview-of-IITA-300x182.jpg\" alt=\"Picture of Head of IITA Abuja Station, Gbassey Tarawali, giving an overview of IITA\" width=\"300\" height=\"182\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17390\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Head of IITA Abuja Station, Gbassey Tarawali, giving an overview of IITA.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IITA Savanna Systems Agronomist <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/iita-staff\/kamara-alpha\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alpha Kamara<\/a> also gave a detailed outline of IITA\u2019s work in the North-East since 2003  and recommended that USAID consider including Gombe, Taraba,  and Yobe states in their interventions as they are equally affected by the crisis in the region. Kamara also highlighted the achievements of the IITA Youth in Agribusiness program in Borno State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Responding, Simmons appreciated the work of IITA in the North-East  and expressed interest in meeting some of the youth agripreneurs in Borno State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CSIS will publish the research report  and develop a policy brief based on the findings in early 2019, including recommendations for Feed the Future in Nigeria  and more generally for the expansion of Feed the Future in fragile environments.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A three-member delegation from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a US Congress think tank on global challenges including food security,  visited the IITA Abuja Station on 10 September.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":13485,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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