{"id":14758,"date":"2026-06-20T12:37:41","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/donor-commends-iitas-contribution-to-improving-agricultural-transformation-in-africa\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T21:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:22:11","slug":"donor-commends-iitas-contribution-to-improving-agricultural-transformation-in-africa","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/donor-commends-iitas-contribution-to-improving-agricultural-transformation-in-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"Donor commends IITA\u2019s contribution to improving agricultural transformation in Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation<\/a> et IITA<\/a>\u2013CGIAR<\/a> have a long-standing donor-partner relationship with more than half of IITA\u2019s research and delivery projects to reduce hunger and improve livelihoods in Africa funded by the foundation. On 17 April, the new Gates Foundation Country Director for Nigeria, Dr Jeremie Zoungrana<\/a>, and Senior Program Officer for Agriculture, Dr Audu Grema, visited the IITA Ibadan campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"
Gates Foundation Country Director for Nigeria Dr Jeremie Zoungrana and Senior Program Officer for Agriculture Dr Audu Grema meeting with the IITA team.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visit\u2014Zoungrana\u2019s first to IITA\u2014was to understand the Institute\u2019s activities and contributions to reducing poverty in Africa. He stated that he and Grema\u2014an IITA alumnus\u2014were on a learning visit to understand and appreciate what IITA, through research, is doing in agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe came to see and appreciate the excellent work that IITA is doing across agricultural development that is contributing to improving agricultural transformation in Africa. We also came to learn and update our knowledge on agriculture,\u201d Zoungrana said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Gates Foundation delegation visiting the Yam Tissue Culture Lab with Tissue Culture Specialist Dr Morufat Balogun.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

IITA Interim Director General Bernard Vanlauwe<\/a> shared the Institute\u2019s history with them, highlighting programs established with funding from the Gates Foundation, including Excellence in Agronomy program. He also spoke about the many innovations IITA has developed, including Resilient Maize, Aflasafe, Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) multiplication for cassava, and Nodumax for soybean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D), Kenton Dashiell<\/a>, also shared insights into the IITA Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT) clearing house, which was established partly based on Bill Gates\u2019 suggestion to make Aflasafe accessible to every household in Africa. \u201cWe are open to your advice on ways to improve our research and delivery outputs,\u201d Dashiell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Dr
Dr Jeremie Zoungrana and Dr Audu Grema at the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics multiplication center with Cassava Seed Specialist Dr Mercy Diebiru-Ojo.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delegation toured the Institute\u2019s facilities for practical insight into the activities at the Genebank, Yam barns, Cowpea Glass House, SAH screen-house, Aflasafe, Nodumax, and maize field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zoungrana expressed how impressed he was, stating that his visit confirmed that the Gates Foundation is making the right investment. He highlighted the excellent innovations IITA is developing, especially on cassava. \u201cSAH was a first discovery for me. IITA has demystified cassava production,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He appreciated every IITA staff\u2019s passion for their work, believing it would create an impact. He advised IITA to keep up with the good work and always remember the importance of impacting the end-users and ensuring that solutions get to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contribu\u00e9 par Ochuwa Favour Daramola<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and IITA-CGIAR have a long-standing donor-partner relationship with more than half of IITA\u2019s research and delivery projects to reduce hunger and improve livelihoods in Africa<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":14759,"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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