{"id":15372,"date":"2026-06-20T12:42:36","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:42:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/visit-of-ecowas-directorate-of-agriculture-to-iita-abuja-reignites-partnership\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T20:37:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T20:37:47","slug":"visit-of-ecowas-directorate-of-agriculture-to-iita-abuja-reignites-partnership","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/visit-of-ecowas-directorate-of-agriculture-to-iita-abuja-reignites-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit of ECOWAS Directorate of Agriculture to IITA-Abuja reignites partnership"},"content":{"rendered":"The Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of ECOWAS<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Alain S<\/span>.<\/span>Y<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Traore<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0et autre\u00a0<\/span>members of\u00a0<\/span>staff visited\u00a0<\/span>IITA<\/span><\/a>\u2013<\/span>Abuja\u00a0<\/span>to familiarize themselves with the activities of the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Institute in the Nigerian capital<\/span>. The visit is the first\u00a0<\/span>despite<\/span>\u00a0both offices being in Abuja for many years.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n
\n\n\"Visit<\/a>\n

Dr Beatrice Aighewi explaining the vine technology during the tour.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nThe Head of IITA-Abuja,\u00a0<\/span>Gbassey Tarawali<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0et\u00a0<\/span>le\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>cientist<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0at the\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>tation organized an interactive session\u00a0<\/span>for\u00a0<\/span>the ECOWAS\u00a0<\/span>d<\/span>elegation<\/span>\u00a0to showcase<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>le<\/span>\u00a0different<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>projects\u00a0<\/span>operating there<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nIn his welcome remark<\/span>s<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>Tarawali<\/span>\u00a0expressed delight\u00a0<\/span>about<\/span>\u00a0the visit<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0the first since the inception of IITA Abuja Station in 1991<\/span>. He\u00a0<\/span>said he\u00a0<\/span>hoped the<\/span>\u00a0visit w<\/span>ould<\/span>\u00a0facilitate increased collaboration\u00a0<\/span>between\u00a0<\/span>IITA and t<\/span>he ECOWAS Directorate of Agriculture<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

\n\n\"\"\n

Head of Abuja Station and the ECOWAS Director of Agriculture and Rural Development.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nTarawali<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0who also\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>oordinat<\/span>es<\/span>\u00a0the ATASP-1 Outreach Program<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0highlighted the objectives of the\u00a0<\/span>project\u00a0<\/span>and its key achievements<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>ATASP-1 has<\/span>\u00a0develop<\/span>ed<\/span>\u00a0critical infrastructure<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0tel que\u00a0<\/span>le\u00a0<\/span>construction of three Youth Training and Crop Processing Center<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0in Abuja, Kano<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and Onne, as well<\/span>\u00a0as<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>built<\/span>\u00a0three world<\/span>\u2013<\/span>class modern\u00a0<\/span>tissue culture laboratories<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>in Ibadan, Abuja<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and Onne.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nThe Africa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Yam Project leader,\u00a0<\/span>Patrick Adebola<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>spoke about<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>e<\/span>nhancing\u00a0<\/span>y<\/span>am\u00a0<\/span>b<\/span>reeding in West Africa\u00a0<\/span>\u00e0<\/span>\u00a0increase productivity and improve quality<\/span>. H<\/span>e\u00a0<\/span>also emphasized<\/span>\u00a0some of the\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>upport required to strengthen\u00a0<\/span>le\u00a0<\/span>IITA yam breeding<\/span>\u00a0program<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0IITA<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Yam Seed System<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0Specialist<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Beatrice Aighewi<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0<\/span>also gave a presentation on the d<\/span>evelopment of yam seed systems in Nigeria and Ghana<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

\n\n\"\"\n

Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Alain S.Y. Traore.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nT<\/span>he West Africa Commercialization and Agribusiness Manager, Peter\u00a0Okomoh<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0spoke<\/span>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span>a<\/span>flatoxin<\/span>\u00a0et<\/span>\u00a0its impact<\/span>, et<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the work<\/span>\u00a0on\u00a0<\/span>Aflasafe\u2122<\/span><\/a>\u00a0that is fighting this scourge.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>He highlighted<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the strategic direction\u00a0<\/span>and progress\u00a0<\/span>of the\u00a0<\/span>Aflasafe\u00a0Technology Transfer and Commercialization (ATTC)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>project\u00a0<\/span>and underscored<\/span>\u00a0the project\u00a0<\/span>goals,<\/span>\u00a0objectives<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and implementation approach<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nZacchaeus<\/span>\u00a0Isuwa, an\u00a0Agripreneur<\/span>, gave the final presentation on IITA Youth in Agribusiness initiatives, emphasizing<\/span>\u00a0the importance of\u00a0<\/span>le<\/span>\u00a0program as a potent vehicle for youth empowerment and employment in Africa.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

\n\n\"\"\n

Dr Gbassey Tarawali giving a presentation on the History of the IITA Abuja Station.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nIn his\u00a0<\/span>response<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the ECOWAS Director of Agriculture thanked the\u00a0<\/span>H<\/span>ead of Station and the\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>cientist<\/span>s<\/span>\u00a0for\u00a0<\/span>le<\/span>\u00a0warm welcome and detailed presentation<\/span>s<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>He commended<\/span>\u00a0le<\/span>\u00a0Institute for its<\/span>\u00a0achievements<\/span>, noting<\/span>\u00a0that the next hurdle is h<\/span>ow\u00a0<\/span>\u00e0\u00a0<\/span>take\u00a0<\/span>these results\u00a0<\/span>from the research\u00a0<\/span>lab<\/span>s to the end<\/span>\u2013<\/span>users<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n\nDirector Traore<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>also noted\u00a0<\/span>that the\u00a0<\/span>ex<\/span>est<\/span>ting<\/span>\u00a0MoU between\u00a0<\/span>the two organizations<\/span>\u00a0should serve as<\/span>\u00a0common ground for achieving\u00a0<\/span>impact<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The Director\u00a0<\/span>encouraged IITA<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0as a cent<\/span>e<\/span>r of knowledge<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0to take advantage of the many opportunities that abound in ECOWAS.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Tarawali\u00a0assured him that IITA\u00a0<\/span>w<\/span>ould<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0look\u00a0for opportunities of working on collaborative initiatives.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\n

\n\n\"\"\n

The visiting ECOWAS delegation with IITA Staff.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\nLe\u00a0<\/span>delegation embarked<\/span>\u00a0on an extensive tour of the station<\/span>, stopping over at<\/span>\u00a0the yam screenhouse,\u00a0<\/span>le\u00a0<\/span>y<\/span>am,\u00a0<\/span>m<\/span>aize,\u00a0<\/span>c<\/span>assava,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>s<\/span>oybean,\u00a0<\/span>and c<\/span>owpea\u00a0<\/span>d<\/span>emonstration\u00a0<\/span>p<\/span>lots<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and the IYA fish ponds<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Director of Agriculture and Rural Development of ECOWAS, Alain S.Y. Traore, and other members of staff visited IITA\u2013Abuja to familiarize themselves with the activities of the Institute in the Nigerian capital.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":15373,"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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