{"id":18139,"date":"2026-06-20T13:02:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/iita-supports-kdus-journey-into-agricultural-excellence\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:53:41","slug":"iita-supports-kdus-journey-into-agricultural-excellence","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/iita-supports-kdus-journey-into-agricultural-excellence\/","title":{"rendered":"IITA supports KDU\u2019s journey into agricultural excellence"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure id=\"attachment_32912\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32912\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32912 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Dr-Adebowale-Akande.png\" alt=\"IITA Business Incubation Platform Director, Dr Adebowale Akande highlighting BIP's agribusiness activities to the Kola-Daisi University team.\" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32912\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">IITA Business Incubation Platform Director, Dr Adebowale Akande highlighting BIP&#8217;s agribusiness activities to the Kola-Daisi University team.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nAs part of its ongoing commitment to fostering impactful partnerships with tertiary institutions, <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/\">IITA<\/a>\u2013<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cgiar.org\/\">CGIAR<\/a> is expanding its collaborative reach. On 28 May, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D), Dr <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/iita-staff\/dashiell-kenton\/\">Kenton Dashiell<\/a>, and his delegation visited <a href=\"https:\/\/koladaisiuniversity.edu.ng\/\">Kola-Daisi University (KDU)<\/a>, Ibadan, Oyo State. The visit focused on offering strategic agricultural advisory services to support the development of 500 hectares of underutilized university-owned land.\n\nConvened in the university\u2019s conference facility, both delegations engaged in a constructive discussion on potential areas of collaboration. Discussions centered on optimizing the land\u2019s agricultural potential through various modern and sustainable approaches. The key thematic areas explored during the meeting included:\n<ul style=\"padding-left: 35px;\">\n \t<li>Satellite mapping<\/li>\n \t<li>Use of GPS coordinates for precision agriculture<\/li>\n \t<li>Comprehensive soil analysis<\/li>\n \t<li>Agribusiness development, processing, and market access<\/li>\n \t<li>Mechanization and irrigation systems<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nDashiell expressed optimism about the emerging collaboration, describing it as a \u201csymbiotic relationship\u201d that promises mutual benefits. \u201cThis is a partnership-building mission that can open doors to broader collaborations with government and private sector stakeholders,\u201d he remarked, emphasizing IITA\u2019s readiness to share its cutting-edge innovations with KDU.\n\nKDU Vice Chancellor, <a href=\"https:\/\/koladaisiuniversity.edu.ng\/meet-the-vc\/\">Professor Adeniyi Olatunbosun<\/a> (SAN), shared the university\u2019s aspirations in the agricultural space, noting that while KDU has taken initial steps toward agricultural development, it seeks to build a more robust and transformative program through this partnership. \u201cWe are keen on working with IITA to achieve our long-term goals in agriculture and agribusiness,\u201d he said.\n\n<figure id=\"attachment_32913\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-32913\" style=\"width: 820px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-32913 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IITA-delegation.png\" alt=\"The IITA delegation with the KDU team during discussions. \" width=\"820\" height=\"411\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-32913\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The IITA delegation with the KDU team during discussions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nIn his remarks, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abiodun Kola-Daisi, a member of the university\u2019s Governing Council, highlighted the importance of leveraging IITA\u2019s proven agricultural expertise to build a sustainable foundation for the future. \u201cThis collaboration can significantly contribute to agricultural innovation and help meet the food security needs of our growing population,\u201d he stated.\n\nElaborating on the technical aspects, the IITA Head of Farm Management, <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/iita-staff\/alick-mulenga\/\">Alick Mulenga<\/a>, outlined the practical steps toward implementation, highlighting IITA\u2019s transition to agricultural mechanization, including GPS-enabled farming and precision input applications. \u201cTo bring this vision to life, we will share our technical expertise with KDU and local farmers and help establish essential infrastructure such as irrigation,\u201d he said. He also encouraged the university to provide a platform for research and development in line with its agricultural expansion.\n\nDr <a href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/iita-staff\/akande-adebowale\/\">Adebowale Akande<\/a>, the IITA Director of the Business Incubation Platform (IITA-BIP), underscored the importance of institutional policy support. He stressed the need for KDU to develop policies that will enable growth in agribusiness, value addition, and marketing \u2013 efforts that will reduce post-harvest losses and create employment opportunities for students.\n\nIITA\u2019s visit to KDU marks a promising step toward a vibrant collaboration between institutions, setting the stage for innovative agricultural development and capacity building within the academic sector.\n\n<em>Contributed by Anita Akinyomade <\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As part of its ongoing commitment to fostering impactful partnerships with tertiary institutions, IITA-CGIAR is expanding its collaborative 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