{"id":18534,"date":"2026-06-20T13:06:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/plateau-state-delegation-explores-deeper-agricultural-collaboration-with-iita\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:45:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:45:42","slug":"plateau-state-delegation-explores-deeper-agricultural-collaboration-with-iita","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/plateau-state-delegation-explores-deeper-agricultural-collaboration-with-iita\/","title":{"rendered":"Plateau State delegation explores deeper agricultural collaboration with IITA"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The Plateau State delegation led by Dr Haggai Gutap, Technical Adviser to the Plateau State Government, warmly welcomed by IITA Deputy Director General, Corporate Services, Hilde Koper-Limbourg and other IITA staff.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nThe Plateau State Government has taken a strategic step toward vitalizing its agricultural sector with a two-day working visit to IITA<\/a>\u2013CGIAR<\/a> on 2\u20133 March. The seven-member delegation, led by the Technical Adviser to the State Government, Dr Haggai Gutap, explored cutting-edge agricultural innovations to boost productivity across the stat\n\nThe mission focused on strengthening partnerships for large-scale agricultural transformation across key value chains, including potato, cassava, and maize, while also exploring collaboration in soil health, seed systems, plant diagnostics, and youth agribusiness development. The delegation included representatives from the Plateau State Potato Value Chain initiative, the National Agricultural Seed Council, the Plateau-CARES project, and academia, including Julius Bulus of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.\n\n
\"The<\/a>
The delegation after being briefed on IITA\u2019s works and innovations in plant health diagnostics and phytosanitory measures at the Germplasm Health\/Virology and Plant Health laboratory.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nWelcoming the team, IITA\u2019s Deputy Director General, Corporate Services, Hilde Koper-Limbourg<\/a>, highlighted the institute\u2019s nearly six decades of advancing resilient farming systems through science-based innovations that have improved agricultural productivity across Africa and beyond. During the visit, discussions centered on how Plateau State can leverage IITA\u2019s proven technologies to address persistent challenges faced by farmers, including low yields, soil degradation, disease infestations, and the widespread seed recycling, which reduces productivity.\n\nDelegates expressed strong interest in IITA\u2019s soil testing services, which guide farmers on appropriate fertilizer application based on soil conditions. Strengthening seed systems was also identified as a priority, particularly the introduction of improved, high-yielding varieties adapted to the state\u2019s agroecological conditions. Another key area of engagement was plant health diagnostics and germplasm management, which helps detect and prevent the spread of seed-borne pests and diseases. These tools are increasingly important as climate change contributes to the emergence and spread of new crop threats, particularly in potato production.\n\n
\"The<\/a>
The Plateau delegation with the IITA Youth Agripreneurs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\nHighlighting the state\u2019s agricultural potential, Gutap noted that Plateau State accounts for most of the Nigeria\u2019s potato production. \u201cAbout 95% of potatoes are grown on the Plateau. Meanwhile, we on the Plateau don\u2019t say Irish potato\u2014we say Plateau potato,\u201d he said. \u201cCurrent yields average four to seven tons per hectare, but with improved technologies and best practices, yields could potentially reach 70 to 80 tons per hectare.\u201d\n

Plateau seeks IYA\u2019s support for youth engagement in agriculture<\/h3>\nAt the IITA Youth in Agribusiness (IYA) Unit, Gutap commended the institute\u2019s agribusiness park model, which provides young entrepreneurs with hands-on training and access to modern production facilities. He revealed that the Plateau State Government would adopt this model and aggregate its moribund facilities to serve agricultural training and agribusiness centers. \u201cIt\u2019s heartwarming that some of these facilities can be revived for such a purpose,\u201d he said.\n\n\u201cWe are highly interested in engaging our youth in agriculture,\u201d Gutap said, noting that capacity building, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship support could help position young people to pursue profitable agribusiness opportunities. Members of the delegation also highlighted the potential impact of youth-focused agricultural programs in addressing unemployment and reducing risky livelihood options such as illegal or artisanal mining, which has contributed to environmental degradation in parts of the state.\n\nIn response, IYA\u2019s Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Adetola Adenmosun, reaffirmed the unit\u2019s readiness to collaborate with Plateau State to strengthen youth participation in agriculture. She noted that one of IYA\u2019s programs supported by the Mastercard Foundation is expected to expand to the state following earlier scoping engagements. The delegation also toured IYA\u2019s screenhouses, where various vegetables are cultivated, gaining firsthand insight into the practical training environment designed to prepare young agripreneurs for modern agriculture.\n\nThe delegation toured several IITA facilities, including laboratories and training centers, gaining firsthand insight into technologies such as tissue culture and innovative seed multiplication systems. Discussions around the potato value chain were particularly significant, as the Plateau State Government is currently establishing a tissue culture laboratory to strengthen seed production and improve crop performance.\n\nThe visit concluded with both parties agreeing to establish a technical working group to identify priority interventions and develop a coordinated plan for collaboration and implementation. Proposed areas of cooperation include soil health mapping, improved seed dissemination, plant disease diagnostics, capacity building, and youth agribusiness programs.\n\nDelegates expressed optimism that the partnership will help scale research innovations from laboratories to farmers\u2019 fields. By aligning scientific expertise with local agricultural priorities, Plateau State and IITA aim to strengthen agricultural value chains\u2014from seed and soil management to training, agribusiness development, and market access\u2014ultimately improving livelihoods and food security in the state.\n\nContributed by Folake Oduntan and Babatunde Ajaja<\/em>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Plateau State Government has taken a strategic step toward vitalizing its agricultural sector with a two-day working visit to IITA\u2013CGIAR on 2\u20133 March.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":18535,"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 center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[61],"crop":[],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[204],"class_list":["post-18534","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-nigeria","hub-western-africa","item-year-204"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-item"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18534\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19350,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18534\/revisions\/19350"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"science-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/science-area?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"hub","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"crop","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/crop?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"impact-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/impact-areas?post=18534"},{"taxonomy":"item-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/item-year?post=18534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}