Some stories are best understood not from a boardroom, but from the field.
And walking through research fields, seeing firsthand where discoveries take shape in laboratories, and standing beneath the towering canopy of the IITA Forest offered a different perspective entirely for the CGIAR Board members and senior leaders on the sidelines of the Board meeting, Futures Workshop and Global Leadership Team (GLT) held at IITA headquarters in Ibadan from 23-29 September.
Their tour took them through research fields where innovations are tested, laboratories where research breakthroughs begin, the internationally recognized IITA Forest that protects biodiversity in southwestern Nigeria, and facilities that support one of Africa’s leading agricultural research institutions.
The tour highlighted not only what IITA is accomplishing today, but the legacy of science, partnership, and people working together to transform lives for six decades.
Reflecting on the Institute’s remarkable journey, Sylvia Oyinlola, CGIAR Global Head of the System Council Secretariat said, “IITA has done a lot of amazing and impactful work over 50 years,” adding that scaling even more of those innovations will help “show the world what they can do.”
Her observation speaks to a defining feature of IITA’s work. The Institute has long recognized that research achieves its greatest value when it moves beyond scientific publications to reach farmers, communities, policymakers, and markets.
From improved cassava and maize varieties to healthier bananas and plantains, resilient soybeans, breeding in cowpea, and yam research, IITA’s work continues to demonstrate how science can address real-world challenges.
Professor Ramesh Chand, a CGIAR Board member, speaking on how Africa’s agricultural future can be driven by African-led science said, “IITA is on the path of helping Africa drive its own Green Revolution like India, and it is commendable.”
His comparison points to something larger than the innovations IITA has developed over the years. It reflects growing confidence that investments in African research institutions, locally adapted innovations, and strong partnerships can help unlock sustainable agricultural growth tailored to the continent’s own realities.
Inside IITA’s laboratories and on the field, the visitors saw where the research is being carried out, before it continues the journey through field trials, partnerships, and scaling efforts across over 25 countries.
For Dr Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General for Research at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the significance of IITA’s work is already visible across these countries.
“IITA’s research impact seen across sub-Saharan Africa is laudable.”
That impact spans crop improvement, plant health, sustainable farming practices, digital agriculture, biological solutions, and efforts to strengthen food systems in the face of climate change and emerging threats.
The people behind the science
One message that surfaced repeatedly throughout the meetings and visit: great people build great institutions.
Estelle Carino, Ethics and Compliance Officer at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), believes IITA’s greatest strength extends beyond its scientific achievements. “With the great science IITA is deploying, the best thing IITA has is its people.”
She described IITA’s teams as a powerful example of collaboration in action, “They are a great example of teamwork,” she added.
That spirit of collaboration is visible across the campus, where scientists, technical staff, students, field teams, and research support staff work together across disciplines and countries to tackle some of agriculture’s biggest challenges.
Offering the visitors a reminder that agricultural research is also about protecting the ecosystems that sustain food production, the IITA Forest, one of Nigeria’s most important remaining forest reserves, showcased the Institute’s commitment to biodiversity conservation alongside agricultural innovation.
The forest stands as an example that agriculture and conservation can reinforce one another in building more resilient food systems.
Vanessa Riveros, from Global People and Culture at the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, found that balance particularly inspiring, “I think it is amazing the biodiversity work that IITA is doing, protecting the environment and biodiversity in Nigeria.”
The tour captured something more insightful than research excellence for Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, Executive Chair of Sahel Consulting, “IITA has the amazing power of science to change lives.”
She also recognized the people who make that mission possible.
“The hardworking, innovative team members show the beauty of collaboration, hard work, and commitment.”
Her reflection captures the essence of what the delegation encountered throughout the week: innovation is rarely the work of individuals alone. It grows through partnerships, shared purpose, and a commitment to creating solutions that impact millions of lives.
More than a tour
By walking through research fields where tomorrow’s crops are being tested, visiting laboratories where discoveries are taking shape, exploring a forest that safeguards biodiversity, and meeting the people behind the work, CGIAR Board members experienced the full breadth of IITA’s mission.
Their reflections point to an institution whose influence extends far beyond its headquarters in Ibadan—one whose research is helping shape agricultural transformation across Africa while demonstrating how research excellence, environmental stewardship, and human collaboration can work together to build more resilient food systems.
As IITA looks toward the future, the message from the CGIAR Board was clear: the Institute’s greatest strength lies not only in what it has achieved in close to 60 years, but in its capacity to scale innovation, strengthen partnerships, and continue using science to improve lives across the continent.
Contributed by
Timilehin Osunde