The future of crop breeding will not be built by breeders working alone. This message resonated throughout the five-day visit of Makram Geha, Director of CGIAR’s Breeding for Tomorrow (B4T) Science Program, to IITA–CGIAR from 14 – 18 September. Across presentations, technical discussions, laboratory interactions, field visits, and partner engagements, the visit highlighted a common theme: delivering genetic gains to farmers requires a connected system in which breeders, national agricultural research and extension systems, seed companies, laboratories, policymakers, farmers, processors, and other private-sector actors work together.
IITA’s breeding programs already operate within such networks.
The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), represented by the Deputy Director, Adedotun Afolayan, described its longstanding collaboration with IITA–CGIAR in genetic resource conservation, varietal release processes, and seed system development. The partnership helps connect genetic resources to breeding programs while ensuring documentation, data management, and regulatory processes remain aligned.
The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), represented by the Director of Research, Dorcas Ibitoye, presented a strong example of successful partnership. Through collaboration with IITA–CGIAR, NIHORT received 35 banana and plantain accessions, trained staff in tissue culture and macropropagation, and helped develop seed certification guidelines, together with Nigeria’s National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC). These joint efforts culminated in the release of two plantain and two banana varieties in March 2026, demonstrating the power of coordinated research and seed system development.
Prof. Chiedozie Egesi, Executive Director of the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), highlighted that NRCRI is working with IITA and other national agricultural research and extension systems to test materials across environments and strengthen the connection between international research and local agricultural realities. He highlighted collaborative efforts on seed systems, nutritional improvement, virus mitigation strategies, and technologies such as Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) for rapid multiplication of cassava and yam seeds. He underscored the importance of strong partnerships in translating research into impact, noting that innovation is only successful when it reaches and transforms the lives of end users.
Private-sector collaboration was represented by Samson Afolayan, Head of Research at Premier Seed Nigeria Limited, which produces approximately 13,000 metric tons of seed annually across crops such as maize and cowpea. Such partnerships are crucial for ensuring improved varieties move efficiently from research stations to farmers’ fields. Afolayan shared Premier Seed Nigeria Limited’s role in producing and distributing improved seed to farmers at scale, helping bridge the gap between breeding innovation and adoption.
For Geha, these connections are essential to making breeding more efficient.
The visit also highlighted the critical role of laboratories in supporting breeding success. Geha toured IITA’s Bioscience, Virology, Nutrition, and Genebank facilities, where discussions focused on infrastructure needs, process optimization, and opportunities for collaboration across CGIAR centers. Scientists emphasized the importance of modern facilities in accelerating breeding outcomes and supporting long-term research goals.
A recurring theme was the need to move beyond project-based approaches toward sustainable, long-term investments in research infrastructure. Geha encouraged teams to identify opportunities for shared protocols, coordinated investments, and facility upgrades that can strengthen CGIAR-wide efficiency. The need is particularly urgent in a changing funding environment. IITA scientists acknowledged that budget constraints in recent years have placed pressure on breeding pipelines. Geha emphasized the importance of moving from project-based thinking toward longer-term systems that can sustain breeding programs. This includes diversifying funding, strengthening private-sector engagement, developing stronger life-cycle management approaches for products, and improving the visibility of breeding achievements.
Innovation is another important part of the future. IITA is already integrating genomic prediction, marker-assisted selection, high-density genome-wide data, pangenomes, precision phenotyping, AI-enabled tools, remote sensing, and other technologies into its breeding work. But technology alone will not deliver impact.
The visit repeatedly returned to the importance of people, processes, products, and partnerships. Breeding gains need to be connected to agronomy. Improved varieties need functioning seed systems. Products need markets. Farmer preferences need to inform target product profiles. And research results need communication strategies that make their value visible.
This systems perspective was also reflected in Geha’s closing reflections. Rather than treating the different components of breeding as isolated activities, he called for greater integration and efficiency, with breeding programs using available resources strategically while continuing to explore new frontiers.
Giving the closing remarks, IITA’s Head of Genetic Resources Center and Director of West Africa Hub, Michael Abberton, expressed appreciation for the rich engagement and valuable contributions of IITA’s partners, scientists, and private-sector collaborators throughout the visit. Commending Geha’s intensive engagements and contributions, he said, “IITA and B4T have the champion it needs for progressive and strategic advocacy in you, Makram Geha.”
The five-day visit thus ended not simply with a review of what IITA has done, but with a shared sense of where the work needs to go next. The challenge is to connect the science, people, infrastructure, partnerships, funding, and delivery systems already in place into an even stronger breeding ecosystem—one capable of developing products for today’s farmers while anticipating tomorrow’s needs.