Dr Nteranya Sanginga became the Director General at IITA–CGIAR on 1 November 2011. During his term of 11 years, he has brought about a tremendous transformation in the Institute and the African agricultural landscape.
His leadership tenure has strategically positioned the Institute to contribute to achieving 150 million fewer hungry people, 100 million fewer poor people, improving food and nutrition security, as well as improving natural resources and ecosystem services as part of the CGIAR Strategy 2016–2030.
Under the youth agripreneurs program initiated by Dr Sanginga in 2012, IITA has created jobs for thousands of youths by making agriculture and agribusiness appealing to young people in many African countries, a program that has now evolved into a movement across the continent and since been integrated into the Business Incubation Platform (BIP), the technology delivery arm of IITA.
The IITA Youth Agripreneurs program focuses on mentoring and building the capacity of young people, particularly in science, entrepreneurship, and agriculture/agribusiness in Africa.
DG Sanginga started BIP in 2013 to oversee IITA’s science and technologies in breeding and variety screening, genetics, cultivation techniques, plant health, disease control and biopesticide development, growth stimulation, and vegetative and generative multiplication delivery to end-users across Africa.
IITA-BIP serves as a model to stimulate product development and to provide opportunities for market expansion on the continent.
BIP is helping smallholder farmers improve their livelihoods through technologies like Aflasafe, a safe and natural solution to the aflatoxin problem, and Nodumax, an inoculant and biofertilizer that boosts the yield of crops like soybeans.
Adopting the use of ICT, the GoSeed initiative under IITA-BIP is producing and marketing quality breeder and foundation seeds to private seed companies for distribution and sale to farmers.
The ground-breaking results from IITA’s research are helping to strengthen national agricultural research and extension systems. These outputs are also strengthening Africa’s seed sector, scaling models—public-private partnerships, engaging youth in agriculture, and developing improved varieties, agronomy, and crop protection.
During Dr Sanginga’s tenure, IITA’s research has also helped establish sustainable intensification and diversification, link smallholder farmers to markets, and promote mechanization, postharvest processing, and value addition. His leadership has established the importance of gender and youth while developing safe and nutritious food, which will strategically impact the progress of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa.
Under Dr Sanginga’s 11 years of leadership, IITA received the Al-Sumait Award for Food Security in 2016 and the Africa Food Prize in 2018. The institute has transformed from a pan-African research organization into the largest international agricultural research center in tropical Africa, developing solutions to agricultural and development challenges and contributing to food and nutrition security in the region.
In 2021, he was conferred the title of Aare Afurugbin Ola of the Source (Lead Sower of Wealth and Prosperity of the House Oduduwa) by the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Adeyeye, Ojaja II. The conferment recognized Dr Sanginga’s achievements as one of the illustrious sons of Africa who has contributed immensely to the development and promotion of the continent’s financial and economic stability and growth.
Contributed by Timilehin Osunde and Katherine Lopez
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