The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), a CGIAR center, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Tahirou Abdoulaye as Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling (P4D/S), effective 2 March 2026.
Dr Abdoulaye’s appointment follows a competitive recruitment process and a careful evaluation of the Institute’s strategic leadership needs. He has been serving in this role in an acting capacity since June 2025, during which he provided steady leadership and strategic oversight for IITA’s partnerships and scaling portfolio. His formal appointment further strengthens the Institute’s leadership structure and reinforces its commitment to translating agricultural research into impactful development outcomes across Africa.
With more than two decades of experience in agricultural research, development, and institutional leadership, Dr Abdoulaye brings extensive expertise in building partnerships, leading multidisciplinary teams, and delivering large-scale development programs across Africa and beyond.
Before joining IITA, he served as Head of the Social Sciences Department at the National Institute of Agricultural Research of Niger (INRAN) and also worked as a Research Fellow with the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS). These roles helped shape his strong foundation in agricultural economics, development policy, and collaborative research.
Dr Abdoulaye joined IITA in October 2007 as a Project Manager and has since held several progressively senior positions within the Institute. Over the years, he has played a key role in advancing IITA’s development agenda through leadership roles such as Lead Economist for the West Africa Hub, and more recently as Director of Systems Transformation and Director of the Sahel Hub based in Bamako, Mali. In these capacities, he provided strategic leadership for programs focused on food systems transformation, regional partnerships, and development scaling across the Sahel and West Africa.
Throughout his nearly two decades at IITA, Dr Abdoulaye has demonstrated strong leadership in partnership development, regional program management, resource mobilization, and the delivery of impact-oriented initiatives in complex and dynamic environments. His work has contributed significantly to strengthening collaborations with governments, development partners, research institutions, and private sector actors to ensure that agricultural innovations reach farmers and communities at scale.
The Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling (P4D/S) function is a critical pillar of IITA’s mission. It ensures that the Institute’s scientific innovations are effectively translated into scalable, sustainable solutions that improve livelihoods, strengthen food systems, and support agricultural transformation across Africa. The function works through strong country platforms, strategic institutional partnerships, and development engagement mechanisms that bridge research and real-world impact.
Strengthening this portfolio is especially important as IITA continues to expand its development footprint and scale up proven agricultural innovations across multiple African countries.
In his new role, Dr Abdoulaye will provide strategic leadership to IITA’s partnerships and scaling agenda, working closely with colleagues across the Research for Development (R4D) Directorate, Corporate Services, and IITA’s country offices and regional hubs to further enhance the Institute’s reach, effectiveness, and development impact.
His appointment reflects IITA’s continued commitment to strong leadership, impactful partnerships, and the scaling of agricultural innovations that contribute to food security, economic growth, and sustainable development across Africa.
Media contact
Head of Communication
Katherine Lopez
k.lopez@cgiar.org
Tel. +234 8039784454
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
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