In line with IITA’s public-private sector engagement agenda to improve the livelihood of millions of Africans, strengthen food and nutrition security, and transform the agricultural sector, the institute received the former Minister of Agriculture in Equatorial Guinea (2016-2018), H.E. Victor Grange at the headquarters in Ibadan from 9 to 10 January.
His visit was centered on exploring potential partnerships with IITA to advance agricultural commercialization in Equatorial Guinea and strengthen the country’s food and nutrition security.
During the meeting, IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, highlighted IITA’s core activities and technologies, during a video documentary that showed the institute’s impact across Africa. Dashiell expressed optimism that the visit would lay the foundation for a mutually beneficial collaboration between IITA and Equatorial Guinea.
IITA Director, R4D, Central Africa Hub, Zoumana Bamba highlighting IITA’s extensive research in Central Africa, added that Equatorial Guinea was the only country in the region where IITA did not currently operate, while proposing a meeting with the country’s president to formalize the partnership and establish a framework for cooperation.
Representatives from several IITA programs including cassava breeding, Business Incubation Platform (BIP), soybean, Forest Center, and IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA), CGIAR Centers WorldFish, and International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and IITA partner National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), shared insights into their research, helping H.E. Grange identify potential areas for collaboration.
Dashiell reassured him of IITA’s support in fostering engagements with partners to support the country’s agricultural goals.
H.E. Grange emphasized the urgent need for a transformation in Equatorial Guinea’s agricultural sector, citing cassava and rice as major areas of interest. These two staples, which form the backbone of the country’s food security, would be key to Equatorial Guinea’s strategy to reduce dependence on imports and create job opportunities, particularly for youth and women, 80% of whom are currently unemployed.
He expressed keen interest in IITA’s cassava varieties for garri and flour production, noting that the leaves could be used for food and cosmetics. He also showed interest in IITA-BIP, youth agripreneurs’ program, and plantain propagation for commercial production.
H.E. Grange praised IITA’s innovative contributions, citing the institute’s cassava bread as a prime example of how local agriculture could replace costly imports. “I tasted IITA’s bread made with cassava and couldn’t differentiate it from wheat bread. I believe that using cassava will save us money, as we rely heavily on wheat flour for everything,” he remarked.
Emphasizing the need for private sector involvement in driving agricultural commercialization, H.E. Grange affirmed that Equatorial Guinea is ready to form an official partnership with IITA through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). “We cannot keep waiting on the government to sponsor us. We need to reach out to companies that could help sponsor these projects,” he added.
In response, Dashiell assured him that IITA would support his vision, providing connections to key stakeholders to drive change. “We will work on connecting you with the right people and draft an MOU to formalize our partnership with the Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Agriculture,” he said, signaling the beginning of a promising collaboration between IITA and Equatorial Guinea.
Contributed by: Ochuwa Favour Daramola
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