His Excellency President Dr Jakaya Kikwete generously granted an appointment to a delegation from IITA Tanzania led by Dr Victor Manyong, Regional Director for Eastern Africa on 22 July. Other members of the delegation included Ms Edith Kazimoto, IITA Administrative Assistant in Tanzania and Mr Vianey Rweyendela, AGRA Country Coordinator of the Scaling Seeds and Technologies Partnership Project and a former IITA scientist.
The dialogue started with Dr Manyong thanking Pres Kikwete for granting IITA an audience. He also delivered a personal letter from the former President of Nigeria (1997-2007), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, an IITA Goodwill Ambassador.
Major points discussed included the request by IITA for President Kikwete to become the IITA Ambassador in Tanzania who will champion agricultural development in eastern and southern Africa given his well-known passion, experience, and interest in agricultural development in the region. The IITA delegation also gave an update on new major investments for agricultural research for development made by IITA since the commissioning by the President of the high-tech science building at Mikocheni in May 2013. The new investments include the construction of a training center for a new generation of youth in agribusiness at Kwembe village worth about US$1.5 million (about 25 km from the Dar es Salaam City center), banana research in the Moshi and Kagera regions to control devastating plant diseases, biological control of aflatoxin on maize and groundnut for safer food and food products, and sustainable intensification of agriculture to increase crop yields while maintaining the resource base in the Babati, Morogoro, and Kigoma regions, etc.
The final point discussed was the request for support from the Government of Tanzania in two areas: (1) the accreditation of IITA with a diplomatic status–this would improve the performance of IITA as an international organization that is supported by several governments. Other African countries that have granted a diplomatic status to IITA where it operates are Nigeria, Mozambique, Malawi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Benin Republic, and soon, Kenya; (2) financial grant for the ongoing development of the training center for youth at Kwembe village. This will provide a strong signal to donors who assist IITA that are making increased agricultural investments in Tanzania about the commitment and support of the Tanzanian Government to the IITA research and development activities in the country.
The President welcomed the visitors and read with great interest the letter from his brother and former President Obasanjo. President Kikwete said that he accepts the role of IITA Ambassador in eastern and southern Africa. He also indicated that he will take up with the appropriate services the issue of accreditation so that a diplomatic status could be granted to IITA as soon as possible. He said that he and his Government are very supportive of the IITA initiatives in the country and that he will seek ways to provide financial support to the development of the training center for the youth. He challenged the IITA delegation to complete the construction of this center by October 2015 so that he himself can commission the premises before leaving the office.
During the ensuing discussion the President learned about and showed a noticeable interest in using cassava ingredients in the formulation of animal feed, which will boost the use of locally produced agricultural products and thus enhance the market for smallholders’ farmers.
Finally he advised the delegation to write a summary of issues discussed and agreed, and to submit this as soon as possible to enable him to take action with the respective ministries.
The meeting took place in the President’s private residence and lasted an hour and 15 minutes.
For more information:
Andrea Gros, Head of Communication, IITA HQ, a.gros@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research-for-development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. It is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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