In the last 3 years IITA has grown tremendously. It has seen nearly a doubling of its staff and tripling of its budget. This has been a result of the Institute’s drive to motivate and invest in its people, facilities, and partnerships. However, the staff should not rest on their laurels as there are still challenges ahead as IITA strives to deliver on its new refreshed strategy and to face further restructuring of the CGIAR Research Programs (CRPs).
This was the focus of a talk by Dr Nteranya Sanginga. IITA’s DG, to all the Institute’s staff in Tanzania. The DG was in the country to recruit the Head of Advocacy and Resource Mobilization and, in line with his principle of openness and transparency, used the opportunity to brief staff on the latest developments and share his future plans for the Institute.
The DG briefed the staff on the outcomes of the recent Board meeting held in Ug anda, 23-26 November, where he presented the Institute’s achievements in the last 3 years under his leadership and also on his plans for the next 3 years.
“IITA cannot function without its people,” he said. “They are one of our most important assets. In 2 years we were able to double our budget. We also looked into the promotion of staff…However, salary alone is not enough. So in addition we strengthened our capacity building activities. We also started a Talent Grant program that gives people the opportunity to undertake courses they are interested in and which are useful to the institute” he said.
While IITA had taken big strides in many areas including increasing its budget from US$47 million to 128 million, between 2011 and 2015, there are areas for improvement. For example, the project execution level was low, averaging 84%. This, he said, was denying the Institute much-needed income in terms of charging overheads—around US$10–15 million annually.
“In 2015, major decisions will be made on the future of the CRPs. We need to position IITA very well and demonstrate where we are strong. For example, we are very strong in West Africa. In Tanzania, we can argue it is going to be the bread basket of Africa.”
In his visit the DG was accompanied by Dr Ken Dashiell, the Deputy Director General for Partnership and Capacity Development; Dr Kristina Roing de Nowina, Proposal Development Coordinator; Toyin Oke, Head of Resource Mobilization, Protocol and External Liaison; and Lucy Omidiran, Human Resources Manager.
For more information, please contact:
Andrea Gros, 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 nonprofit organization founded in 1967 and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
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