Maputo, Mozambique – IITA has won two major CGIAR Science Awards for innovations in developing and promoting postharvest technologies and agricultural communications strategies to reduce hunger and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. The awards – Outst anding Agricultural Technology in sub-Saharan Africa and Outst anding Communications – were announced during the CGIAR’s 2008 Annual General Meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique from 1-5 December.
A Tribute to Postharvest Innovation
Dr Lateef Sanni Oladimeji of the University of Agriculture in Abeokuta, Nigeria and IITA Postharvest Specialist received the 2008 CGIAR Regional Award for Outst anding Agricultural Technology in sub-Saharan Africa. His expertise on drying technologies has contributed to considerable income and employment gains for numerous small and medium scale enterprises in Nigeria and several other West African countries. For example, Sanni initially designed a rotary dryer that increased production of cassava flour to 300 kilograms (kg) every 8 hours. It was then disseminated to cassava processing facilities in southwest and southeast Nigeria. More recently, within IITA’s Integrated Cassava Project, he assembled a team of engineers that has designed a “flash” dryer capable of drying 250 kg of cassava flour per hour. His work has helped to increase the use of locally-manufactured flash dryers in Nigeria from two units before 2003, to over 60 units today. Sanni was presented the award after a short video showcasing his excellent work.
A YouTube Moment for Sustainable Cocoa Production
Dr Soniia David, IITA Technology Transfer Specialist, and her team at the Sustainable Tree Crops Program received the 2008 CGIAR Science Awards – Outst anding Communications Category for training farmers in West African countries to use digital video cameras as a way to share knowledge of sustainable cocoa production. By setting up Video Viewing Clubs (VVC), the team got together groups of farmers to watch and learn from the videos. To date, 450 farmers in Ghana have participated in VVCs. Farmers who adopted the crop and pest management practices promoted by the YouTube videos are likely to increase yields by 20-40 percent and decrease pesticide use by 10-20 percent. Dr Paula Bramel, IITA Deputy Director General Research, received the award on behalf of David.
IITA’s work on banana in Ug anda was also extensively featured in the winning entry for the broadcast journalism category of the CGIAR-FARA 2008 Award for Excellence in Agricultural Science Journalism in Africa. Patricia Oyella, editor and reporter at WBS TV in Ug anda, received the award for her broadcast feature, “Saving the Cooking Banana,” shown on WBS TV and on Business Africa, a program broadcast on a network of more than 45 African and five European partner channels. The feature demonstrated the importance of this food crop in Africa, the problems faced by banana farmers, and the solutions offered by researchers. IITA congratulates Ms Oyella and is proud to have been associated with such a successful program.
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For more information, please contact:
Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (International)
Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org
Corporate Communications Officer (West Africa)
Communication Office
IITA – Headquarters
Ibadan, Nigeria
About IITA
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people’s lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization since 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by the CGIAR.
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