On 3 May, IITA-CGIAR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) to facilitate technologies and innovations for food production, preservation, and safety in Nigeria. IITA alumnus and new NSPRI Executive Director (ED), Prof Lateef Sanni, came with his team to consolidate past and current efforts of IITA in ensuring maximum outputs from farm produce.
Sanni, a food science and technology professor, said: “After becoming the Executive Director of NSPRI, my first point of call was to get NSPRI to sign an MoU with IITA, knowing that in the nearest future, we would have the strongest post-harvest arm that will carry out responsibilities leveraging staff, capital, and all other resources.”
NSPRI was established in 1948 by the British Government as the West African Stored Products Research Unit (WASPRU) to manage stored product activities for export commodities for the West Coast. In 1960, it became Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI). Headquartered in Ilorin, the Institute deals in all post-harvest solutions—smart-solar drying for commodities, packaging, non-chemical solutions for maize and cowpea storage, and reduction of pesticide residues in food commodities. NSPRI also works with regulatory agencies to improve standards for primary agricultural commodities.
IITA will collaborate with NSPRI through the signed MoU to reduce post-harvest loss and ensure a food-secure nation. Both institutions have a stronger base to run their project deliveries by leveraging IITA’s core strengths in research and genetic solutions, dynamic workforce, and institutional collaboration; and NSPRI’s professional personnel, government backing, and resource mobilization efforts.
IITA Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery (DDG-P4D), Kenton Dashiell, said: “With this partnership, we expect to grow together in our resource mobilization and shared collaboration to secure a strong post-harvest arm for our numerous project interventions.” Dashiell and Sanni signed the MoU on behalf of both institutions, with both partners looking forward to the geometric and positive impact this partnership will bring to Nigeria’s food and agricultural sector and Africa’s economy.
Contributed by Folake Oduntan
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