On 6 February, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ibadan (UI), Professor Kayode Oyebode Adebowale, led a delegation to IITA’s Headquarters for a strategic engagement to strengthen collaboration between the two institutions. The visit built on their long-standing relationship and focused on exploring structured partnerships that could enhance research delivery, capacity development, and development impact.
Welcoming the delegation, IITA Director General, Dr Simeon Ehui, described the partnership between IITA and UI as both historic and special. He noted that IITA-CGIAR is privileged to work closely with Nigerian universities and training institutions, emphasizing that the timing of the visit was particularly significant.
According to him, stronger coordination in research and development is critical to addressing major challenges such as food insecurity and youth unemployment, which continue to affect Nigeria and the wider African continent.
Dr Ehui stressed the importance of aligning academic research with development delivery, noting that effective partnerships between universities and research institutes are essential for translating scientific innovations into practical solutions for farmers and communities. “IITA is proud to be part of the ecosystem that promotes research and delivery,” he said.
The Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Tahirou Abdoulaye, provided an overview of IITA’s value propositions and strategic focus. He explained that IITA operates within a network of 30 CGIAR centers and is committed to developing solutions that improve efficiency across agricultural value chains. He highlighted Nutrition and Health, alongside Climate Adaptation, as two major thematic areas guiding IITA’s research and development agenda.
In his remarks, Professor Adebowale expressed pride that nearly 75 percent of the participants at the meeting were alumni of the University of Ibadan, reflecting the strong institutional linkages between UI and IITA. He commended IITA for its far-reaching impact across Africa and noted that the presence of more institutions with similar mandates would significantly deepen grassroots engagement and accelerate agricultural transformation.
To further strengthen collaboration, the Vice Chancellor proposed three strategic pillars: integrating research and postgraduate training; institutional capacity-building; and infrastructure sharing, and the commercialization of research outputs with a strong focus on community impact. He emphasized that structured partnerships in these areas would create mutual benefits and enhance the relevance of academic research to societal needs. “UI is ready, willing, and eager to be IITA’s dynamic partner. Let us write the next chapter together for agricultural transformation,” he added.
Responding to the proposals, Dr Ehui welcomed the suggested pillars and underscored the need to formalize and deepen collaboration between both institutions. He also proposed extending the partnership to include collaboration between the Communication Offices of UI and IITA to improve visibility and showcase joint research achievements and development outcomes.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to advancing a more coordinated and impactful partnership that leverages the strengths of both institutions to drive agricultural innovation and sustainable development in Africa.
Contributed by Ochuwa Favour Daramola
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