IITA working to make Africa food-sufficient – Official
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has reaffirmed its commitment to driving agricultural transformation and achieving food security in Nigeria through stronger partnerships and coordinated action.
In a statement signed by Katherine Lopez, IITA’s Head of Communication, the announcement followed a high-level meeting between Dr. Simeon Ehui, IITA Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, and Mr. Mohamed Fall, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, held in Abuja.
Ehui emphasized that the institute’s central goal is to leverage research-backed innovations to address pressing challenges in Nigeria’s agrifood systems. “For IITA, the biggest challenge remains scaling — taking proven technologies from the lab to farmers at a much larger scale,” he noted.
He stressed that strategic partnerships are essential for ensuring Africa becomes food-sufficient, reaffirming IITA’s commitment to working closely with the UN toward this goal.
The meeting highlighted Nigeria’s urgent food security challenges — including climate change, declining soil fertility, post-harvest losses, and limited access to improved technologies — all of which continue to impede agricultural productivity.
Ehui showcased IITA’s research milestones and innovative solutions, such as the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) system, an award-winning technology that enhances crop propagation and productivity. He added that deeper collaboration between IITA and the UN would help strengthen Nigeria’s food systems, promote youth participation, and ensure that agricultural transformation is inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable.
On his part, Mr. Fall emphasized the UN’s dedication to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural transformation as a key driver of economic growth and sustainable development, saying, “For a country like Nigeria, agriculture is the biggest channel for economic transformation if the right investments are made.”
The meeting concluded with a shared vision among IITA, CGIAR, and the United Nations to advance science-driven, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural solutions that strengthen livelihoods and resilience across Africa.
Source: Punch
Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
The renewed collaboration between IITA and the United Nations marks a critical step in advancing Nigeria’s journey toward food sufficiency. This partnership symbolizes a shift from isolated interventions to coordinated systems-based action, where science, policy, and partnerships converge to address structural weaknesses in Africa’s agrifood landscape. For Nigeria, this alignment between a leading research institution and a global development agency brings both credibility and opportunity — a signal that the pathway to agricultural prosperity lies in innovation, collaboration, and scale.
- Scaling as Africa’s Central Challenge:
IITA’s emphasis on scaling reveals a long-standing structural gap in African agriculture — the failure to convert pilot innovations into national adoption. Bridging this gap requires partnerships among research institutions, governments, and private actors to ensure innovations reach farmers efficiently. - UN–IITA Synergy and Policy Leverage:
The United Nations’ involvement adds policy depth and international alignment, ensuring that agricultural transformation aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 13 (Climate Action). - Soil, Seed, and Sustainability Focus:
By spotlighting soil health, seed systems, and plant protection, IITA addresses the foundational pillars of food production. These areas hold strong potential for private-sector participation through input distribution, digital monitoring, and regenerative farming practices. - Youth Inclusion in Agri-Systems:
The mention of youth agribusiness is timely. With over 60% of Africa’s population under 25, transforming agriculture into a business opportunity rather than a survival activity will define the continent’s productivity trajectory. - Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH):
The SAH technology’s success represents a breakthrough in plant propagation — enabling faster, cleaner, and more scalable planting materials. Adoption at scale can revolutionize root and tuber production (especially cassava and yam), vital for food security and export potential. - Systems Thinking for Transformation:
Both IITA and UN stress the need for a systems approach — integrating technology, finance, policy, and human capital. This mindset moves agriculture from a reactive model to a proactive, data-driven ecosystem capable of delivering long-term resilience. - Investment Implications:
For investors and agribusiness players, the IITA–UN alliance presents a low-risk entry point for partnerships in agritech deployment, seed commercialization, and climate-resilient solutions, supported by strong institutional credibility.
Conclusion
The IITA–UN partnership underscores a new era for Nigeria’s food systems — one built on science, coordination, and scale. The focus on collaborative delivery rather than fragmented projects signals a transition toward systemic transformation in agriculture. For policymakers, it’s a reminder that innovation without scale changes little; for agribusinesses, it’s an invitation to align with research-led, impact-driven frameworks that shape the future of African food security. In essence, this renewed collaboration affirms that Africa’s agricultural renaissance will not be driven by subsidies or slogans — but by systems, science, and synergy.
