UN Partners IITA, CGIAR to Champion Food Production Research

News in Brief:

-IITA and the United Nations have renewed collaboration to strengthen food security and agricultural transformation in Nigeria.

-The institute highlighted innovations like the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics technology as key to boosting productivity and scaling solutions for farmers.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) recently reiterated its commitment to transforming Africa’s food systems and strengthening food security through innovation, research, and strategic partnerships, a move seen as critical for Nigeria’s agricultural future.

Strengthening Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture

During a recent mission to Abuja, IITA’s Director General and CGIAR Regional Director for Continental Africa, Dr Simeon Ehui, met with the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Malick Fall, to discuss ways to deepen collaboration for sustainable agriculture, youth agripreneurship, and resilient food systems.

Dr Ehui emphasised that while IITA has made significant strides in agricultural research and development across Africa, scaling proven technologies to reach more farmers remains a key challenge. “For IITA, the biggest challenge remains scaling, deploying proven technologies from the lab to farmers at a much larger scale,” he said.

He noted that stronger partnerships, especially with development organisations like the United Nations, are vital to ensuring that Africa achieves food sufficiency and resilience against climate and economic shocks.

Research Innovations Driving Impact

Highlighting IITA’s achievements, Dr Ehui cited major research breakthroughs in soil health, seed systems, and plant health, areas that remain crucial to Nigeria’s and Africa’s food production. He also showcased the institute’s award-winning Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) technology, an innovation that has significantly boosted crop propagation and productivity across various regions.

This technology, already in use among select Nigerian farmers, represents the type of scalable solution needed to reduce food imports and strengthen local production capacity.

UN Backs Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation

In his remarks, Mr Fall reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural transformation as part of efforts to fast-track the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “For a country like Nigeria, agriculture is the biggest channel for economic transformation if the right investments are made,” he stated.

Both institutions agreed that joint action, anchored in science, youth inclusion, and innovation, is key to achieving a food-secure Africa. The IITA’s continued engagement with global partners aligns with Nigeria’s broader goals of boosting local food production, empowering agripreneurs, and tackling hunger. With research-driven solutions and collaboration at the core, experts believe that such alliances can accelerate the nation’s journey toward agricultural sustainability and rural prosperity.