IITA Champions Food Security Revolution: Showcases Game-Changing Innovations at Farmers’ Day

By Umar Zubainatu Kambari

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has reaffirmed its dedication to strengthening food and nutrition security while supporting farmers to boost productivity across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.

Head of IITA Abuja Station, Dr. Beatrice Aighewi, made this known on Tuesday during the IITA Farmers’ Day on Innovation for Nutrition and Food Security, held in Abuja.

Aighewi described the event as a renewed effort to showcase IITA’s innovations and deepen partnerships in agricultural research and development. She said the institute’s mission remains to help resource-poor farmers increase productivity, improve food security, and raise incomes through science-driven agricultural solutions.

“We conduct research on staple crops such as maize, cassava, yam, soybean, cowpea, banana, plantain, and cocoa—crops vital to Africa’s food systems,” she said.

Aighewi noted that IITA’s headquarters is located in Ibadan, with operational hubs spread across West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, including the Sahel. In Nigeria, she added, IITA operates experimental stations in Kano, Onne (Rivers State), and Abuja.

She explained that the Abuja Station, originally established in 1985 by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) as a demonstration farm, was transferred to IITA in 1991 through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) later renewed in 2022.

“The Abuja Station, which initially covered 62 hectares, now occupies less than 50 hectares due to encroachment from urban development,” she said, adding that the Farmers’ Day marked the first field exhibition at the station in more than a decade.

According to Aighewi, the station has since 2011 expanded its research and facilities, serving as a strategic hub for showcasing agricultural technologies to donors, embassies, development partners, and government agencies.

“At IITA, we work from the laboratory to the field and to the table. What we are showcasing today reflects that full journey,” she said.

Aighewi further disclosed that the institute maintains a plant conservatory to preserve genetic resources and ensure biodiversity for future generations.

Representing the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mrs. Chioma Opara, who stood in for the Country Director, Ms. Dede Ekoue, commended IITA for its leadership in agricultural innovation and for hosting the event.

Ekoue said the initiative was timely, stressing the need to rethink how food is produced, processed, and consumed to ensure healthier diets and resilient communities.

“Agricultural growth must go beyond yields to improve diets, health, and resilience,” she said, adding that innovation bridges productivity and well-being through biofortified crops, digital nutrition tools, and climate-smart practices.

She highlighted IFAD’s long-standing partnership with IITA through joint programmes such as the Zero Hunger Initiative (2016) and the Agribusiness Hub Programme (2021), which promote youth employment and nutrition-sensitive agriculture.

Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, Prof. Ademola Adenle, Special Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, lauded IITA for translating research into practical solutions for farmers.

“Today, we celebrate innovation in action—where science meets the soil and research becomes real solutions,” he said. “The IITA Open Day is not just an exhibition but a movement for smarter, sustainable agriculture.”

Also speaking, Mr. Abdullahi Ango, Mandate Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat (ARDS), FCT Administration, praised IITA for its research leadership. Represented by Mr. Mahmud Sanusi, he urged farmers to engage actively with IITA’s findings and called for innovations that attract more youth into agriculture through mechanisation and digital tools.

“Research institutes like IITA play a vital role in generating innovations to combat hunger, malnutrition, and climate-related food insecurity,” he said.

The Farmers’ Day featured exhibitions of IITA’s latest research outputs, agricultural technologies, and nutrition-focused innovations designed to strengthen food systems.

The event underscored IITA’s role as a leading research institution driving agricultural transformation to overcome hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation across tropical Africa.