IITA DG meets the President of Zanzibar

.......and pledges to support isle to boost production and processing of cassava.  

IITA DG and H.E Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar 

The delegation that accompanied IITA DG to meet Zanzibar president at the State House.   

IITA’s DG, Nteranya Sanginga was this week at the institute’s eastern Africa hub in Tanzania where he among others visited the President of Zanzibar, the ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Tanzania and participated in the launch of the IITA-led project that aims at boosting the production of for important staples and is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Sanginga paid a courtesy call to His Excellency Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein, the President of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar at the State House in Zanzibar on April 4, 2013 and assured him of IITA’s support to boost production and processing of cassava at the island. The DG also delivered an invitation to the President from Chief Olesegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria and IITA’s good will ambassador, to the inauguration of IITA’s science building for eastern Africa hub in Dar es Salaam, slotted for 13 May 2013. 

President Shein thanking the DG for the visit and the invitation which he graciously accepted, praised the institute for its good work with the isle’s Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources in boosting the production and productivity of root tuber crops, especially cassava and yams, and appealed for more support in cassava value addition.

AfDB project launch

IITA DG addresses participants at launch of SADC-SC project in Tanzania

Sanginga also participated in the launch of the country program of the ‘Multinational – CGIAR Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC)” which seeks to increase food security and improve the income and living standards of small-holder farmers in the 20 African countries, Tanzania included, by increasing the production of four important staple crops – maize, wheat, cassava and rice.

Guest of honour:  Dr Khalid S. Mohamed

The event was officiated by Dr. Khalid S. Mohammed, Principal Secretary, Ministry of State, Second Vice President Office, Zanzibar, and United Republic of Tanzania, who assured the participants of his government’s support to the initiative that was in line with his government’s efforts to develop the agriculture sector which is one of the key drivers of the country’s economic growth.  

Speaking at the launch Sanginga, said that this partnership project holds great potential to improve the livelihood of smallholders through improving the value chains of the four priority crops in Africa – cassava, maize, rice and wheat.

Visit to DRC ambassador

From left:  Sanginga, Ambassador Mpago and Manyong

The DG also paid a courtesy call to the Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Dar es Salaam, H.E Mr Juma Mpango.

The DG briefed the ambassador on IITA’s research activities in eastern and Central Africa. He informed the ambassador that DRC was the institute’s hub for Central Africa with a Director who at the moment for logistical reasons, was based in Nairobi. He added that the institute had invested in a science facility at Kalambo near Bukavu and would in the very near future also put up a science building in Kinshasa as the headquarters of the hub. 

Ambassador Mpango warmly welcomed the DG who was accompanied by the Director for eastern Africa Victor Manyong noting the institute was playing a very important role in supporting agriculture in the region and DRC which was rebuilding itself after many years of war.

IITA International School pupils persuade staff to quit smoking

Grade 4 pupils making a presentation on the "Dangers of Smoking."

For more than one-hour, the pupils of IITA International School held the attention of staff in Ibadan with a strong campaign on the dangers of smoking.
They advised staff to quit smoking, emphasizing that 45,000 people die each year in Nigeria due to smoking-related illnesses and over 1000 of them from ‘second-hand smoking.’
The campaign, which is part of a Grade 4 academic exercise, aims to save some of the over 1.22 billion people that have been held captive by smoking.
The children counseled that there are lots of problems attached to smoking, some of which include problems in breathing, wrinkles on the skin, home smell of stale tobacco, loss of sense of taste and smell and waste of financial resources. “Every year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world die from diseases caused by smoking and when inhaled, nicotine first goes to the lungs and bloodstream. It has a powerful effect on the brain and the central nervous system, half of these deaths occurs in middle age,” they added.
Cigarettes, they said, contain over 4000 toxic chemicals, 50 of which are known to cause cancer. Also, tobacco contributes to a number of cancers. “30% of all cancer deaths are due to smoking, half of all smokers will die from smoking-related sicknesses,” they warned.
The position of the children was supported by Dr Samson Adeleke, Head of IITA Clinic. He warned that staying in an environment where people smoke impacts on someone’s health and, therefore, inhaling from either end of the cigarette is harmful.
Grade 4 teacher, Miss Omolara Salako advised both the staff and the pupils never to be engaged in the act of smoking, either real smoking or second hand smoking. “It is never too late to stop smoking to gain health benefits. To those with heart disease, your outlook improves if you stop smoking,” she said.  She reminded the audience of the slogan ‘smokers are liable to die young.’

For more information, please contact: Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org


 

Comments from partners at the launch of the cassava commodity component of the SARD-SC project in DR Congo

Dr Mkamilo

Dr Geoffrey Mkamilo, from Tanzania---I am glad to hear that this project will help push technologies on the shelves to farmers.  Also the area of capacity building is very nice. I know that there will be many challenges but we have the brains to be able to achieve the milestones. Thanks to IITA and AfDB for funding this project.

 

Dr Phiri

 

Dr Samuel Phiri, from Zambia—I thank IITA and ADB for allowing us to come and participate in this commodity launch. Cassava in Zambia is important because it supports a lot of people. Agriculture in general supports 70% of the people in the rural communities, and 60 per cent on women. Zambia is focusing on improving its agriculture and as a country, we will support this project.

Dr Shambie

Dr Ibrahim Shambie, from Sierra Leone— In sierra Leone, cassava is almost taking over from rice. This is a result of the collaborative efforts between the ministry of agriculture and IITA. At the moment, cassava is being grown intensively and extensively—it is now generating jobs, creating wealth and employment for women and youth. IITA’s intervention in the cassava value chain has expanded the production of cassava in Sierra Leone. We in Sierra Leone welcome this project.  We are happy and we are thanking the AfDB and IITA for extending this program to us.

 Chief of Staff to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in DR Congo, Dr Alexis Makumyaviri – DR Congo is happy to host this meeting. I’ll like to thank AfDB and IITA for supporting DR Congo.

 

Drs Vanlauwe, Makumyaviri, and Manyong

Dr Yomeni giving a speech at the launch

 

Dr Edward Kanju— For Tanzania, we want to catch up with Nigeria in cassava production

Dr Nzola Mahungu — In DR Congo, the demand for cassava flour alone is 1000mt/day. We are yet to meet this demand.

Researchers begin activities to make cassava work for the poor

 

Researchers and key partners working under the Support for Agricultural Research and Development for Strategic Crops (SARD-SC) have kicked off activities to improve the productivity of cassava by at least 20 percent in project sites, increase household incomes and food security, and make the root crop work for the poor.


Researchers and partners at the launch of the cassava commodity component of SARD-SC in DR Congo on 12 Feb 2013

Four countries— DR Congo, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia— are the main beneficiaries of the cassava component but the project allows neighboring countries to tap from technologies that would be generated.
 “About 500,000 farmers are to directly benefit from the crop with more than 2 million indirect beneficiaries,” said Dr Chrys Akem, Project Coordinator for the SARD-SC at the launch of the cassava component of the project today in DR Congo.
Consumed by more than 600 million people in the developing countries, cassava is now competing with crops such as maize and rice as Africa’s major staple. But the potential of the crop is still stymied by myriad challenges including pests and diseases, poor adoption of improved varieties by farmers, and low use of improved best practices. Consequently, yields across most regions from local varieties are below 10 tons per hectare as opposed to over 30 tons per hectare obtained from improved varieties.
“The SARD-SC project intends to tackle most of the bottlenecks confronting cassava by disseminating improved varieties and unlocking the power of the crop along the value chain,” Dr Akem added.
Participating countries welcomed the project saying that it would help alleviate hunger and poverty, and improve food security in Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jean-Chrysostome Vahanwiti said cassava is a food security crop and that research to improve the fortunes of cassava was a welcome development for the country and the region.
The minister who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Alexis Makumyaviri said cassava is important to DR Congo because it is the major source of calorie and protein in the country. He applauded the attention being given to women and youth in terms of wealth and job creation in the project.
Launched last year, the SARD-SC project is a 5-year, multi-CGIAR center initiative funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) that is aimed at enhancing the productivity and income derived from cassava, maize, rice, and wheat – four of the six commodities that African Heads of States, through the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program, have defined as strategic crops for Africa.
The project, which will run until 2016, will be co-implemented by three Africa-based CGIAR centers: IITA, Africa Rice Center, and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas. IITA is also the Executing Agency of the project.
Another CGIAR center – the International Food Policy Research Institute – a specialized technical agency, will support the other three centers.
Drs. Victor Manyong and Bernard Vanlauwe, IITA Hub Directors said the success of the project depended on joint efforts with partners to ensure that scientific innovations work for the poor.
They reechoed IITA’s commitment to work with partners across the continent to deliver benefits to Africa. END

For more information, please contact: Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org

IAEA, NAEC and IITA explore areas of collaboration

L-R: Drs. Ylva (IITA), Imoh (NAEC) and Amha 

Officials of the nuclear energy watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) paid a courtesy visit to IITA in Ibadan on Tuesday to explore areas of possible collaboration.

During the visit, Dr Mulugeta Amha, Section Head, Division for Africa, Department of Technical Cooperation for IAEA; and Dr Imoh Obioh, Commissioner International Cooperation & Liaison Directorate for NAEC, held discussions with Dr Ylva Hillbur, IITA Deputy Director General (Research).

Areas of interest to the team included plant breeding, micronutrients analysis, soil-water nutrient studies, extension of shelf life of crops using nuclear technologies, postharvest technologies and also capacity development. More areas of collaboration may come up when interactions with the organizations advance. Crops of interest to IAEA and NAEC include cassava and yam.

Dr Amha who was impressed with the visit said his organization had been working on yam and cassava with the Nigerian government, stressing that research could help tackle most of the challenges to global food production.

Dr Obioh on the other hand noted that the spiraling population and climate change were a wakeup call for Nigeria to pay greater attention to agriculture. He promised to strike collaborative efforts with IITA with a view to applying nuclear science in food security.

The two institutions – IITA and NAEC— agreed to move further by considering the signing of an MoU that will define mutual activities for the future.

Dr Hillbur expressed IITA’s willingness to work with IAEA and NAEC to improve the fortunes of farmers and consumers. END

For more information, contact: Godwin Atser; g.atser@cgiar.org