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.......and pledges to support isle to boost production and processing of cassava.
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| IITA DG and H.E Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, President of Zanzibar |
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| 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
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| 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.
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| 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
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| From left: Sanginga, Ambassador Mpago and Manyong |
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.
