IITA–CGIAR recently hosted the renowned ecotourism ambassadors – the Oguntoye twins, founders of Twins Tourism, and hosts of the popular Travel with the Twins radio program on Lagelu FM, just days after they exchanged wedding vows with the identical…
Western Africa
When the rains no longer follow the rules: The push to connect farmers with climate solutions
For more than 16 years, maize farmer Oyeniyi Julius in the Akufo farm settlement, Ido LGA, relied on experience to guide his farming decisions. Like many smallholder farmers in Oyo State, he understood the rhythm of the seasons. He…
From casual worker to forestry student: How the AFR100 Olokemeji Reforestation Project transformed Samuel Taiwo’s life
In the heart of Nigeria’s Olokemeji Forest Reserve, where verdant greenery now rises to reclaim degraded land, lies a story as transformative as the trees themselves. Samuel Peters Taiwo, a former casual worker at the IITA Forest Center, is…
IITA Forest Center inspires future sustainability leaders through experiential learning
For students studying sustainability, few learning experiences are as impactful as witnessing environmental conservation in practice. This became a reality for Master’s students from the Department of Sustainability Studies, Centre for Sustainable Development (CESDEV), University of Ibadan, who on…
The Program for Seed System Innovations for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa (PROSSIVA) has trained Nigeria’s first cohort of banana and plantain seed entrepreneurs, marking an important milestone in efforts to strengthen the country’s emerging formal seed system. The…
Unlocking opportunity crops to combat food insecurity: VACS professional fellows equipped with modern breeding tools to accelerate genetic gain
IITA, in collaboration with CIMMYT and other CGIAR centers, brought together breeders from across Africa for a five-day intensive training on breeding pipeline optimization and market intelligence, to accelerate genetic gain in the continent’s neglected yet highly nutritious “opportunity crops.” From Bambara groundnut cultivated in the savannahs of Ghana to Okra harvested in the humid forests…
Inspired by Nature’s Signals: How Soil Health is Shaping West Africa’s Climate Future
World Environment Day 2026 calls global attention to a simple but urgent reality: the planet is sending signals—and climate action is about how we respond. With the theme, “Inspired by Nature. For Climate. For Our Future,” this year’s observance…
Reading the sky to feed the land: How IITA is turning weather data into decision support systems for smallholder farmers
On World Meteorological Day, marked on 23 March, the world is asked to reflect on the importance of weather observation. This year’s theme, ‘Observing today, protecting tomorrow,’ could be read as an abstract aspiration. However, at the International Institute…








