Banana is an important crop serving millions of households as a staple food and source of income in East Africa. It drives food security, nutrition, and rural livelihoods across the region, with its…
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In West Africa, yam production is far more than an agricultural activity. It is a deeply embedded system that sustains millions of livelihoods, shapes rural economies, and reinforces cultural identity. Across…
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In Nigeria, long before the dominance of maize and rice, farmers cultivated a range of indigenous crops uniquely adapted to local ecologies and nutritional needs. Among these are fonio–locally known as…
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Western AfricaIITA 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…
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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…
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Southern AfricaIITA supports Mozambique and Zambia to validate climate-smart agricultural technologies for the Zambezi Basin
Strengthening climate resilience and agricultural transformation through TAAT technologies and ZAMWIS integration The IITA–CGIAR, in collaboration with the Zambezi Watercourse Commission (ZAMCOM) successfully facilitated national validation workshops in Mozambique and Zambia under the Programme for Integrated Development…
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Southern AfricaBreeding chickens, raising dreams: Building youthful and community livelihoods through poultry farming in Mozambique
In 2024, IITA–CGIAR in Mozambique, in partnership with 15 national and international organizations, began implementing the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AID-I), which integrates components such as access to improved seeds, adoption of improved…
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Science BlogFrom forgotten crop to future food: Nigeria designs the next generation of Bambara groundnut
For decades, Bambara groundnut has been quietly feeding families across Nigeria. In rural communities stretching from the savannahs of the north to the forest zones of the south, farmers (many of…