On Saturday, Nigeria’s former President and IITA Goodwill Ambassador, Olusegun Obasanjo and Oyo State Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, commissioned two key projects at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan — an Agricultural Transformation Building dedicated to research and innovation delivery to farmers throughout Nigeria and Africa.
In Africa’s largest international agricultural research center, the second project is a 10.5 km ring road.
Construction of the building began in 2017 with a laying ceremony by former Nigerian Heads of Government, Yakubu Gowon, and Mr. Obasanjo ; and the President of the African Development Bank, Akin Adesina, as part of the projects launched to mark IITA’s 50th anniversary.
The building, funded by the African Development Bank through a Nigerian project — the Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Program (ATASP)—includes 22 offices, 8 large laboratory spaces, a conference room, and a utility facility.
On the other hand, the 10.5Km road covers part of the 1000-hectare IITA campus perimeter fence. The road was built as part of efforts to support agricultural research by the government of Oyo State.
Mr. Ajimobi said IITA’s support was in recognition of the importance of agriculture to the State of Oyo and IITA’s contribution to the state’s agricultural development.
“The state of Oyo is the best place to invest and promote agriculture today because we have IITA in the state,” he said.
IITA Director-General Nteranya Sanginga said rejuvenating the IITA facility in Nigeria was crucial to the continued efforts of the Institute to transform the continent’s agriculture.
“We are excited to see the example of a state in Nigeria by supporting infrastructure in an international center for agricultural research. This is not common, and we commend Oyo State’s government and people,” he said.
Dr. Sanginga also commended the Nigerian government and the AfDB for their support in building construction, adding that it would accelerate the pace of research and accommodate the best / critical human and material resources needed to transform the agricultural sector.
The event also saw the presentation of the Oyo State Policy Framework for Agricultural Transformation.
Concerned by agriculture’s poor performance, Governor Ajimobi last year asked IITA to produce a policy document that would provide direction for the state’s agricultural transformation over the next 25 years.
On the basis of this request, IITA worked with the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), the State Ministry of Agriculture, and the Oyo State Program for Agricultural Development to develop the framework.
IITA Development and Delivery Director Alfred Dixon said the framework set the context for Oyo State agriculture and examined the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the key value chains of agriculture in Oyo State.
“It also goes beyond predicting the implications of government-intervening policy scenarios,” he added.
Dr. Dixon said the state of Oyo could capitalize on the policy framework for attracting private capital to the agricultural space.
“It clearly defines what the Oyo State needs to do to improve its productivity in agriculture and achieve zero hunger,” he added.
He commended Oyo State Government, NISER, and IITA members for their hard work in drafting the policy document.
“May I also take this opportunity to thank His Excellency Governor Ajimobi for allowing us to coordinate this effort,” he added.
Mr Obasanjo, in his remarks, urged Governor Ajimobi, IITA, and NISER to work to ensure that the incoming administration implemented recommendations in the policy framework.
“Our problem is not to formulate policies, but to implement them,” he said.
He commended Governor Ajimobi for supporting IITA and called for innovations to be extended to farmers from research stations.
He noted that research institutions and ordinary smallholder farmers had a gap.
“In order to bring about agricultural transformation, we need to close that gap,” Mr Obasanjo said.