Institute establishes research park in Ibadan

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), on Saturday, said it plans to establish a Global Research Park in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital as a strategy to boost agricultural research in Africa.

The park will basically house three research institutes that will carry out studies on agriculture which, in turn, create additional jobs for Africans and more importantly, help improve crop productivity on the continent, improve livelihoods, boost food security, generate wealth and help to fight poverty.

According to the Director General of the institute, Peter Hartmann, during IITA Open Day on Saturday in Ibadan, the park is IITA’s way of debunking the insinuation that the institute was about leaving Nigeria.

“IITA is not leaving Nigeria; we will build a big park even greater than a hub that will focus on research here,” Mr. Hartmann told NEXT.

“The plan, which has been approved by the institute, will attract big international private sector research companies to the institute’s headquarters in Ibadan.

“Already we have three international research centres working with us here, now we want to get the biggest private sector research companies to come here so that we make this place a Global Research Park,” he explained.

Why Nigeria?

Nigeria was chosen for this project because of its rich and vast agro-ecologies and its population of over 140 million people.

“Nigeria allows IITA to work in the dry lands, forest lands and the wet lands. It has all the agro ecologies,” he said.

The director-general said the institute had enjoyed a good relationship with the government of Nigeria.

“We have been here for almost 50 years and hope to be here in the years ahead. We have no intention of going anywhere,” he said.

“Our research with Nigerian farmers has made Nigeria the number one producer of cassava in the world. Before that, Thailand was leading for over 25 years. To me, it is possible and that has been my message. When IITA introduced soybeans in Nigeria, people laughed at us but today, Nigeria is the number one producer of soybean in Africa, overtaking South Africa,” Mr. Hartmann said.

The director cited the revolution of cassava and soybeans in Nigeria as part of the achievements of the 42-year-old institute.

Established in 1967,IITA have been involved in providing solutions to Africa’s problems of hunger and poverty, thereby generating income and creating wealth for resource-poor farmers. Recently, the body announced it has reduced poverty in 17 per cent of Borno State farmers by 3 per cent.