Nigeria to benefit from N7.6bn Gates Foundation cassava grant

Chief Audu Ogbeh, Agric Minister


Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and United Kingdom’s Department of International Development have announced a N7.6 billion cassava development grant to Nigerian farmers to enhance food production and sustenance.

The main beneficiary of the fund will be the NextGen Cassava, a project aimed at developing new varieties of cassava with higher yield and nutritional content across Africa.

The project is being executed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, with support from the Boyce Thompson Institute, Brazil; International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Colombia; National Crops Resources Research Institute, Uganda; National Root Crops Research Institute, Nigeria; US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service; and other international partners.

At the meeting of the project scientists at the IITA, Ibadan, the Project Manager, IITA NexGen Cassava Breeding, Chiedozie Egesi, said despite Africa accounting for more than half of the world’s cassava production, food security is under threat in Nigeria and other African countries because of disease pathogens and climatic change.
CBN Governor

He said the project would, among other things, shorten breeding cycle of cassava, enhance flowering and seed, implement tools for genomic selection and promote gender-responsive cassava breeding.

Egesi said, “Africa produces more than half of the world’s cassava; about 86 million tonnes from over 10 million hectares. But disease pathogens and climate change threaten cassava production and jeopardise the income and food security of smallholder farmers.


“Since 2012, scientists on the NextGen Cassava project have been working to significantly increase the rate of genetic improvement in cassava breeding and unlock cassava’s full potential. Scientists on the NextGen project are focused on giving breeders in Africa access to the most advanced plant breeding technologies to deliver improved varieties to farmers more rapidly.”

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