IITA assists Nigeria with 35,930kg ‘Seeds of Renaissance’

International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has assisted the Federal Government with 35,930 kilograms of seeds for distribution in Borno State as part of efforts to cushion the humanitarian crisis in the northeastern part of Nigeria.


Delivering the seeds to the Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Dr Kenton Dashiell, IITA Deputy Director General for Partnerships for Delivery, said the donation is a gesture aimed at helping Nigeria to rebuild Borno, in particular, and the northeast in general.

The donated seeds include improved varieties of cowpea, soybean, maize, millet, sorghum, and rice. The seeds are adapted to the climate of the region with some being extra-early, early, and intermediate, maturing.

Dashiell explained that the seeds are also high yielding and resistant to the major pests and diseases, and other biotic and abiotic constraints in the region, adding that another 3,000 bundles of cassava planting materials will be delivered to the state as soon as the rains stabilize.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo described the donation as the most meaningful gift ever given to the people of Borno State. Obasanjo who is also an IITA Ambassador said, “IITA and our partners including the World Food Programme, the Zero Hunger Forum, and African Development Bank will continue to give priority attention to Borno state in particular and the north east in general.”

Dashiell said, “The donation is being given because IITA is concerned about the plight of the people of the Northeast who, by many accounts, are very food insecure, malnourished, and need assistance to get back to normal life. We are committed to working with Federal Government and the State governments in north-eastern Nigeria to transform agriculture so that the people are food secure and earning a good living for their families.”

The IITA seed collection is a product of joint efforts by IITA breeders and agronomists, special project managers, and scientists and the Business Incubation Platform (BIP)-GoSeed producers, and IITA Youth Agripreneurs. ICRISAT and Africa Rice also provided seeds to support this initiative which would serve as a reliable seed source.

In his response to the IITA gesture, Shettima said “Words cannot adequately convey the depth of our gratitude to the IITA and to President Obasanjo for the choice of Borno as beneficiary of a remarkable intervention. Seeds, particularly at this time, are life saving for us in Borno State. In a typical conflict situation, majority of farmers end up eating up their seeds because they can’t plant them. These seeds will be of immediate use to our farmers in the Southern part of Borno State which has been less affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. Farmers there are still carrying out their activities as against areas like Northern Borno.”


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