Nigeria to get Global Research Park

  1. Posted on Monday 9 November 2009 - 10:48
    accreporter
    Image of accreporter
    Kent Mensah, AfricaNews editor in Accra, Ghana office
    A Global Research Park in Nigeria would soon be established to boost agricultural research in Africa. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture said on Saturday it would attract big international private sector research companies to the institute's headquarters in Ibadan.
    nigeria map
    “Already we have three international research centers 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,” the Director General of IITA, Dr. Peter Hartmann, said during IITA Open Day on Saturday in Ibadan.

    A statement from IITA to AfricaNews said the park will create additional jobs for Africans and more importantly it will help improve crop productivity on the continent, improve livelihoods, boost food security, generate wealth and help fight poverty.

    Some of the reasons which made Nigeria a destination of choice are the rich and vast agroecologies and its population of over 140 million people, the statement said. Hartmann said: “Nigeria allows IITA to work in the dry lands, forest lands and the wet lands. It has all the agro ecologies.”

    While restating IITA plans to remain in Nigeria, the director-general added the institute has 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 stated.

    Established in 1967, IITA has remained committed to providing solutions to Africa’s problems in eradicating hunger and poverty, thereby generating income and creating wealth for resource-poor farmers.

    Besides, the institute has over the years provided jobs to hundreds of graduates across its stations in Nigeria. Hartmann cited the revolution of cassava and soybeans in Nigeria as part of the achievements of the 42-year-old institute.

    “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,” he added.

    He commended the government of Nigeria for the efforts so far made in addressing epileptic power supply and poor infrastructure.

Latest News

  1. AFCON: 46 hurt in Zambia victory celebrations09/02Over 40 casualty cases were recorded Wednesday night at Zambia's University Teaching Hospital (UTH) after post-match celebrations turned violent …
  2. African Peer Review Mechanism making progress08/02In 2003 the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), the continental development plan, initiated the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM…
  3. Combating HIV infections among African women08/02With a lack of knowledge and power, African women continue to bear the brunt of HIV infections.
  4. Legume cultivation booms in Western Kenya07/02Small Holder Farmers (SHFs) who traditionally relied on seed companies for all their seeds are now bulking their own legume seeds for their farms.
  5. Malawi vendors chase out Chinese07/02Vendors in Kalonga, the Northern district of Malawi, on Wednesday petitioned the District Commissioner to flash out all Chinese nationals who are doin…
  6. Zim: Informal sector urged to join HIV battle05/02While the Harare City council is busy engaging in running battles with city vendors, Health Minister has called for authorities to devise ways to form…
  7. Elections: Wole Soyinka warns Mugabe, Wade03/02The Nigerian Nobel Prize winner for literature said heads of states who are trying to cling to power suffer the same fate as the dictators who were sw…
  8. AU elections rescheduled for June in Malawi01/02Following a deadlock during Monday's African Union elections, with a tie between former wife to South African president Jacob Zuma, Home Affairs …
  9. Senegal in turmoil as protest intensifies01/02Hundreds of anti-government protesters Tuesday gathered in the central Dakar, Senegal to show their dissatisfaction over the incumbent president Abdou…
  10. Zimbabwe’s inflation still favourable -…01/02Zimbabwe's annual headline inflation still compared favourably with economies in the region, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said o…
  11. AFCON 2012: Sudan qualifies after four decades31/01The Sudanese national team has sealed a historic win over the Stallions of Burkina Faso.
  12. Senegalese opposition to intensify protests31/01Opposition and civil society groups in Senegal have vowed to increase their fight against incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade's presidential bid.
  13. Malawi: Rights coalition condemn stripping of…30/01The 39 members of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights Coalition based in 18 African countries have vehemently condemned the stripping of wo…
  14. Kenya to deworm five million children annually30/01Kenya launched the second phase of its national deworming programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012, aiming to treat 5 million childre…
  15. Benin’s Yayi Boni is AU’s new…30/01President Yayi Boni of Benin Republic has been elected chairperson of the African Union in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa
News archive