IITA brokers new partnership deal with Sasakawa Africa Association

24 November 2023

The President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SSA), Makoto Kitanaka, accompanied by Sasakawa Nigeria Country Director Dr Godwin Atser, Sasakawa Ethiopia Country Director Fentahun Mengistu, and Director for Strategic Partnerships Melkizedek Oluoch, visited IITA-CGIAR on 8-10 November to broker new partnership opportunities and synergies to develop African agriculture. IITA was particularly proud to receive these delegates since both Atser and Oluoch are IITA alumni who have progressed in their careers and returned to establish a partnership with the Institute.

President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SSA), Makoto Kitanak with IITA Director General and CGIAR Director for Continental Africa Simeon Ehui and IITA Director for Partnerships for Delivery Kenton Dashiell during the meeting.
President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SSA), Makoto Kitanak with IITA Director General and CGIAR Director for Continental Africa Simeon Ehui and IITA Director for Partnerships for Delivery Kenton Dashiell during the meeting.

The team familiarized with IITA technologies, seeds and seed systems, research activities, and genetic innovations. They toured the Germplasm Health, Virology and Diagnostics Laboratory (GHVDL), Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory, Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics/Cassava Breeding, Processing, Utilization and Post Harvest Engineering, Genetic Resource Center, Bioscience, Business Incubation Platform, Aflasafe, and the Youth in Agribusiness units to see various IITA innovations geared towards transforming Africa’s food systems.

IITA Management team with the Sasakawa team during the visit in Ibadan.
IITA Management team with the Sasakawa team during the visit in Ibadan.

The team discussed regenerative agriculture with IITA Plant Physiologist Haruki Ishikawa, Yam Agronomist Ryo Matsumoto, and Senior Soil Scientist Jeroen Huising. The Sasakawa president said the discussion on regenerative agriculture was one of the areas that left the biggest impressions for partnership on the team. They also resolved to mainstream the seed tracking technology from GHVDL into the Sasakawa delivery programs.

President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SSA), Makoto Kitanak with IITA Director General and CGIAR Director for Continental Africa Simeon Ehui.
President of Sasakawa Africa Association (SSA), Makoto Kitanak with IITA Director General and CGIAR Director for Continental Africa Simeon Ehui.

Both institutions shared collaborative routes to explore. Sasakawa Africa has Agro-dealership programs that IITA can leverage to push Aflasafe, Nodumax, and other IITA agricultural solutions for wider accessibility. Both teams will also collaborate in food and nutrition research to scale up nutritional research for micronutrient availability in foods for consumption for rural people, especially after processing. The Sasakawa team also proposed partnerships for capacity development with IITA and universities in Tokyo. The Youth in Agribusiness will also be connected to the Nippon Foundation and Tony Elumelu Foundation so youths can access funds to launch their businesses.

With IITA’s robust research and technology solutions and Sasakawa’s potent networks in extension, both institutions are poised to drive exponentially positive impacts in food security and agricultural development. Thrilled at the prospects of the proposed collaborations, IITA Director General Dr Simeon Ehui said, “Together, we are committed to building a future that is both sustainable and food secure as we continue to work hand in hand. We look forward to making a lasting impact on agriculture and food security in Africa.”

Contributed by Folake Oduntan