Heifer International explores strategic collaboration with IITA to transform Nigeria’s food systems

27 October 2025

Collaboration is essential for transforming Nigeria’s food systems and IITA–CGIAR continues to champion this cause through its open-door policy for inclusive partnerships. On 16 October, IITA welcomed a four-member delegation from Heifer International Nigeria, led by Dr Lekan Tobe, the Country Director and IITA alumnus, alongside Grace Dangana, the Signature Programme Technical Lead; Onyekachi Ayevbuomwan, the Program Lead; and Engineer Gift Umor, the Crop Programme Coordinator.

The visit was a homecoming for Dr Tobe, who reflected warmly on his time at IITA. “This visit is a homecoming for me, and for the team, an opportunity to reconnect and explore the different innovations IITA has developed over the years,” he said. The purpose of the visit was to explore collaborative opportunities that leverage IITA’s innovations and technologies to support Heifer’s locally led development programs. Heifer aims to co-create and co-develop initiatives with IITA that deliver proven solutions for food security to farmers and communities across Nigeria.

Heifer International, a globally recognized organization dedicated to its mission of ending hunger and poverty while caring for the earth, has been operating in Nigeria for five years, with programs in Benue, Nasarawa, and Ogun States. “We are here to deepen our collaboration with IITA, CGIAR, and other food research systems so we can together run the race called food systems transformation.”

During the visit, the Heifer team expressed keen interest in IITA’s work on climate adaptation, nutrition improvement, and One Health. They explored the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health, which provides site-specific fertilizer recommendations through the Agwise AI tool. This initiative spans 11 West African countries and supports policy investments aimed at enhancing soil health and agricultural productivity.

Discussions also focused on integrating IITA’s digital innovations, such as Seed Tracker and other pathogen surveillance tools, into Heifer’s operations to track and strengthen the delivery of agricultural innovations to farmers. The team explored the potential of IITA technologies, such as Aflasafe and NoduMax, already distributed by private sector partners, to enhance yields and food safety in Heifer’s project areas.

A visit to the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) program highlighted IITA’s success in empowering young people through agribusiness. With over one million youths reached across 17 countries, the program aligns with Heifer’s youth engagement goals. “We are eager to learn more about how IITA nurtures young agripreneurs and transforms innovations into market-ready opportunities,” Tobe noted.

The delegation also explored delivering value-added solutions to farmers, women, and youth in the cassava and yam value chains, alongside IITA’s technologies for seed multiplication (SAH and yam vine cuttings) for cassava and yams. They also discussed strategies to improve soybean production in Nigeria. Both organizations expressed interest in driving policy changes to support the transformation of food and nutrition systems.

In his remarks, IITA Acting Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Abdoulaye Tahirou, highlighted some of IITA’s technological advancements and growth since Tobe last worked at IITA. He shared insights from IITA’s Policy Hub Document, prepared to support policy decisions for Africa’s food crops based on data. Abdoulaye said, “Nigeria now produces ten times more maize than it did in 1960. Owing to innovations that solved the maize streak virus and supportive policies.” He emphasized the need for stable extension systems to bridge the gap between research deliveries and farmer adoption. “We are committed not just to developing innovations that boost yields, but to ensure the food produced is nutritious, safe, and reaches markets in ways that improve livelihoods,” he said.

Reflecting on Heifer’s journey in Nigeria, Dr Tobe shared, “We started with milk distribution, then moved into rice, livestock, and cassava because we recognized that smallholder farmers need more than one entry point.” He emphasized Heifer’s alignment with government priorities and its commitment to expanding its reach through strategic partnerships.

At the close of the visit, both IITA and Heifer reaffirmed their shared vision to build a resilient, inclusive, and transformative agricultural future for Africa. By combining IITA’s research-based innovations with Heifer’s on-the-ground systems approach and market focus, the partnership promises real-world impact for smallholder farmers, women, and youth.

Contributed by Folake Oduntan