IITA Director General to Deliver Keynote at Africa Agriculture Science Week, Calls for Science-Driven, Africa-Led Agricultural Transformation
26 July 2026
Abuja, Nigeria – 26 July 2026
Dr Simeon Ehui to address opening of 9th AASW and 10th FARA General Assembly; CGIAR to hold consultation on new Africa Strategy
ABUJA, Nigeria- Dr Simeon Ehui, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Regional Director for Africa, CGIAR, will deliver the keynote address at the opening of the 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (AASW9) and 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) taking place this weekin Abuja, Nigeria.
Held under this year’s theme, “Innovation and Partnerships for Resilient and Sustainable Agrifood Systems in Africa,” the continent’s premier agricultural science gathering will bring together ministers, heads of national and regional research institutions, policymakers, development partners, private-sector leaders, and researchers from across the continent to explore pathways for strengthening Africa’s agrifood systems through research, innovation, and strategic partnerships.
In his keynote, Dr Ehui will underscore the need for Africa to lead its own agricultural transformation by investing in science, innovation, and homegrown solutions that respond to the continent’s unique realities. He will argue that Africa is not simply a consumer of agricultural technologies but an increasingly important source of globally relevant scientific innovation.
Drawing on proven technologies from across the continent, Dr Ehui will highlight advances in improved and biofortified crop varieties, climate advisory tools, biological pest management, and digital agriculture, Â and other innovations developed through collaboration among among national agricultural research systems, regional organizations, universities, and CGIAR centers.
He will also point to the growing impact of African-led partnerships such as the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program. According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the TAAT program has reached nearly 25 million farmers, expanded climate-resilient practices across more than 35 million hectares, generated over $4 billion in additional agricultural value, and increased crop yields by as much as 69 percent in participating countries.
Dr Ehui will also highlight advances in breeding programs and the Regional Hub for Fertilizer and Soil Health for West Africa and the Sahel as examples of science delivering measurable impact at scale.
His keynote will emphasize that sustainable agricultural transformation depends on healthy soils, biodiversity conservation, resilient farming systems, and stronger links between agriculture, nutrition, and public health. Â He will call for greater investment in evidence-based decision-making, knowledge management, and adaptive learning to ensure scientific innovations are effectively translated into impact for farmers and food systems across Africa.
Adding that stronger knowledge management and adaptive learning—the ability of institutions to capture, share, and act on evidence—must underpin Africa’s next phase of agricultural transformation.
“Africa is not waiting for innovation to arrive; it is already generating it,” Dr Ehui states in his address. “The time to scale these solutions through stronger partnerships and sustained investment is now.”
On the sidelines of the AASW9, CGIAR will convene a consultation on its emerging Africa Strategy consultation meeting, on Tuesday, 28 July, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The consultation, part of a broad, Africa-led process to shape CGIAR’s future engagement, partnerships, and investment in collaboration with FARA, will bring together representatives from national research systems, universities, governments, development partners, farmer organizations, the private sector, and youth.
The 9th Africa Agricultural Science Week and 10th FARA General Assembly are being held in Abuja from 27-31 July 2026 under the auspices of FARA, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), the Government of Nigeria, and the African Union Commission. The event serves as a premier platform for advancing dialogue, collaboration, and science-based solutions to transform Africa’s agrifood systems.
About IITA
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is a CGIAR Research Center that generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger, malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Headquartered in Ibadan, Nigeria, IITA works with partners across sub-Saharan Africa to improve livelihoods, restore landscapes, and build sustainable, resilient agrifood systems. CGIAR is the world’s largest global agricultural innovation network.
Media Contact
Katherine Lopez, Head of Communication, Communication Office, IITA
k.lopez@cgiar.org, +234 8039784454
www.iita.org
