IITA donates equipment to Tanzanian Ministry
25 July 2014
IITA in Tanzania has officially returned some of the office and laboratory facilities given to it by the Tanzanian Ministry of Agriculture Food Security through the Department of Research and Development after constructing its own Science Building. The building was inaugurated last year by the Tanzanian President, H.E Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
The Ministry donated office space and laboratories to IITA at the Sugarcane Research Institute (SRI) at Kibaha, north of Dar es Salaam–which is also the center for research on roots and tubers for the coast region–7 years ago and also provided l and for field trials. IITA will continue to use the facilities and the field for joint research activities with the Ministry, its main partner in the country.
IITA also donated a generator, an inverter, and all the office furniture to SRI in appreciation of all the support given by the Ministry and for continued collaboration. At a small ceremony at SRI held on 17 July, the offices and equipment were officially h anded over by Victor Manyong, IITA’s Director for Eastern Africa, to Ms Kiddo Mtunda, Officer-in-Charge of SRI and the lead scientist for research on roots and tubers for the coast region.
Dr Manyong said IITA and the Department of Research and Development had enjoyed many years of good collaboration and partnership which had seen the implementation of many joint projects. This would still continue even as IITA h anded back some of the offices and laboratories to SRI-Kibaha.
“The way I see it, we are simply changing the management of the facilities but we will still continue to use them. We will also together use the facilities at our new Science Building which we inaugurated last year,” he told Ms Mtunda and the SRI staff present at the h and-over.
On her part, Ms Mtunda thanked IITA for its “generous support, and the generator and office furniture,” which she said would assist the Institute’s research activities in the region. The space that was released was very much needed as SRI was growing and strengthening its research activities on roots and tubers.
“On behalf of the Director for Research and Development, I also would like to thank IITA for this kind donation and for all its support throughout the years. We also look forward to continue working together to tackle food security challenges in the country.”
IITA staff in the country were divided between SRI-Kibaha and the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) in Dar es Salaam for many years until the Institute built its permanent facilities. All members of the IITA staff based in Dar es Salaam are now working under one roof.
For more details, please contact: Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org
About IITA www.iita.org
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.
