IITA strengthens capacity at the University of Liberia
12 January 2026
The IITA–CGIAR in Liberia, through the EU-funded Soils4Liberia Project, successfully concluded a three-day intensive digital data management training for 14 laboratory staff of the University of Liberia (UL) and one representative from the Central Agricultural Research Institute (CARI), and three representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA). Held from 2 to 4 December 2025, at the UL Soil Testing, Plant and Water Analysis Laboratory, in the Fendall Campus. The training marks a significant step toward enhancing national capacity for soil data generation, which is linked with the upcoming national land and soil survey.
The Soils4Liberia Project is expected to play a central role in supporting Liberia in building the knowledge and institutional capacity required for sustainable land and soil management. Soil samples collected during field campaigns will be analyzed at the UL Soil Lab, making the University a critical partner in advancing the project’s goals. Recognizing this, IITA-Liberia organized the training to ensure that national partners possess the digital competencies required for accurate, efficient, and traceable laboratory operations.
Speaking during the opening session, Abebe Shiferaw Dakka, Soils4Liberia Project Manager (Ph.D.), emphasized that capacity building remains one of the project’s fundamental pillars. He described that similar training sessions, seminars, and workshops will be organized in soil science on topics relevant to the project for staff at partner institutions. It was also indicated that the training will be coupled with opportunities for graduate study and investment in the supply of key laboratory equipment, particularly as Liberia expands its soil analysis work and sustainable national systems.
“Building the skills and knowledge of national (CARI, MoA, and UL) partners ensures that research institutions are equipped to generate quality, science-based data for decision-making,” he said. “Capacity building of national institutions is an essential step to achieve the project’s goal and ensure sustainability, which is sustainable land and soil management.”
The training provided participants with a practical introduction to digital data collection and management using ODK and the ONA platform. They learned to design and deploy XLSForms for soil sample registration, chain-of-custody tracking, and recording lab preparation and analysis results. A key highlight was the use of barcode-enabled digital forms to streamline sample tracking across workflow stages. Joseph Archie Koilor, Data Management Officer for the Soils4Liberia Project, led the hands-on exercises and guided participants through form deployment, uploading data to ONA, cleaning datasets, and exporting information for reporting, ensuring skills could be applied immediately to their daily laboratory work.
The training closing ceremony was attended by UL officials, including Dr Salia S. Sheriff, Director of the UL Soil Laboratory; Professor James S. Kiazolu, former Director of the Soil Lab; and Alphanso C. Davies, Administrative Assistant to the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Forestry. Certificates were issued to participants.
Participants expressed appreciation for the initiative by the Soils4Liberia project, describing it as timely and transformational. As Liberia prepares for a nationwide land and soil survey, training by the Soils4Liberia project is essential to equip staff with new skill sets in digital workflows, reducing errors, enhancing traceability, and improving the overall data management at the UL Soil Lab.
The successful completion of the training underscores IITA’s commitment to building the capacity of national partners’ institutions in Liberia. Through continued collaboration with the UL, MOA, and CARI, Soils4Liberia is helping lay the foundation for a more efficient, accurate, and modern soil data management system that will benefit farmers, researchers, and policymakers nationwide.
Contributed by Daniel Momo Sirleaf
