IITA and NM-AIST strengthen partnership on agric research in Tanzania
2 October 2014
IITA and the pan-African Nelson M andela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) have further strengthened their collaboration on agriculture research and capacity building in Tanzania by signing an agreement on banana research.
This agreement, which spells out how the two institutions will work together to tackle the challenges affecting banana production in the country, was recently signed by the IITA Deputy Director General for Research, Dr Ylva Hillbur, and the NM-AIST Vice Chancellor, Prof Burton Mwamila, at a ceremony at the university campus in Arusha, Tanzania.
According to the agreement, NM-AIST will give IITA l and to conduct banana breeding to develop improved varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases and especially Panama disease (Fusarium) which is devastating banana in the region, and office space for use by the institute’s staff. It will also give the institute access to its laboratories and screen houses to conduct banana research.
IITA on its part will provide funds to remodel and refurbish the molecular and tissue culture laboratories including purchasing additional equipment. The institute will also construct a seed extractor and a banana ripening chamber at the university. All these facilities will be open to both the staff and students of the university.
The institute will also conduct training for the staff and students at the university in areas of banana breeding, tissue culture, pest and diseases, and molecular biology among others.
Speaking at the event, Prof Mwamila said that the university aspired to become a world-class institution dedicated to the pursuit and promotion of excellence in Science Engineering and Technology (SET) and their applications for economic growth and sustainable development in the region by training and developing world class African scientists and engineers.
He therefore noted that the collaboration with an international agriculture research center such as IITA would be very beneficial towards this end. He further said IITA would support the institute to translate research results into tangible products and policy briefs to enable wealth creation and sustainable development.
On her part, Dr Hillbur who is based at the institute’s headquarters in Ibadan, Nigeria, noted that there were numerous opportunities for IITA to collaborate with NM-AIST in research and in training agriculture researchers. One of the areas was on the planned technology park at the university.
Currently the two institutes are collaborating on research on banana through a project funded by the Flemish Interuniversity Council, on nitrogen fixation in beans, and on controlling aflatoxin, a deadly chemical produced by fungi found in crops such as maize and groundnut. The new agreement supplements a Memor andum of Underst anding signed between the two institutions last year in which they agreed to conduct joint research projects, share scientific information and materials including genetic material for breeding, organize exchange programs, and jointly supervise postgraduate students.
Dr Hillbur was accompanied by Dr Victor Manyong, IITA Director for Eastern Africa based at its Eastern Africa office in Dar es Salaam, Prof Bekunda Mateete Head of IITA Arusha office and Prof Rony Swennen who heads IITA’s banana breeding program and is based at Arusha. The signing was also witnessed by key staff of the university.
For more information, please contact:
Catherine Njuguna, c.njuguna@cgiar.org
About IITA, www.iita.org
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 nonprofit organization founded in 1967 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.
About NM-AIST
The Nelson M andela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha is one in a network of Pan-African Institutes of Science and Technology located across the continent. These institutes, which are the proud brainchild of Nelson M andela, envision training and developing the next generation of African scientists and engineers with a view to having a profound impact on the continent’s development through the application of science, engineering, and technology (SET). NM-AIST is being developed to become a world-class research and intensive training institution mainly for postgraduates and post-docs in science, engineering, and technology (SET) related fields. Initially the fields of study covered by NM-AIST, taking advantage of the immense biodiversity in countries forming its catchment area, will be life sciences and bio-engineering; mathematics, computational and communication science and engineering; water resources and environmental science and engineering; materials science and engineering; and sustainable energy science and engineering.
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