Food Security: Makinde, Adesina, El Rufai Applauds IITA

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Governor of Oyo State, Mr. Seyi Makinde, the President African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina and the Governor, Kaduna State, Mr. Nasir El Rufai, have extolled the achievements of the outgoing Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agricultural (IITA), Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, and commended his visionary leadership that contributed immensely to Nigeria’s food security.

The acknowledged that Sanginga’s leadership strategically positioned the institute to contribute to achieving 150 million fewer hungry people, 100 million fewer poor people, improving food and nutrition security as well as improving natural resources and ecosystem services as part of the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) strategy 2016-2030.

“The things he has done, the decisions he took that led IITA to a foremost agricultural research institute shows great courage and because of that courage, he has shown a remarkable and an uncommon focus and leadership,” he said.

He added that the idea of training the state’s young people in agribusiness has seen over 3000 youths trained in technology driven agrifood systems, stressing that the state is currently providing them with enterprise support courtesy of the IITA’s director general’s vision.

On his part, El-Rufai, said that Nigerians are very grateful to the director general, saying that every state in Nigeria has been a beneficiary of the researches developed by the institute for agriculture and agribusiness development in Nigeria in the last decade.

“You took an institution that was struggling and made it thrive. You are the first African to be a Director General at the Institute and have turned out to be one of the best ever,” he said.

The president of AfDB said the IITA boss’ tenure would go down in the annals of history of the CGIAR.

Adesina described his tireless efforts working with international scientists in building extensive research to boost food security in Africa is highly commendable.