50th anniversary celebration of ICRISAT in Nigeria

ICRISAT’s golden jubilee celebration in Nigeria, held in its country office in Kano, was graced by numerous partners and well-wishers. ICRISAT’s role as a trusted partner in developing improved varieties of dryland crops, working across the agriculture value chain to meet the requirement of farmers, millers and retailers, and its women and youth inclusive approach received special mention from the State and Federal Governments and the private sector.

Leaders and representatives of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) , Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), Centre for Dryland Agriculture-Bayero University of Kano (CDA-BUK), Kano State Agricultural And Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), women and men farmers groups, and youth farmers were among the many entities who attended the celebration. The celebration was declared open by the country representative, Dr Hakeem Ajeigbe.

“ICRSAT has tremendously impacted the lives and livelihood of the local farmers and women farmers and rural dwellers over 50 years in dryland regions of the world,” Dr Hakeem said.

Brief history of ICRISAT in Nigeria

ICRISAT’s activities in Nigeria started in 1976-1985 under the SAFGRAD/USAID project which resulted into the development and adoption of several sorghum, pearl millet and groundnut varieties. In 1988, ICRISAT set up a research station in Bagauda, Kano State, ​ to pursue a research program focused on the improvement of sorghum varieties and hybrids to be used within sorghum-based cropping systems. Two open pollinated sorghum varieties, ICSV400 and ICSV 111, and two sorghum hybrids, ICSH89002 NG and ICSH 89009 NG, were ​ released in collaboration with IAR, Zaria.

However, a period of fund uncertainty between 2000 and 2007, led to a lean period for ICRISAT in Nigeria. ​ By 2008, through the efforts of Professor Abubakar, the then Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) and Dr William D Dar, the then Director General of ICRISAT, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the development and implementation of joint research programs in Nigeria had led to the resurgence of ICRISAT in Nigeria. Since then, ​ over five sorghum, seven groundnut and three pearl millet varieties ​ were released in Nigeria along with many publications (manuals, guides, pamphlets and policy documents).

According to Dr Hakeem Ajeigbe, ​ there are over 12 ongoing collaborative research projects between ICRISAT and various International Organizations, Nigerian Research Institutes, Universities, State Agricultural Development Programs, Farmers’ Associations, Non-Government Organizations and the Private Sector. “Some of these projects are regional in scope and provide mutual learning, information and knowledge sharing opportunities to all participating countries,” he said.

Some of ICRISAT's recent high-impact initiatives includes:

• Agro-pastoral Development Project (KSADP). This ongoing project covers the entire 44 Local Government Areas ​ (LGAs) of Kano with improved varieties of sorghum, millet, maize, rice, groundnut, cowpea and soybean as well as associated Good Agronomic Practices (GAP). ​ We have started annual Agricultural Seed and Input Fairs and we will soon introduce technologies ​ of bio-reclamation of degraded lands.
• Partnerships and collaboration with private sectors such as Dala foods, ​ Honeywell Flour Mills and Northern Nigeria Flour Mills Plc, NBL have led to the introduction of semi-processed sorghum and millet products in ​ super markets and the reintroduction of improved varieties of sorghum to the southern Guinea savanna and derived savanna ​ zones of Nigeria.
• Through the Agricultural Transformation Support Project (ATASP-1) Phase-1, ICRISAT has partnered with the State Ministry of Education to develop the interest of many youth ​ in modern farming. Through a pilot program, volunteer students from 11 secondary schools from five states engaged with ICRISAT in ​ activities along the agricultural value chain of dryland crops in terms of production, processing for nutrition and income generation.
• Through FMARD ATA, dry season groundnut production for seed, grain, and fodder was introduced.

Dr Ajeigbe ​ thanked the Kano State Government administration, which he said has always been supportive of the institute activities. He also thanked the Federal Government of Nigeria which also been outstanding in its support right from the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) in which ICRISAT led ​ the implementation of the sorghum and groundnut value chains as part of ​ the Agricultural Transformation Support Project Phase-1 (ATASP-1) .

“ICRISAT is grateful for the support of the Honorable Ministers from Dr Akinwumi Adesina, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Alh Sabo Nanono and Dr Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar as well as the successive Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the desk officers and members of the sorghum and groundnut value chains, the Chairman Honorable Munnir Babba Dan Agundi, House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Research Institute, the Royal Fathers of Bunun Bichi, the District Head of Minjibir LGA, Kano State, and Sarkin Ari District Head of Ningi. We are also thankful to the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria and to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the Director Centre for Dryland Agriculture, Bayero University Kano.”

“ICRISAT depends on the goodwill of national and international partners and donors to be able to impact the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. We seek the continuous support of all, more than ever as the challenges are enormous, especially with the issue of climate change and growing human and livestock population. We ​ seek continuity in the partnership between IAR and ICRISAT and of our hard-working men and women farmers,” concluded Dr Ajeigbe.

Well-wishers and partners

Ms Hajia Salimatou Garba, CEO WOFAN:

“WOFAN and ICRISAT have done a lot of research activities together, especially in areas involving women. Various varieties of SAMNUT were tested for their oil content ​ and we were one of those partners that popularized SAMNUT 24. We really appreciate working with ICRISAT which is one of the most recognized institutions. Moreover, they have cemented the working relationship between us KNARDA, CDA and many other institutions.”

Mr Clement Adebija, Representative, IAR, Kano: ​

“ICRISAT has over the years, partnered in various ways. We call on ICRISAT and stakeholders to invest more in research and development for new technology such as use of biotechnology to improve farmers’ productivity. We wish ICRISAT the very best and seek more collaboration in Nigeria.”

Dr Zakari Turaki Representative, LCRI:

“My institute which is in charge of research on millet, wheat and barley has been in a long-term partnership with ICRISAT. ​ Our collaboration with ICRISAT has led to the release ​ of so many millet varieties, including SOSAT, SUPER SOSAT, Jarani and many others. There are four research institutes in Nigeria and ICRISAT and IITA remain the two giants which have done exploits in research. I wish ICRISAT on its 50th anniversary more successes. As you grow older, may you grow in experience and wisdom. We are urging you to lend more support to our famers as well.”

Mr El. Hadj Nura Madugu Representative, Dala Foods Nigeria Ltd: ​

“ICRISAT is among the organizations that draw attention to the industrial processing of more of millet and groundnut. Wishing you all the best.”

Mr Alh Ibrahim Garba, State Project Coordinator, Kano State Agro-pastoral Development Project:

“Under the Kano Agro-pastoral Project, we set aside over US$ 20 million for crop assets. It is just a small amount set aside to ICRISAT and IITA. With this, they were able to deliver technical backstopping to KANRDA and Sasakawa. All the technical backstopping is being carried out with the help of ICRISAT and IITA. Now, there is no single village in Kano state where you can’t find improved varieties. The project is looking at the entire agricultural value chain development, including the technical know-how and backstopping to train rural women in using various recipes which is now supporting nutrition and revenue generation. ​ A technical extension guide provided on GAPs is being used ​ to trained our extensions agents.”