An agricultural hub is set to be constructed in the Northeast Nigeria. This follows a MoU inked between the American University of Nigeria (AUN) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan towards the development.
The President of the American University of Nigeria, Margee Ensign, and the Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery of IITA, Kenton Dashiell, signed for the two organizations. The hub will be built in Adamawa State to serve the Northeast region.
“The MoU establishes a partnership between the two institutions for research opportunities and for donor-funded projects on nutrition, training for farmers, and education for vulnerable women and children,” said Margee Ensign.
Crop testing
Further explaining the importance of the new partnership, the AUN President described food security and education as the foundations of society.
“Without enough to eat, and the ability for individuals to learn, a society cannot advance. The American University of Nigeria’s mission as a Development University is to train bold leaders to solve societal problems and to improve education in all its different forms especially in Northeast Nigeria. The International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is an award-winning, research-for-development (R4D) organization whose goals are to reduce poverty and increase sustainable agricultural production–to improve the lives of farmers and reduce poverty. We have come together to partner to work on these two fundamental challenges: food insecurity and poor education,” she said.
Additionally numerous projects are being considered under the new partnership. President Ensign said, AUN would work with its peace network, the Adamawa Peace Initiative (API), to introduce agricultural practices in conflict-prone areas.
“The IITA motto is zero hunger. Ours at AUN is Education for all. The projects will give IITA the opportunity to have a research station in Northeast Nigeria. Crop testing and performance variation under different ecological conditions on land inside the campus of AUN in Yola will enable IITA to complete its ecological coverage of Nigeria. AUN has contributed 100 hectares of our land for this effort, and an office for IITA. We can together develop radio and mobile programs to educate women on nutrition and health, and farmers to increase agricultural productivity,” the President said.
