IITA Wants African Govts To Allocate Improved Budgets To Agriculture

• We’ve People Less Hungry, Less Poor Across Continent, Says Sanginga

OUTGOING Director General, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture ( IITA), Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, has expressed dissatisfaction over the lackadaisical attitude of most African governments and critical stakeholders to the development of agriculture across the continent.

Addressing selected team of journalists during his valedictory press conference at the institute’s headquarters in Ibadan Oyo State, Sanginga, said it was most disturbing that despite the abundant natural, human and other endowments, most African governments are still depending on their former colonial nations to develop agriculture.

Sanginga lamented the poor budgeting for agriculture, saying the sector alone can turn around the fortune of the continent economically only if the necessary focus, determination and right policies are in place.

He, however, disclosed that the Institute, under his stewardship in the last 11 years, had helped to contribute to achieving across Africa, over 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 CGIAR Strategy 2016- 2030.

Sanginga, who disclosed that IITA had brought about tremendous transformations in the African agricultural landscape, said the institute is appropriately positioned to do more to help Africa, especially Nigeria, in areas of research, training and generating more employment, if political and economic will are there.

According to him, “In the last 11 years, we have 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 CGIAR Strategy 20162030.”

He also said the institute, under the youth agripreneurs programme, which he initiated in 2012, has created jobs for thousands of youths by making agriculture and agribusiness appealing to young people in many African countries, a programme that has now evolved into a movement across the continent and since been integrated into the Business Incubation Platform ( BIP), the technology delivery arm of IITA.