The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), African Development Bank (AfDB) and other stakeholders flagged off the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) to revitalise agriculture in Africa.
The AfDB Agricultural Economist and TAAT Programme Manager, Dr Jonas Chianu said at the inauguration which took place in Ibadan on Monday that the multi-year-multi-partner TAAT programme was funded by the regional bank.
He further explained that the programme was a concept that was based on ‘Africa Feeding African’ core priority of AfDB and aligned with the bank’s 10-year strategy (2013 to 2022) for inclusive and green growth in the continent.
“TAAT heralds a new dawn in African agricultural transformation because of its key benefits,” he said, adding that the initiative would lead to increased agricultural productivity and diversification as well as improved food and nutrition security, improved socioeconomic status of farmers including women and youth due to higher incomes.
“TAAT will execute an ambitious and bold plan to achieve rapid agricultural transformation across Africa by raising agricultural productivity along nine Priority Intervention Area (PIA) and over 18 agricultural commodity value chains. The execution of TAAT will involve close partnership among the AfDB, World Bank, and development partners to ensure increased financing for agricultural research and development along the value chains.
“FARA, the CGIAR System Organisation, and 11 of its 15 international agricultural research centres most active in Africa, have embraced the Bank’s initiative. They are co-sponsoring the programme to revitalise and transform agriculture through TAAT within the shortest possible time while restoring degraded land and maintaining or strengthening the ecosystems that underpin agriculture,” he said.
The Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery of IITA, Dr Ken Dashiell stressed the need for the experts to work in harmony with other teams from other countries to see the great accomplishment of the programme.
The Director of TAAT Programme Management Unit of IITA, Dr Chrys Akem said part of the workshop’s objectives was to network as well as interact with the various TAAT programme teams.
