The
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has received the Outstanding
Research Institute award from the Nigeria-based Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL). IITA was
honored for its sterling leadership in agricultural research in Nigeria in
particular, and sub Saharan Africa in general.
In a
letter to the Director General, IITA, Dr Nteranya Sanginga; the Chief Executive
Officer of CVL, Prof. Pat Utomi wrote: “I write to
appreciate IITA for its laudable contributions towards economic growth in
Nigeria and also inform you that the CVL team has specifically selected your
organization as one of the honorees at the upcoming CVL Agriculture Sector celebration.
Your recognition is under the Category of Outstanding Research Institute (i.e.,
A prestigious recognition given to research institutes for their valuable
contribution through research, publications, trainings, and advocacy).”
Receiving the award on Friday, Dr Sanginga dedicated
the prize to African farmers especially women who in spite all odds have
remained a pillar of food security on the continent.
“We are proud of this honor and it demands that we
do more to lift more people out of poverty,” Dr Sanginga who was represented by
Dr Gbassey Tarawali, Head of IITA Abuja Station, said on Friday in Lagos.
Since assumption of office, Dr Sanginga embarked on
a radical transformation of the Institute with a vision of bringing 11 million
people out of poverty, and reclaiming 7.5 million hectares of degraded land and
putting that back into sustainable use.
The Institute’s strategy emphasizes generating
research outputs and having impacts on farm level. Consequently, IITA became a
major player under that Nigeria’s Agricultural Transformation, playing a
critical role in crop improvement, and value addition.
CVL
estimates that Nigeria’s agricultural sector, which
comprises crop production, livestock, forestry, and fishing contributed 26.63%
in real terms to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as at the 3rd
quarter
of 2014 as against 20.89% in 2nd quarter of the
same year.
Prof Utomi said: “We
are also aware that Nigeria was declared the biggest economy in Africa and one
of the 11 global growth generators last year. (The Economist, April 2014). This
rapid growth has been accounted for based on the contributions of key sectors
(particularly non-oil sectors) of the economy. To further sustain this status,
the CVL Economic Growth Sector Celebration Series was initiated to continually
identify, honor and celebrate outstanding sectors that have immensely added
value in a particular year.”
The high profile event attracted
top executives and entrepreneurs showcasing the immense contributions of the agricultural
sector to Nigeria's economic growth and making them serve as exemplars to other
sectors.
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