The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, has commissioned a suite of modern irrigation systems and mechanised research farm equipment designed to fast-track the development and delivery of improved crop varieties across Nigeria and Africa.
The project, funded under the Crops to End Hunger (CtEH) initiative, was inaugurated on Thursday at IITA’s headquarters in Ibadan.
IITA Director-General, Dr. Simeon Ehui, said the new infrastructure significantly upgrades the institute’s capacity to support farmers and strengthen food systems across the continent.
He noted that the facilities have already improved IITA’s research farms by enabling more efficient breeding trials, ensuring year-round research activities, and enhancing the institute’s ability to respond to climate variability.
“This means we can now develop and deliver improved varieties to farmers faster and at a larger scale,” Ehui said.“For us, this is not just about new equipment it’s about building a more resilient, productive and sustainable agricultural system for Africa.
”He added that the infrastructure would serve as a hub for innovation, training and partnerships with national research systems and other stakeholders. Ehui also appreciated IITA staff and commended the German Government and other partners for supporting the project.
Alongside the irrigation system, IITA also inaugurated GPS-enabled tractors, planters, manure spreaders, and combine harvesters, marking a major step toward full mechanisation of its research operations.
Chairman of the IITA Board of Trustees, Dr. Roel Merckx, described mechanisation as one of Africa’s major agricultural challenges. He said the new irrigation infrastructure would ease water-access constraints and allow researchers to focus more on breeding improved crop varieties.
IITA Head of Farm Management and Breeding Operations, Mr. Alick Mulenga, said the mechanised equipment would dramatically improve efficiency, particularly given that planting, spraying and harvesting were previously done manually.
“Manual operations slow us down, and the planting window is very short,” he explained.“With these machines, we can work faster, more efficiently and more reliably.
”Mulenga added that the irrigation system now makes it possible to plant multiple crops in a season, unlike before when researchers depended solely on rainfall an improvement he said would benefit breeders, smallholder farmers and the wider public across Africa.
Also speaking, Mr. Richard Ofei, IITA Project Management Officer for Root, Tuber and Banana, said the new facilities would significantly reduce human labour requirements and ultimately improve profitability.
The new systems mark a major milestone in IITA’s ongoing efforts to develop climate-resilient, high-yielding crop varieties and strengthen food security across the region.