ABUAD Strengthens Partnership with IITA, Explores New Frontiers including Agricultural Innovation

In a significant move to bolster agricultural research, innovation, and youth empowerment, a high-level delegation from Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), led by Vice-Chancellor Professor E. Smaranda Olarinde, paid a strategic visit to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan on Friday, February 21, 2025. The visit underscored ABUAD’s commitment to strengthening collaborations, securing international funding, and advancing cutting-edge agribusiness initiatives.

The delegation was warmly received by IITA’s Deputy Director General for Partnerships, Dr. Kenton Dashiell, who lauded ABUAD’s exceptional contributions to agricultural development. He specifically commended the university’s instrumental role in the successful implementation of the Youth Empowerment on Agribusiness & Sustainable Agriculture (YEASA) program (2019-2020), a project that has empowered thousands of young agripreneurs.

“ABUAD’s world-class infrastructure, including its Multi-System Hospital (AMSH), Independent Power Plant (IPP), vast agricultural land, and newly constructed dam, positions the institution as a prime candidate for attracting major international funding,” Dr. Dashiell noted.

Upon visit to IITA’s cutting-edge research laboratories, mechanized farming units, and youth agripreneurship programs, the ABUAD team gained firsthand insights into groundbreaking agricultural technologies and best practices.

Inspired by these innovations, Professor Olarinde reaffirmed the university’s commitment to deepening collaborations with IITA, citing ABUAD’s impressive track record of securing multilateral partnerships with institutions such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Africa Rice, and Université d’Abomey-Calavi in Benin Republic.

Presenting a seven-point agenda, Professor Olarinde outlined ABUAD’s strategic priorities, including the expansion of the YEASA program into a second phase, securing clarity on the status of IFAD/YEASA Phase II funding, developing joint research grants with IITA, enhancing student internships, fostering postgraduate research collaborations, implementing the ABUAD Agricultural Exposition (ABAEX) in partnership with IITA, and leveraging available resources for youth-focused agricultural programs.

In response, Dr. Dashiell reiterated IITA’s unwavering support for ABUAD’s agricultural initiatives, pledging to assist in research collaborations, grant proposal development, and student placements. He further advised ABUAD to proactively engage with international funding organizations and collaborate with the Ekiti State Government to establish a Special Agricultural Processing Zone, which would enhance funding prospects and drive large-scale agricultural transformation.

“The second phase of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funding is not guaranteed. In fact, they did not promise a second Phase and I haven’t sent any email to IFAD because the project has ended” Dr. Dashiell hinted; adding that with more proactiveness and persistence, the university can secure greater grants for research and sustainable development.

Accompanying the Vice-Chancellor were some members of ABUAD’s leadership team, including the Provost of Postgraduate Studies, Prof. Abiodun Ojo; the Provost of the College of Sciences, Prof. Pius Okiki; the Director of International Collaboration and Linkages, Prof. Adeniran Afolalu; the Deputy Bursar, Dr. Asubiojo A. Olusesan; the Executive Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor and Assistant Registrar, Mr. Stanley Ojugbo; and the Information Officer from the Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Joseph Emeribe.

With ABUAD and IITA poised for deeper collaboration, this landmark engagement sets the stage for groundbreaking advancements in agricultural innovation, skill acquisition, and economic empowerment, ensuring a brighter future for agribusiness in Nigeria and beyond.

FROM THE VC’S DESK