By Abdullahi Lukman
The Australian government has announced a $76.4 million investment over the next six years to support climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture in Africa.
This funding, part of Australia’s Regional Development Program, was unveiled in October 2024 and aims to enhance food security across the continent.
The announcement follows the establishment of the African-Australian partnership for climate-responsive agriculture with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan.
As part of this initiative, delegates from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), including Calum Walker, Second Secretary of the Australian High Commission, and Tristan O’Brien from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, visited the IITA on 21 January 2025.
The visit aimed to explore ongoing research, scaling efforts, and partnerships to inform the development of a framework for climate-smart food systems in North and West Africa.
O’Brien emphasized that the next phase of Australian Africa investment will extend ACIAR’s decade long experience in East and Southern Africa to North and West Africa, particularly focusing on Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and Ghana.
The delegates were eager to learn how IITA collaborates with national partners and agricultural institutions to implement impactful agricultural solutions for African farmers.
Kenton Dashiell, IITA’s Deputy Director General for Partnerships and Delivery, highlighted the critical role of Australia’s contributions to IITA’s efforts in tackling agricultural challenges across Africa.
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He stressed the need for deeper research, intellectual, and scaling partnerships to maximize impact.
IITA also proposed providing technical assistance to support youth initiatives and agribusiness development, notably through the Youth in Agribusiness (IYA) program.
This initiative empowers young Africans by equipping them with technologies developed by IITA and other CGIAR centers, fostering youth involvement in transforming Africa’s agricultural sector.
The delegation also learned about IITA’s Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, which has already introduced over 150 technologies across 10 key commodities.
This cross-country initiative focuses on delivering scalable solutions to farmers, supported by policy reforms, capacity building, and youth engagement.
TAAT has created jobs, improved livelihoods, and promoted environmental sustainability.
The delegates toured IITA’s state-of-the-art facilities, including the Semi-Autotrophic Hydroponics (SAH) unit, which revolutionizes cassava seed production, and the Germplasm Health Unit, which ensures the delivery of clean, healthy seeds to farmers.
They also visited the Cassava Processing Unit, where value-added products are helping improve income generation and food security.
The visit underscored the strong potential for further collaboration between IITA and Australia in advancing climate-smart agriculture, with ACIAR poised to leverage IITA’s expertise to drive sustainable food security solutions across Africa.
