By Newsfromafrica
The President of the United Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency, Dr Mrisho Jakaya Kikwete, will, on 13 May, inaugurate the IITA Science Building in Dar es Salaam at IITA, Mikocheni, Dar es Salaam
President Kikwete will be the Guest of Honor. Other dignitaries at the event include the President of Zanzibar, His Excellency, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein; and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and IITA Goodwill Ambassador. The event will also be graced by members of the diplomatic and donor community, the public and private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the farming community.
The inauguration will be followed by a workshop with the theme "Grow Africa and the role of agricultural research by national systems, IITA, and its partners."
The ultra-modern and environmentally friendly Science Building has five modern laboratories that would deal with agricultural challenges such as plant pests and diseases, poor soil fertility, and crop value addition. With a capacity of 70 researchers, the building will be open to researchers from national partners and students from higher learning institutions in the region.
Its construction is part of IITA’s efforts to boost agriculture through capacity development and improve the livelihoods of small-holder farmers in eastern Africa through its research-for-development approach.
Africa has complex problems that plague agriculture and people's lives. We develop agricultural solutions with our partners to tackle hunger and poverty. Our award-winning research for development (R4D) is based on focused, authoritative thinking anchored on the development needs of sub-Saharan Africa. We work with partners in Africa and beyond to reduce producer and consumer risks, enhance crop quality and productivity, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is an international non-profit R4D organization established in 1967, governed by a Board of Trustees, and supported primarily by CGIAR.
CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.
