IITA strengthens strategic partnership with Tanzania to accelerate agricultural agenda

3 June 2026

IITA -CGIAR has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and national research institutions following a high-level mission to Dodoma to advance agricultural transformation in the country.

The delegation, led by IITA Deputy Director General for Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling, Dr Tahirou Abdoulaye, held strategic meetings with senior officials from the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) and the Ministry of Agriculture in May. The visit focused on consolidating longstanding partnerships, reviewing ongoing collaborations, and identifying priority areas for future cooperation.

During the meeting at TARI Headquarters, discussions centered on strengthening joint research and scaling innovations to address emerging agricultural challenges in Tanzania.

Dr Deusdedith Mbazibwa, Director of Research and Innovation at TARI, acknowledged IITA's longstanding contributions to Tanzania's agricultural sector, particularly in collaborative research and capacity development. He emphasized the importance of sustained technical support and knowledge exchange to enhance national research systems.

Dr Abdoulaye reaffirming IITA's commitment to expanding partnerships with Tanzania during discussions, highlighted opportunities for deeper collaboration in areas such as:

• Strengthening seed systems, particularly for vegetatively propagated crops and legumes such as soybean and cowpea
• Expanding research on nutrition and food safety
• Participation in international variety trials for key crops
• Development of digital agricultural tools to improve advisory services and disease detection
• Capacity building in modern breeding techniques to accelerate varietal development

At the Tanzania Ministry of Agriculture, the IITA delegation met with key directorates to discuss the country's strategic priorities for agricultural development.

Dr Yasinta Nzogela, Director for Crop Development, outlined ongoing institutional reforms, including plans to establish an Agricultural Extension Agency to enhance the delivery of technologies and advisory services to farmers. She noted the government's ambitions to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oil and wheat production by 2032, while promoting key crops such as apples and Irish potatoes and strengthening national seed systems.

She enjoined IITA-CGIAR to support these goals through research collaboration, improved seed access, and sustainable seed system development.

…Government commends IITA's impact

As part of the mission, the IITA-CGIAR team paid a courtesy visit to the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon. David Ernest Silinde. The IITA delegation expressed appreciation for Tanzania's continued support since the institute established its presence in the country over three decades ago.

"Over the past 32 years, IITA-CGIAR has remained committed to improving smallholder livelihoods, strengthening food security, and contributing to Tanzania's economic development," Dr Abdoulaye said.

Hon. Silinde commended IITA's contributions, highlighting key achievements from the partnership, including:

• Development of improved varieties of cassava, banana, soybean, and cowpea
• Advancements in crop protection and agronomic practices
• Capacity building that has supported more than 60 PhD and 80 MSc graduates, over 1,000 youth, and approximately 100,000 smallholder farmers

He reaffirmed the government's continued support for IITA-CGIAR's research and development initiatives.

The visit concluded with a shared commitment between IITA-CGIAR, TARI, and the Ministry of Agriculture to deepen collaboration in support of Tanzania's agricultural transformation agenda.

Priority areas identified include strengthening seed systems, advancing digital agriculture, improving nutrition and food safety, and accelerating innovation through modern breeding technologies.

The engagements in Dodoma brought to the fore the critical role of partnerships in driving sustainable agricultural development and improving livelihoods, positioning Tanzania to make significant progress toward national food and nutrition security goals.

Contributed by 'Timilehin Osunde