(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Group-photo-of-Resource-persons-invited-guests-and-participant-at-the-IAR4D-Workshop-in-Ibadan--300x224.jpg) Dateline: Kankanfo-Inn Conference Centre, Ibadan – Executive Directors of the Agricultural Research Institutes and Provosts of Colleges of Agriculture in the country have been called upon to embrace a more comprehensive research management approach to enable them achieve the necessary organizational change for enhanced client-orientation.
Making the call in a welcome address delivered at the opening session of a five day training workshop on Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D), at the Kankanfo-Inn Conference Centre in Ibadan on Monday, the WAAPP National Project Coordinator, Prof. Damian Okey Chikwendu called on the Executive Directors, provosts and all other participants alike to urgently develop their IAR4D implementation strategies to enable them meet up with global paradigm shift in Agricultural Research for development.
Prof. Chikwendu described the Integrated Agricultural Research for Development as participatory and capable of promoting natural research management and market relationship and thus in conformity with the global paradigm shift in Agricultural Research for Development.
He thus charged them as well as other key stakeholders at the workshop to take a more holistic approach to enable them address the interactions between natural resources management, Production systems, agricultural markets and policies. Such approach he said should also enable them conduct research for development that squarely addresses the complexity and heterogeneity of farming systems. It should as well ensure institutional changes that can forge new partnership as well as involve all stakeholders in addressing the problem of food production, agro-industrial raw materials and the maintenance of the resource base of agriculture for the future generation, he added.
Prof. Chikwendu announced that the purpose of the workshop is to commence a process of skill enhancement and institutionalizing IAR4D-innovation system from principles to practice, using innovation platforms (IPs) in value chains. The Agricultural Research Institutes and colleges of Agriculture, he concluded have "Adopted Villages" and they are expect to utilize the training received, in these communities. The National project Coordinator's address was read on his behalf by the WAAPP Operation Officer, Mr. James Apochi.
Delivering a goodwill message at the workshop, the Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) Prof. Malachi Akoroda described Integrated Agricultural Research for Development (IAR4D) as very key and suitable for African development. Agricultural problems he noted cannot be solved from one perspective alone. Rather, we have to move beyond value chain concept to a more holistic approach that will enable the agricultural sector work mutually with the government, marketers, transporters, processors, researchers etc. without much encumbrances.
The five day Training workshop is the second in the series of workshops being organised by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) on the Integrated Agricultural research for Development (IAR4D). It will also focus discussion on other major topics including Stakeholder mapping for selected commodity chains, Value Chain mapping for selected commodities, Gender and Diversity in Agricultural Productivity and Government and Leadership in Agricultural Productivities.
The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) is a sub-regional agricultural programme of ECOWAS, funded by the World Bank. It has the objective of increasing agricultural productivity with a central focus of creating an enabling condition for sub-regional cooperation in technology generation, dissemination and adoption. It is currently being operated by 13 out of the 15 ECOWAS countries. In Nigeria, its activities are tailored towards complementing the National Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the Federal Government.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria