Edo State Government and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State have agreed to join forces to bring about transformational change in cassava, as the state embarks on reforms to diversify its economy.
Governor Godwin Obaseki, revealed his administration’s plan to work with THE institute after his speech at the international conference on Water-Energy-Food Systems (WEFS) in Sub-Saharan Africa, organised by the Pennsylvania State University in collaboration with IITA and the University of Ibadan, in IITA-Ibadan.
In a meeting with IITA Director General, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga, Obaseki said his administration’s vision was to establish a cassava production zone of at least 50,000 hectares where cassava will be produced and processed with the active participation of smallholder farmers and the private sector.