IITA unfolds plans to rebuild Borno

The Institute of International Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has unfolded plans to rebuild Borno State and the insurgency ravaged Northeast sub-region with “Seeds of Renaissance’ to become resilient in the face of insurgency and terrorism through agriculture.

The intervention and partnership with Federal Government, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations and Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) was to provide emergency food relief with support of various humanitarian organisations.

This was disclosed during the week by the Deputy Director-General of the institute, Dr. Kenton Dasheill in an interactive session with journalists in Maiduguri.

He said the institute would contribute to revitalise agriculture in the state by donating 35, 950 kilomgrammes of “Seeds of Renaissance” for six crops of cow pea, soybeans, maize, rice, sorghum, cassava, which the insurgency affected, but the region has comparative advantages in their production, processing and distribution.

The DG said the seeds are intended for planting by farmers in the state in the upcoming cropping season.

He said the plans for Borno and the Northeast, was an urgent humanitarian gesture by the institute to show that IITA is concerned about the plights of 2.6m displaced persons.

“The displaced persons in Borno and the region are very food insecure, malnourished and need assistance to get back to normal life in their liberated communities,” said Dashiell.