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  • FG to empower 150 million affected by insecurity through agriculture

    FG to empower 150 million affected by insecurity through agriculture

    The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has stated that no fewer than 150 million Nigerians have been affected by insecurity across the country.

    Ribadu said this after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) on Friday in Abuja.

    The NSA stated that despite Nigerians being predominantly farmers, insecurity has severely disrupted their livelihood, leaving many struggling with hunger. He emphasized the need for a whole-of-society approach to address the root causes of insecurity in the country.

    He said: “Security is the biggest challenge we are facing across all sectors, but agriculture is the most vulnerable to insecurity. As a nation of predominantly farmers, insecurity directly impacts our livelihoods. 

    “Whether you are a farmer or from a farming family, we have all been affected in one way or another. Insecurity has turned our lives upside down. By coming together, we can better address this issue. We must unite to restore security and normalcy to our people’s lives.

    “Our people desperately need relief. I don’t think there is any country in the world today facing the same magnitude of challenges we are. Given our large population, the number of people affected by insecurity in Nigeria could exceed 120 to 150 million.”

    Ribadu stated that the perpetrators of insecurity aim to destroy the country, but that the government would never allow them to succeed. 

    “The malicious elements are becoming more aggressive, having already destabilized democracies in neighboring countries,” he said.

    “Sudan is in turmoil, and similar challenges are evident in Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali. However, thanks to our security forces, we remain resilient in the Sahel region. We are facing difficulties, but we are managing to survive.’”

    The NSA said the signing of the MOU between NCTC and IITA marked a pivotal moment in the nation’s journey towards sustainable peace and security.

    “For too long, our approach to countering terrorism has relied predominantly on kinetic responses. While essential, we’ve come to realize that lasting peace requires more than force alone. Addressing the root causes of violent extremism – such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and social disenfranchisement – is equally crucial. This understanding underpins our whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach,” he said.

    According to him, the collaboration with IITA on the Agribusiness and Livelihood Empowerment Project for Disarmament, Demobilisation, Deradicalisation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration of terrorists, communities affected by violent extremism was a testament to this evolving strategy.

    He said the partnership is commitment to non-kinetic approaches that empower individuals, restore livelihoods, and promote social cohesion. 

    According to the NSA, Nigeria has made significant strides in Demobilization, Deradicalization, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration programmes, most notably through Operation SAFE CORRIDOR in Mallam Sidi, Gombe State. 

    “We are also witnessing a growing willingness among terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers in the North West regions to surrender,” he said.

    National Coordinator of NCTC, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, stressed the need to address the root causes of violent extremism such as poverty, marginalization, and lack of opportunity through inclusive, whole-of-government and whole-of-society solutions.

    He said Federal Government’s Disarmament, Deradicalization and Reintegration (DDR) programme, in Gombe State, has already yielded significant gains, with many low-risk former combatants successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated. 

    “It is in this context that we consider agriculture as a critical tool for driving economic empowerment, restoring livelihoods, and promoting social cohesion in conflict-affected communities,” he said. 

    Laka said the signing of the MOU marks a key milestone in the shared efforts to build resilience and reduce the drivers of violent extremism through livelihood empowerment. 

    He added thy the document will serve as a strategic framework to guide the implementation of the Agribusiness and Livelihood Project, which targets ex-combatants, conflict-affected communities, and widows of fallen soldiers. 

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    “Through this project, beneficiaries will gain access to land, inputs, training, mentorship, and market linkages supported by collaboration with state and local governments, civil society, and the private sector,” he said.

    The Deputy Director General of IITA, Dr. Denshell Kenton, stated that the implementation principles are not new, noting that they have been tested and proven effective.

    “These are not quick fixes.The focus is on long-term, sustainable, positive changes that lead to communities becoming much better places to live.

    “Because each person and family, one, have enough good quality food, and two, respectable incomes and living conditions that leads to the overall community being stable and prosperous. And when we have many communities, or all communities, in an area that are improved, then we have success.

    “I pledge to you that IITA is ready, willing, and able to be your partner in Zamfara, Gombe states, and any other states that decide to join this dynamic partnership that we’re having with NCTC.’

    “We don’t claim to have all the answers, but I promise you we will work day and night with commitment and motivation in partnership with you to make communities where we are working together safe, stable, and productive communities,”.

  • Govt, IITA, World Bank to partner on innovative agric practices

    Govt, IITA, World Bank to partner on innovative agric practices

    The Federal Government, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and World Bank have agreed to collaborate on innovative agricultural practices to combat food insecurity in Nigeria and the wider sub-Saharan African region.

    This came out of a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the IITA, World Bank, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

    Speaking during the meeting, VP Shettima stated that the entire mantra is focused on increasing yield, and the IITA is in a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa in repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings.

    “The IITA is at a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa towards repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings,” he said.

    According to a statement issued yesterday by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima emphasised the critical role of the IITA, which was founded in 1967, in shaping Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.            

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    “More than ever before, we need the IITA now. By 2050, we will be the third most populous nation on earth,” Shettima stated.

    The Vice President also noted the interconnectedness between the economy and ecology, exacerbated by desertification, climate change, and insecurity challenges in the Sahel region.

    “In the food basket of the nation, there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology because of desertification and climate change. The productivity of our agriculture is poor, and is compounded by insecurity, which might not be unconnected with the challenges in the Sahel,” he explained.

    Calling for close collaboration with the IITA, VP Shettima pointed out the importance of investing in agriculture as a business.

    He specifically requested the institute’s assistance in providing high-quality seeds for maize and root crops, particularly cassava. The Vice President lauded the widespread adoption of IITA’s improved cassava seedlings in the Southwest region, urging the institute to extend similar initiatives to other sub-Saharan African nations.

    Earlier, the Director General of the IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, thanked the Vice President for his leadership and commitment to the development of agriculture in Nigeria and support to the Institute.

    He said the delegation from the Institute was in Abuja for a strategic meeting that aims to review IITA’s partnerships, collaborations and stakeholder engagements, all to support the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing food security in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region.

    On his part, the Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Dr Dashiell Kenton, said the institute is supporting a few initiatives of the Federal Government aimed at creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians in the sector.

    According to him, the ‘Youth in Agribusiness’ initiative of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is commendable and should be scaled up to empower more young Nigerians, assuring that the institute, through the initiative, will empower more smallholder farmers with knowledge on improved agricultural practices.

    In the same vein, the World Bank Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Global Practice, Mr. Abel Lufafa, said the IITA, World Bank and other partners were delighted with the level of interest and quantum of support deployed by the Tinubu administration in revamping agricultural productivity in the country.

    He said the President and Vice President are demonstrating uncommon leadership in repositioning agricultural production in Nigeria, just as he noted that the World Bank and other partners are impressed with the paradigm shift especially the change to a government-led collaboration in the sector.

    Similarly, a senior researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Channing Arndt, said the organization’s partnership with the IITA cuts across diverse areas of agricultural value, noting however that the primary objective is to support ongoing efforts to improve agricultural practices and rapidly boost food production.

    The delegation led by the IITA Board Chair, Prof. Roel Merckx, also had in attendance board members, Ms. Rhoda Tumusiime; Dr. Namanga Ngongi; Dr. Ylva Hillbur, and Deputy Director General, Research for Development, IITA, Dr Bernard Vanlauwe, among others.

  • IITA supporting research to improve soil fertility

    IITA supporting research to improve soil fertility

    With the price of fertiliser skyrocketing across Nigeria and the rest of Africa, and agricultural production being impacted by adverse weather, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is supporting research to enable farmers to use a tree, Gliricidia sepium, to enrich soil fertility. IITA and World Agroforestry Centre believe poor soil fertility is one of the main obstacles to improving food production in Africa.

    To this end, both organisations have supported Fertiliser Tree Systems (FTS) which promote planting trees that improve soil quality and n help boost crop yields for farmers.

    Researchers in the Southern part of Africa   have been experimenting with intercropping Gliricidia Sepium trees and maize to see if they can improve their farm management and overall productivity.

    Consequently, IITA–CGIAR Food and Nutrition Scientist Oladeji Alamu, lent his voice to the international push to synthesise the knowledge gaps in G. Sepium utilisation for food crop production regarding improving the nutritional composition of different crops. Alamu is a Nigerian Scientist  (Food Science and Technology) working with the IITA, Zambia.

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    A publication entitled: “Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp Applications for Enhancing Soil Fertility and Crop Nutritional Qualities: A Review”, published in collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), established that in different farming systems, the trees and leaves of G. sepium could be used to improve soil fertility indicators such as total soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, available phosphorus, pH, cation exchange capacity, and soil organic matter when it is either intercropped, used as mulch, or biochar—a charcoal-like substance made by burning organic material from agricultural and forestry wastes under a controlled process pyrolysis.This publication further revealed that the use of G. sepium would be of economic benefit by improving the productivity and profitability of low-income farmers in Africa.Following the research, Alamu stated, “The integration of G. sepium would reduce the use of mineral fertiliser, resulting in a greener and sustainable environment. He added that applying aged biochar could be a promising tool for agricultural productivity while mitigating climate change.”

    The use of Gliricidia sepium has been found to improve soil fertility and crop agronomic and nutritional properties.

    Though gliricidia trees are a cheaper method to fertiliser crops than chemical fertiliser,  research has  indicated that fields grown with gliricidia yield slightly smaller harvests than those grown with chemical fertiliser.  

  • IITA and WFP collaborate to achieve hunger-free world

    THE International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA)  in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, and the World Food Programme (WFP)  are  partnering  to provide food and nutrition assistance to alleviate the nation’s humanitarian crisis.

    IITA Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, disclosed this when a delegation from WFP  visited IITA to strengthen existing collaboration and synergise ways to improve and sustain the livelihoods of people in the priority states benefiting from the Nigeria Zero Hunger Forum (NZHF). The NZHF is chaired by  former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    The three-member team, led by WFP Country Director, Myrta Kaulard, accompanied by Safety Nets and Livelihoods Officer, Akeem Ajibola and Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping Officer, Tunji Sonoiki, was received by  Dashiell and Director, Development and Delivery Office, Alfred Dixon.

    Dashiell expressed his delight on how the partnership would support and elevate the standard of living of people in the targeted states: Benue, Borno, Ebonyi, Kebbi, Ogun, and Sokoto. He said: “The partnership between IITA and WFP is essential to improve food security through the promotion of sustainable agriculture. It also brings us closer to a zero-hunger world, rapid economic growth, and increased agricultural productivity.”

    Dashiell further prais   ed WFP work in Nigeria and the collaboration between the two institutions. “As the NZHF pledges to end hidden hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and sustainable agriculture, I am optimistic that the mutual partnership between IITA and WFP would contribute to a greater attainment of our mission, which is to help the most vulnerable people to get out of poverty and malnutrition and move into prosperity and good health,” he said.

    Stating the purpose of their visit, Kaulard applauded IITA for its innovative research and delivery that have lifted millions of farmers out of poverty and emphasised the need to put in more effort as a team to achieve a common goal. “Specifically, we came to discuss and draw a road map on how WFP could support IITA in its fight for zero hunger in Nigeria and beyond. This is also vital as the WFP in Nigeria is faced with the incredible challenge of reducing food importation and ensuring special access to nutrition, especially for children and pregnant women,” she said.

    The goals of the NZHF not only include the elimination of hunger among Nigerians, but improvement in their standard of living through an implementable agenda and network of agricultural programmes and activities. “Working substantially together with an institution like IITA to succeed in our target of ending hunger and poverty across the entire country is fundamental and key to ensuring a better livelihood and creating an enabling environment for all,” Kaulard said.

    The team’s visit and collaboration with IITA would further consolidate the gains achieved by the NZHF in Nigeria since it started in 2017.

  • UF, IITA sign pact for joint agric research

    UF, IITA sign pact for joint agric research

    The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and   University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS),  have signed an agreement to work together to fight hunger, poverty, and pollution in Africa. The agreement was signed in Des Moines, Iowa, United States (U.S).

    IITA’s Director-General, Nteranya Sanginga, signed the agreement on behalf of IITA. He did so after participating in a panel discussion organised by UF/IFAS on the Fall Armyworm’s threat to African food security.

    “IITA and UF/IFAS share a common approach to science. We see discovery as a source of solutions, a catalyst for action, and the foundation for international cooperation,” Sanginga said, adding that combining our expertise will accelerate inquiry and is expected to hasten the identification of solutions to address the fall armyworm problem.

    IITA is marking its 50th year as an agricultural research institute working with international partners to improve livelihoods and nutrition, and preserve natural resources. UF/IFAS celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014.

    Sanginga is a founding member of the Fall Armyworm Science Advisory Board that UF/IFAS convened in Iowa. The Board seeks to combat the rapid spread of an insect that threatens maize crops on which 200 million Africans depend for food security.

    “UF/IFAS needs African expertise if it hopes to make a great impact on African challenges. Dr  Sanginga and IITA are world renowned not only for their expertise, but for their willingness to share that expertise with other organisations,” Payne said.

    The five-year pact between IITA and UF/IFAS is a broad framework for cooperation. It lays the foundation for the identification and implementation of specific and joint scientific projects.

    “Africa has two great sources of appeal from a scientist’s point of view,” said Jack Payne, leader of UF/IFAS. “For one, it offers a great opportunity to put science to work improving lives. In addition, it is home to a corps of talented scientists such as those at IITA who are invaluable partners in that science,”he added.

  • IITA chief wants coordinated research in agric

    The Deputy Director, Partnership and Delivery, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA), Dr Kenton Dashiel has urged the Federal Government to coordinate  the research institutes in the agricultural sector to enable them work to reduce hunger and food shortage.

    Speaking on the sidelines of Akindelano Legal Practitioners seminar on Transforming Nigeria’s agriculture and agro-allied industry in Lagos, Dashiel noted that the  research system in India was working because the government organised an integrated research system where each of the institute was managed in a manner that they work to boost increase in yields and livelihoods improvement of resource-poor farmers.

    He said internal reorganisation of the system managed by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria(ARCN)  would   put the  institutes in a better position to address the challenges confronting the country  more than ever before.

    He warned of negative consequences if Nigeria continued to pay lip service to agriculture, and failed to invest in the sector.

    He added that failure to invest in agriculture would deprive the nation of jobs and further fuel the spiralling unemployment among the youth.

    He reiterated IITA’s commitment to supporting smallholder farmers in the context of agribusiness such that agriculture transcends food for the fork to money in the pocket.

    According to him, IITA will continue to respond to the needs of farmers by developing innovations that will provide answers to  food insecurity.

    To this end, IITA will demonstrate its scientific leadership not only in terms of qualitative research in the lab, but also impact in farmers’ fields.

  • IITA, others join forces to fight viral diseases in crops

    IITA, others join forces to fight viral diseases in crops

    Farmers and scientists are worried over the growing threat of pets and diseases to food security.

    Globally, biological threats caused by pests and diseases in plants account for about 40 per cent loss in global production.

    Experts say the problem may get worse.

    A World Bank consultant , Prof Abel Ogunwale, said  pests and  diseases challenge crop producers, and called for recommendations on how farmers could manage obstacles to crops as the planting season begins.

    This, he said, was because climate change is going to aggravate the impact of plant pests and diseases on  food production across the nation, and the steps must be taken  to control and improve  monitoring and evaluation  of  infestations to prevent crop damage.

    According to him, the government should work with farmers to strengthen the  monitoring and recording of pests to alert authorities to take early action. He explained that farmers know how to handle the threats by pests and diseases.

    Meanwhile, a  natural product called Aflasafe, which can reduce contamination from aflatoxin, a silent killer, would soon be available in at least 11 countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

    More than 4.5 billion people in  developing countries are exposed to aflatoxins, carcinogenic poisons produced by a fungus that contaminates crops.

    Aflasafe was developed by International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDAARS), and national partners.

    So far, the product reportedly  has achieved about 98 per cent efficacy in reducing grain contamination on the fields and stores of farmers where aflasafe products are registered or in the process of becoming nationally registered.

    Following the success of aflasafe—the first indigenous bio-control innovation for the prevention of aflatoxin contamination on the fields and store houses of maize and groundnut farmers in Africa, IITA is set to enable commercialisation of the technology, to ensure that farmers in need of the product have access to it.

    The new aflasafe technology transfer and commercialisation project (TTC), funded by a $20 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID, was launched last December to be implemented in countries, such as Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

    “To get aflasafe to the masses, we need many companies, millions of small-scale farmers, and distributors, who know what aflasafe can do to apply it. IITA is excited because the institute is on the edge of reaching this goal,” IITA Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, said.

    Corroborating the need to work with private businesses in getting the technology out, IITA Plant Pathologist and leader of the Africa-wide aflasafe initiative, Ranajit Bandyopadhyay,  who has worked on the product for more than a decade, noted: “This product is indigenous. Developing the technology was not difficult, taking it out to the end users is the challenge; therefore, partnership is very crucial.”

    ATTC Managing Director Abdou Konlambigue said the project was designed to identify strategic options for partnerships with private companies, and government entities, execute those partnerships, and help ensure that aflasafe reaches millions of farmers throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

  • Africa to spend $110b on food imports by 2025, says IITA DG

    Africa to spend $110b on food imports by 2025, says IITA DG

    Africa will spend  $110 billion in  food imports by 2025 because of the neglect of agriculture, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Director-General Dr Nteranya Sanginga has said.

    Addressing members of the Board of Trustees of IITA and researchers during the Partnership for Development Week (P4D Week) in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, he said failure to invest in agriculture would compound unemployment among youths.

    Sanginga said though some African countries have realised that agriculture is important but were not investing enough in it.

    “Take for instance the commitment to invest at least 10 percent of national budgets in agriculture. Not many countries are meeting this goal,”  Sanginga said.

    He praised the African Development Bank (AfDB) for coming up with Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) to transform agriculture on the continent.

    TAAT  is the  initiative of  AfDB and the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) under the Feed Africa Initiative to drive agriculture development on the continent.

    Through  TAAT,  the bank aims to invest more than $800 million to the agricultural sector. The funds would be channelled into upscaling of proven innovations that will improve the fortunes of farmers and address the twin problem of food insecurity and unemployment.

    Sanginga also reiterated IITA’s commitment to supporting African smallholder farmers in the context of agribusiness such that agriculture transcends food for the fork to money in the pocket.

    According to him, IITA would continue to respond to the needs of Africa by developing innovations that will provide answers to Africa’s food insecurity. To this end, IITA will be demonstrating its scientific leadership not only in terms of qualitative research in the lab, but also impact in farmers’ fields.

    Sanginga, who began his second tenure earlier this year, said IITA’s priority for the future would focus on research, capacity development, partnerships, impact at scale, and most importantly delivery.

  • IITA needs $1b to reposition agric

    IITA needs $1b to reposition agric

    The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is scouting for about $200 million yearly over the next five years to deliver targeted impacts on African agriculture, its Director-General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, has said.

    IITA is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions to hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.

    Sanginga, who listed the institute’s priorities for his second term in his recent report to the  IITA Board of Trustees, said the funding was necessary to finance projects.

    He said “This funding strategy recognises both the urgency of immediate action and the importance of longer term investment for lasting solutions. It both maintains a critical mass and diversity of scientists in Africa and improves the laboratory facilities to cutting-edge levels and increases the efficiency of our operations.

    “IITA’s major tasks are to launch an aggressive resource mobilisation effort and restructure the organisation to have impact in this new and changing environment, especially in Africa. Applying country and donor priorities therefore provides the most viable basis on which to make decisions… engaging the private sector and young entrepreneurs, demonstrated capacity development, and transparent technical and financial reporting—all reflective of IITA’s four strategic pillars of impact, quality of research, partnerships and internal organisation.”

    According to the report, in the next five years, IITA’s operations need to be “reorganised to manage and operate efficiently for delivery and impact”.

    This will be achieved by addressing operational inefficiencies for better delivery, both in support services and R4D, and positioning IITA’s support system to manage new mega projects. Already management has rolled out a new organisational structure to show some of the changes.

    “One of the major objectives in the reorganisation of IITA is to strengthen the Corporate Services and finance functions to be able to improve operational efficiencies in support of improved delivery of IITA’s technologies and build a support system to manage mega projects and transform IITA into the capital of Research for Development in Africa.

    “In the process, IITA will evaluate and strengthen human resource capabilities across the organisation and build capacity across the upper levels of IITA management, create an environment where scientists work with minimum disruption, and facilitate autonomous hubs where decision making rests with the hub director,” Sanginga said.

    He also noted that IITA ought to increase its funding support yearly over the next five years to deliver targeted impacts on African agriculture.

    In addition to aligning the Institute’s R4D programmes to Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research(CGIAR ) Research Programs (CRPs ), other identified priorities, include fast tracking research investment and delivery of successful products, such as Aflasafe, NoduMax, and GoSEED as well as revitalising research priorities, and developing country specific strategies for implementing projects.

    Sanginga expressed optimism that the goals would be achieved within the stipulated time.

    “The second stage of our journey has just begun. I have no doubt that this next journey would be a better one. I am optimistic that everything will only get better. I am looking forward to journeying through the next five years with my ship and crew,” he added.

  • IITA chief seeks local research in agricultural development

    IITA chief seeks local research in agricultural development

    Through e its Research Development Director, Dr. Robert Asiedu,  the Institute of International Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, has urged the Federal Government to seek local research solutions in enhancing agricultural development.

    Asiedu stated this yesterday in a keynote address at first international conference of the faculty of science of the institution which has  “Applied sciences: Tools for national development” as its theme.

    According to him, many researches conducted outside the country are not applicable to our situation, a reason the research works have not yielded positive impact.

    He said: “We have brilliant scientists that trained locally and internationally who are citizens of Nigeria with indigenous experience but are not supported to contribute to research development.

    “Government has a lot of answers to current problems we are facing in the country like providing technology that can address present agricultural challenges.

    “Agriculture is the  largest sector of the economy but the problem is that most agricultural practitioners are subsistent farmers. And as a result, they can’t employ and produce much food.”

    He added that in order to achieve agricultural development, there must be modern tools, provision infrastructural facilities, financial resources, protecting environment, people, commodities and involvement of private sector.

    Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chancellor and Chairman Board of Trustees of Lead City University, Prof. Gabriel Ogunmola said the theme of the conference is important because despite the array of local scholars, there had not been much development occasioned by lack of applying the research works to address identified problems.