IAR conducts over 140 research projects, releases 6 new crop varieties

The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) has conducted over 140 ongoing research activities and introduced 19 new projects for the current farming season, bringing the total number of projects to 159. The Director of the institute, Prof. Ado Yusuf, disclosed this during the 2026 Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting and Zonal REFILS Workshop held […]

The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) has conducted over 140 ongoing research activities and introduced 19 new projects for the current farming season, bringing the total number of projects to 159.

The Director of the institute, Prof. Ado Yusuf, disclosed this during the 2026 Annual Research Review and Planning Meeting and Zonal REFILS Workshop held at IAR, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Samaru, Zaria.

Represented by the Deputy Director of the institute, Prof. Nafi’u Abdu, Yusuf noted that the world is grappling with climate change, erratic rainfall patterns and early cessation of rainfall, hence the need for research aimed at addressing these challenges.

He said the research activities carried out during the year under review focused on the institute’s mandate crops with a view to developing climate-resilient and drought-tolerant varieties.

According to him, the initiative will improve farmers’ earnings and enhance national food security.

He said IAR remains the only research institute in the country that has consistently released crop varieties for Nigerian farmers over the last 10 decades.

“This year alone, we released six crop varieties comprising four cowpea varieties namely SAMPEA 22, SAMPEA 23, SAMPEA 24 and SAMPEA 25, as well as one maize variety, SAMMAZ 78, and one groundnut variety, SAMNUT 30.

“This is in addition to one sorghum variety, four cotton varieties and nine maize varieties released in collaboration with international and indigenous seed companies,” he said.

The director, while acknowledging the Rivers State Government for allowing the institute to establish a research outstation for the benefit of its people, urged other state governments, especially those in the North, to emulate the gesture and recognise the relevance of IAR’s research outputs and indigenous technologies.

He said the institute remains committed to developing and promoting what Nigerians eat while encouraging citizens to consume locally produced food.

“No nation can develop meaningfully if it neglects the agricultural sector which sustains the entire population. That is why at IAR, we put farmers first in developing our technologies, especially smallholder farmers,” he said.

Yusuf also called on the government to provide the institute with adequate support and funding for research activities, while urging the private sector to partner with IAR for the effective implementation of its programmes.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, tasked participants at the workshop to identify ways of attaining not only food security but also food sufficiency through research products that directly impact society.

Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Bello Sabo, the vice chancellor said tackling hunger and malnutrition requires deliberate investment in problem-solving research.

“I urge you, therefore, not only to conduct research for publication but also to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians through practical solutions and technologies that address everyday needs,” he said.

The workshop had as its theme: “Mainstreaming Climate Change in Agriculture: Strengthening Food Security and Economic Stability under the Renewed Hope Agenda.”