By Anu Smith
Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has noted the contributions of Director-General of International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga to the development of agriculture in Africa.
Obasanjo stated this in Ibadan on Friday at the commemoration and send-off program held for Sanginga at IITA conference centre.
Obasanjo who was represented by the President, African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr Akinwunmi Adesina congratulated Sanginga having spent 11 years repositioning IITA and transforming agriculture in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
Speaking in his capacity as the President, AfDB, Adesina commended Saginga for rising up to the task while he was the Minister of agriculture and providing support for Nigeria during the flooding challenge and promoting agriculture and agribusiness in Africa.
“Dr Sanginga is the best and the most accomplished director general in the history of IITA,” Adesina said.
In his goodwill message, Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, described Sanginga as a courageous man who has blazed the trail by showing remarkable focus of leadership.
“Your uncommon focus and leadership turned things around. You are the first African to lead IITA, so IITA under Dr Sanginga thrived.
“This institution has gone from being in debt when you took over to operating profitably, thank you so much for all the hard work.
“The story of how you are able to turn around the fortunes of this place is a testament
which is a testament to the fact that Nigeria can go from poverty to prosperity through agriculture and agribusiness,” Makinde said.
Also, Gov. of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai said Sanginga has achieved a lot having been in the agricultural sector for four decades, describing him as a great leader who has transformed and strengthened IITA.
He noted his contributions to all the states of Nigeria and many countries in Africa were unmatched.
“He has made us proud as Africans and as Nigerians,” he said.
El-rufai stated that the federal government has a major role to play in bilateral funding to keep an institute like IITA going.
“I think what needs to be done more is for the state governments to be engaged with IITA. I was very glad to learn that the Oyo State Government is collaborating with IITA and we are also working with the IITA outpost in Kano, our Ministry of Agriculture is working with them,”
He noted that the model of young entrepreneurs in agriculture was something that could be learnt from Oyo State and IITA.
Earlier, two former IITA board members, Dr Amos Namanga and Dr Bruce Coulman stated that the DG rose to the challenge of the financial shortage the institution was experiencing and climate change.
They noted the various partnership alliances that Sanginga formed and his people-centred leadership style that saved the institution at a critical stage and transformed it.
In his response, Sanginga appreciated stakeholders at the event tracing his achievements back to his formative years and experience as a PhD student at IITA.
Adesina reviewed a book titled ‘Leadership in African Agriculture’ an autobiography of Dr Nteranya Sanginga and contributed to by his wife Charlotte Sanginga.
