JOSTUM Collaborates With IITA On Improved Crop Varieties

The Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM) is collaborating with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan (IITA) in two projects, Accelerated Varietal Improvement and Seed delivery on Africa (AVISA) and the Seed Equal Project (SEP) to improve crop varieties to make them more resistant to climate change.

The vice chancellor, Prof. Isaac Itodo who disclosed this during the  26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 Joint Convocation Ceremonies explained that the initiative aims to support the delivery of improved, climate-resilient, market-preferred and nutritious varieties of priority crops, embodying a high rate of genetic gain to farmers, to ensure equitable access for women and other vulnerable groups.

According to him, “these projects have strengthened our partnership with other institutions to produce foundation seeds and certified seed of cowpea and soybeans improved varieties. JOSTUM seed system project now produces early-generation seeds (EGS) of improved cowpea and soybean varieties.

While explaining how the projects have helped identify some emerging private seed companies that are being encouraged to expand seed production to sustain the results of these projects, Prof. Itodo dispelled the rumour that the University of Agriculture Makurdi, now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, has moved from a specialized institution of Agriculture to a conventional University due to its change of name in 2017.

“JOSTUM remains a university of agriculture and in complying with this law, six (6) out of the eleven (11) colleges of the University are agriculture and agriculture-related.”

According to him, “the name of the University was changed by the Federal Government from Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi (FUAM) to Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM) in 2017. However, the law establishing the University was not affected.”

He said, ‘Over 70% of the resources accruing to the university is devoted to these agricultural colleges.’ This simply defines JOSTUM as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ in agriculture. However, this does not prohibit the university from offering other impactful programmes of study to the communities in its catchment.

“This is in line with the vision of the university ‘to become a major institutional player in the process of national and global human resource capacity building in agriculture, science, engineering and technology (ASET) for rapid economic growth”

He maintained that ” the institution is in partnership with several national and international organizations. These partnerships have enabled the university to foster progress in different areas in an attempt to fulfil her mandate.

“Our partnership with Kirkhouse Trust SCIO, UK from 2010 to 2023 funded the Molecular Biology Laboratory and the genetic improvement of cowpea. This partnership resulted in 10  different developments and the release of four (4) high yielding Striga and Alectra resistant, early and medium maturing cowpea varieties (FUAMPEA I, 2, 3 and 4),  catalogued in the Nigeria and West Africa Seed Catalogue and are Cultivated in all the cowpea-growing regions of Nigeria, Ghana and Niger Republic.”