AfDB approves US$16.6M grant to IITA for TAAT-III rollout

AFRICA – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$16.6 million grant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture to launch the third phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation programme.

The Bank and IITA signed the agreement on February 18, 2026, in Abuja. The funding, valued at US$ 16.6 million, will support the rollout of TAAT-III across 37 low-income and vulnerable countries that receive support from the African Development Fund.

TAAT began in 2018 and has since reached nearly 25 million farmers. The programme has supported climate-resilient practices on more than 35 million hectares of land. Partners under the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research and national research bodies have helped raise yields of key crops by as much as 69 percent.

Countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria have recorded strong gains in staple crop output. In Nigeria, farmers under the Wheat Compact increased yields from 1.7 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes per hectare after they adopted improved heat-tolerant wheat varieties.

At the signing event, Abdul Kamara, Director General of the African Development Bank for Nigeria, said the new phase will move faster in getting results to farmers. “TAAT-III underscores the African Development Bank’s commitment to ensuring that proven, climate-resilient agricultural technologies reach farmers faster and at greater scale. This phase strengthens innovation diffusion systems, helping countries boost productivity, build resilience, and align agricultural transformation efforts with the Four Cornerstones, the Bank’s four new priority areas,” he said.

Private sector role and digital tools

TAAT-III will strengthen seed systems and widen partnerships between governments, research bodies and agribusiness firms. The programme will also introduce digital tools such as electronic technology catalogues and real-time monitoring systems to improve delivery and tracking.

Simeon Ehui, Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, said the new funding will expand the reach of science-based solutions. “TAAT-III allows us to scale up the delivery of science-based solutions that improve farmers’ yields and livelihoods. Together with the Bank and our partners, we are scaling technologies that make Africa’s food systems more resilient and competitive,” he said.

TAAT has also supported the Bank’s Emergency Food Production Facility for Africa. Through this support, countries deployed improved seeds and technologies to steady food supplies during recent global shocks.

Under TAAT-III, partners will align these efforts with long-term national agricultural investment plans while targeting 14 million additional farmers across the continent.

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