The African Development Bank Group has awarded a $16.6 million grant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to scale up climate-resilient agricultural technologies across Africa under the third phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation programme (TAAT-III).
The agreement, signed on 18 February 2026 in Abuja, is aimed at accelerating the deployment of proven farming innovations, strengthening seed systems, and deepening collaboration among research institutions, governments and private sector actors.
TAAT, launched in 2018, has grown into one of the continent’s largest agricultural innovation platforms. According to the Bank, the programme has reached nearly 25 million farmers and expanded climate-resilient practices across more than 35 million hectares of farmland. Working with partners including the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), TAAT has helped increase crop yields by as much as 69 percent and generated over $4 billion in additional agricultural value.
Several countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria, have recorded productivity gains in staple crops and improved resilience to climate shocks under earlier phases of the initiative.
Nigeria has been a major beneficiary. Under the programme’s Wheat Compact, farmers adopting improved heat-tolerant wheat varieties more than doubled yields from 1.7 tonnes per hectare to 3.5 tonnes per hectare. Seed system assessments supported by the programme have also informed reforms aimed at expanding access to certified, climate-resilient seeds.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Kamara, Director General of the Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Department, said the new phase would prioritise faster and broader scaling of innovation. He noted that TAAT-III would strengthen delivery systems to ensure climate-resilient technologies reach farmers more efficiently while aligning agricultural transformation efforts with the Bank’s “Four Cardinal Points” strategic focus areas.
The initiative is financed through the African Development Fund, the Bank Group’s concessional lending window for low-income countries. Under TAAT-III, the programme will adopt a more sustainable, private sector-driven delivery model, reinforce seed and technology distribution systems, and expand digital tools such as technology e-catalogues and real-time monitoring platforms.
Simeon Ehui, Director General of IITA, said the new funding would enable the institute to deepen the delivery of science-based solutions that improve farmers’ yields and livelihoods, while strengthening the resilience and competitiveness of Africa’s food systems.
TAAT also played a key role in supporting the Bank Group’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility, which helped countries rapidly deploy improved seeds and farming technologies during recent global food supply disruptions.
Under its third phase, the programme is expected to reach an additional 14 million farmers across 37 low-income and vulnerable countries supported by the African Development Fund, consolidating earlier gains and embedding agricultural innovations into long-term national investment strategies.
