The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a $16.6 million grant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to scale up proven agricultural technologies across the continent under the third phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation programme (TAAT-III).
By Lebogang Mashala, editor at African Farming
The agreement, signed on 18 February 2026 in Abuja, marks another milestone in efforts to modernise African agriculture by expanding access to climate-resilient technologies, strengthening seed systems and deepening collaboration among research institutions, governments and private sector players.
TAAT Boosts Crop Yields by up to 69%
Launched in 2018, TAAT has grown into one of Africa’s most impactful agricultural innovation platforms. The programme has reached nearly 25 million farmers and expanded climate-smart practices across more than 35 million hectares. Working closely with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and national and regional partners, TAAT has increased crop yields by as much as 69% and generated more than $4 billion in additional agricultural value.
Countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Nigeria have recorded notable improvements in staple crop productivity and resilience to climate shocks.
Nigeria, in particular, has emerged as a strong beneficiary. Under its Wheat Compact initiative, farmers adopting improved heat-tolerant wheat varieties more than doubled their yields, from 1.7 tonnes per hectare to 3.5 tonnes per hectare. Programme-supported seed system assessments also informed national reforms aimed at expanding access to certified, climate-resilient seed.
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Abdul Kamara, director general of the AfDB’s Nigeria Country Department, said the new phase will focus on accelerating delivery at scale.
“TAAT-III underscores the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that proven, climate-resilient agricultural technologies reach farmers faster and at scale,” said Kamara. “This phase strengthens the systems that deliver innovation, helping countries boost productivity, enhance resilience and align agricultural transformation efforts with the Bank’s Four Cardinal Points.”
Financed through the African Development Fund (ADF), the AfDB’s concessional lending arm, TAAT-III will consolidate earlier gains while introducing a more sustainable, private sector-driven delivery model. The programme aims to reinforce seed and technology distribution systems, deepen partnerships with governments and agribusinesses, and expand digital tools such as technology e-catalogues and real-time monitoring platforms to speed up deployment of high-impact solutions.
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Enhancing Africa’s Food Systems for Greater Resilience and Competitiveness
Simeon Ehui, director general of IITA, said the third phase provides an opportunity to deepen the delivery of science-based solutions that directly improve farmers’ productivity and livelihoods.
“Working with the Bank and our partners, we are scaling technologies that make Africa’s food systems more resilient and competitive,” Ehui said.
TAAT also played a pivotal role in supporting the AfDB’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility, helping countries rapidly deploy improved seeds and technologies to stabilise food supplies during recent global disruptions.
Under TAAT-III, the programme is expected to reach an additional 14 million farmers across 37 low-income and vulnerable countries served by the ADF, embedding climate-resilient innovations into long-term national agricultural investment strategies and accelerating Africa’s journey towards food security and agricultural transformation.
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