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By Correspondent in Lagos.
In a strategic move to strengthen partnerships within Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, IFTDO–CYWEE Africa has paid a courtesy visit to the nation’s foremost industrial research agency, the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), to explore collaboration on technology transfer and skills development aimed at empowering women in agribusiness.
The delegation, led by Dr. Janet Jolaoso, Chairman of CYWEE Africa and Asia, was warmly received by the Director-General of FIIRO, Dr. Jummai Tutuwa, and her management team at the institute’s Lagos headquarters.
The visit signaled a shared commitment to innovation, industrial growth, and inclusive economic development.
Welcoming the team, Dr. Tutuwa reaffirmed FIIRO’s dedication to accelerating industrialization through research, local fabrication of machinery, and capacity building.
She assured the visitors of the agency’s readiness to build sustainable partnerships with key stakeholders, including CYWEE, to enhance social and economic activities across the country.
In her remarks, Dr. Jolaoso outlined CYWEE’s global mission: to promote equal opportunities for women, foster networks of support, and collaborate with critical stakeholders to address gender imbalance.
She presented the organization’s objectives, operational framework, and its record of women and youth empowerment projects, emphasizing the importance of leveraging FIIRO’s technical expertise to scale impact.
According to her, the core purpose of the visit was to collaborate in the areas of technology-driven initiatives and skills transfer that would enable women in agribusiness to strengthen their production value chains.
She stressed the need for accessible, locally fabricated machines developed by FIIRO to simplify agro-processing activities, boost productivity, and enhance women’s contributions to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), particularly in agriculture.
Adding her voice, Prof. Tayo George noted that CYWEE is seeking institutional support in the fabrication of equipment for processing agricultural produce, especially cassava into gari. She described FIIRO as a natural partner, given its long-standing pedigree in technological innovation and machine development.
Responding, Dr. Tutuwa confirmed that the needs expressed by IFTDO–CYWEE Africa fall squarely within FIIRO’s mandate and capacity. “When it comes to local fabrication of equipment, training for skills transfer, and utilization of developed products, FIIRO remains an unrivalled premier agency in Nigeria,” she stated.
She further expressed the institute’s willingness to formalize the partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the mutual benefit of both organizations.
To demonstrate its capabilities, the Director-General led the visiting team on a guided tour of FIIRO’s fabrication centre, including the Cassava Processing Plant, showcasing the institute’s machinery production and processing innovations.
Speaking to journalists after the tour, Dr. Jolaoso described gari as one of Nigeria’s most stable staple foods, noting that cassava cultivation requires relatively minimal effort yet sustains millions of livelihoods. She emphasized that many women are actively engaged in cassava processing but lack access to modern equipment and advanced training.
“That is why CYWEE is seeking collaboration with FIIRO in equipment fabrication, product development, and structured skills transfer programmes—areas that are often beyond the reach of the average woman agro-entrepreneur,” she explained.
Mrs. Folake Davies, FIIRO’s Deputy Director of Planning, Technical Training and Information Management, also highlighted the agency’s longstanding commitment to developing agricultural machinery, conducting training-of-trainers programmes, and equipping end users with practical skills.
The visit is expected to culminate in a formal agreement between CYWEE and FIIRO on machinery fabrication, training, and technology utilization to strengthen women-led agribusinesses under the CYWEE scheme.
Dr. Jolaoso was accompanied by Prof. Tayo George, Engr. Rufus Adetoye, Dr. Olasunkade Azeez, and Arc. Timothy Jolaoso, marking what observers describe as a significant step toward advancing women’s participation in Nigeria’s agro-industrial sector.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
