The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has awarded a $16.61 million grant to the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to launch the third phase of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Programme (TAAT-III), aimed at expanding climate-resilient food production across the continent.
The grant agreement, signed on 18 February 2026 in Abuja, strengthens a joint commitment to modernising African agriculture through scaling proven technologies, reinforcing seed systems, and deepening partnerships with research institutions, governments, and the private sector.
Since its inception in 2018, TAAT has become one of Africa’s most impactful agricultural innovation platforms, reaching nearly 25 million farmers and improving productivity across major staples. The programme has expanded climate-smart agricultural practices over more than 35 million hectares.
Working with the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) and regional partners, TAAT has boosted crop yields by up to 69 percent and generated over $4 billion in additional agricultural value. Countries including Sudan, Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria have recorded significant gains in staple crop productivity and resilience to climate shocks.
Nigeria has been a key beneficiary. Under the Wheat Compact, farmers adopting heat-tolerant varieties more than doubled yields from 1.7 to 3.5 tons per hectare. TAAT-supported seed system assessments also informed national reforms to improve access to certified, climate-resilient seeds.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Abdul Kamara, Director General of the Bank Group’s Nigeria Country Department, said: “TAAT-III underscores the Bank’s commitment to ensuring that proven, climate-resilient agricultural technologies reach farmers faster and at scale. This phase strengthens the systems that deliver innovation, helping countries boost productivity, enhance resilience, and align agricultural transformation efforts with the Bank’s four new areas of emphasis, dubbed the Four Cardinal Points.”
Financed through the African Development Fund, AfDB’s concessional lending window, TAAT-III will consolidate earlier gains while introducing a more sustainable, private sector-driven delivery model. The initiative aims to reinforce seed and technology distribution systems, expand partnerships with governments and agribusinesses, and scale digital tools, including technology e-catalogues and real-time monitoring platforms, to accelerate deployment of high-impact solutions.
Simeon Ehui, Director General of IITA, added: “TAAT-III allows us to deepen the delivery of science-based solutions that improve farmers’ yields and livelihoods. Working with the Bank and our partners, we are scaling technologies that make Africa’s food systems more resilient and competitive.”
TAAT has also supported AfDB’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility, enabling countries to rapidly deploy improved seeds and technologies during recent global disruptions. The third phase aims to embed these innovations within long-term national agricultural investment strategies.
TAAT-III is expected to benefit an additional 14 million farmers across 37 low-income and vulnerable African countries served by the African Development Fund.
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