Research Institutes play a vital role in advancing agriculture through innovation and technology. In Nigeria, agricultural research institutes have become key drivers of this progress, driving innovation and development through agricultural technology (AgTech) solutions that improve productivity and sustainability for farmers. These institutions transform scientific research into practical tools that help farmers adapt to climate change, improve yields, and reduce losses.
These institutes have accelerated AgTech adoption by introducing digital monitoring systems, precision farming tools, climate-resilient crop varieties, bio-pesticides, and data-driven advisory platforms. Their collective efforts reveal how research, digital innovation, and comprehensive farmer engagement can expand Nigeria’s agricultural potential.
This article examines the top 5 agricultural research institutes in Nigeria and their impact on the agricultural industry.
Research institutes are specialised organisations committed to conducting systematic studies, experiments, and analysis to discover, generate, and develop new knowledge or apply existing knowledge in solving real-world problems. They are usually focused on fields to streamline discoveries in science, medicine, technology, or agriculture.
Unlike universities which combine teaching with research, research institutes usually focus solely on innovation, experimentation, and development to produce data, prototypes, and solutions that industries, governments, and communities can apply.
Agricultural research institutes, on the other hand, are research organisations that develop and promote innovations to improve farming, food systems, and rural livelihoods.
They investigate areas like:
Most agricultural research institutes operate under government ministries or as independent research centres. They collaborate with farmers, universities, private companies, and development agencies. Ultimately, the goal of these institutes is to ensure that scientific discoveries lead to the development of improved seeds, fertilisers, tools, or digital solutions that increase productivity and profitability for farmers.
The work of the following research institutes influences Nigeria’s agricultural transformation:
1. International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA): The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) was established in 1967 and is one of Africa’s foremost agricultural research centres. Their headquarter is situated in Ibadan, Oyo State. IITA operates across more than 30 countries and plays a particularly transformative role in Nigeria’s agricultural development. Its mission focuses on reducing hunger, malnutrition, and poverty by generating sustainable agricultural innovations that boost productivity and resilience.
IITA’s research cuts across digital agriculture, soil health, biotechnology, crop improvement, and agribusiness. The institute has pioneered climate-smart cassava and maize varieties, introduced bio-control solutions for pests such as the fall armyworm, and developed digital AgTech tools such as seed trackers, herbicide calculators, and yield forecasters.
IITA has supported millions of smallholders in accessing improved planting materials and adopting new technologies, through initiatives like Building an Economically Sustainable, Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS-II). It also provides AgTech leadership by partnering with Nigerian universities, state governments, and startups to improve capacity building and scale digital innovations for farmers.
2. Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR): The Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, is one of Nigeria’s oldest and most respected research institutes. IAR was founded in 1922 and focuses on breeding and releasing improved crop varieties suited for Nigeria’s diverse agro-ecological zones.
It has developed improved maize varieties, along with high-yielding cowpea, sorghum, groundnut, and cotton cultivars, which have significantly boosted farm productivity and income. Notably, its TELA Maize Project introduces drought-tolerant and pest-resistant maize hybrids, enabling farmers to maintain yields under climate stress. The institute also researches irrigation systems, integrated pest management, and soil fertility, contributing to national food security goals.
3. National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI): The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) specialises in cassava, yam, cocoyam, and sweet potato crops that are central to Nigeria’s food security and livelihoods. It played a leading role in developing pro-vitamin A cassava varieties (UMUCASS 36–38) that help combat vitamin A deficiency, as well as disease-resistant and high-yielding yam and sweet potato lines.
NRCRI conducts gender-inclusive consumer studies to identify the unique preferences of men and women farmers for cassava traits, such as cooking time, processing qualities, and storage potential. NRCRI’s gender-responsive research ensures that both men and women farmers benefit from improved varieties that match their needs in processing and storage.
4. Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN): The Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan drives innovation in cocoa, kola, and coffee production. CRIN has released high-yielding, early-maturing, and disease-resistant cocoa varieties, while also developing sustainable soil management practices and training farmers on climate-smart cocoa farming. Its ongoing research supports Nigeria’s goal of reclaiming its status as one of the world’s top cocoa producers through improved quality, traceability, and value addition.
5. National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT): The National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) is Nigeria’s hub for horticultural innovation, covering fruits, vegetables, spices, and ornamental plants. NIHORT focuses on the development of bio-pesticides (like NIHORT-LYPTOL), pest traps for tomato and fruit fly control, and reviving cold storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses in perishable crops. The institute also trains youths and women in seedling production, mushroom cultivation, and agro-processing, promoting entrepreneurship and food system diversification
These research bodies have been instrumental in the advancement of AgTech, including:
1. Technological Innovation and Digital Transformation: Institutions such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) have led the charge in applying data, biotechnology, and precision farming techniques to local conditions.
IITA has introduced digital tools such as seed trackers, farm input calculators, and mobile-based decision-support systems that help farmers optimise planting schedules and input use. Similarly, IAR’s precision breeding programs for maize and cowpea integrate genomic and agronomic data, enabling the development of climate-resilient and pest-tolerant varieties suited to Nigeria’s ecological zones.
2. Improving Crop Varieties and Climate Resilience: The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) have made strides in developing improved crop varieties that withstand climate shocks and diseases. NRCRI’s pro-vitamin A cassava not only improves nutrition but also offers higher yield and drought tolerance, directly addressing food insecurity.
Furthermore, training programs and extension services provided by these institutes educate farmers on best practices, mechanized farming methods, and business approaches to agriculture, creating a sustainable ecosystem for innovation adoption.
Yusuf Sani Ahmad, Executive Director of the National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Services (NAERLS), notes that “The steady growth in Nigerian agriculture is driven by expanded cultivated areas, improved practices, and farmer resilience, boosted by our research and extension services. AgTech innovation is key to making Nigerian agriculture more adaptive, efficient, and data-driven”.
Nigeria’s research institutes face challenges that hinder the full deployment and scaling of AgTech innovations, including:
1. Inadequate and Inconsistent Funding: Agricultural research in Nigeria suffers from underfunding. Most institutes operate with budgets that barely cover overhead costs, leaving limited resources for field trials, digital tool deployment, or laboratory upgrades.
2. Infrastructure Deficits and Outdated Equipment: Many research facilities across Nigeria operate with outdated laboratories, limited mechanised equipment, and poor ICT infrastructure.
3. Climate Change and Environmental Stress: Climate changes like flooding, drought, and soil degradation cause risks to experimental farms and research trials.
4. Limited Technology and Farmer Adoption: While Nigeria’s research institutions develop robust technologies, there remains a gap between innovation and adoption. Weak extension linkages and limited private-sector partnerships slow the dissemination of innovations to end users.
5. Policy and Coordination: Although Nigeria has multiple research institutes, coordination among them remains weak as a result of overlapping policies, delayed approvals, and bureaucratic issues which affect collaboration and technology scaling. There is a need for a more cohesive national agricultural innovation system linking universities, private firms, and government agencies to ensure continuity and sustainability in research outputs.
These research institutes are shaping the future of Nigerian agriculture. With each improved seed, climate-smart tool, and farmer training, Nigeria advances toward food security and economic stability. But innovation means little if it stays on the shelf. To truly transform agriculture, we must connect research with real people, the farmers in the field, the investors seeking impact, and the policymakers shaping the system.
The next leap in Nigeria’s agricultural growth will not come from more reports, but from stronger partnerships that will, in turn, bridge the gap between science and the soil and build an agricultural future that feeds both our people and our potential.
