WHAT IS CVNNP?
The Cassava Viruses in Northern Nigeria Project (CVNNP) is working to educate cassava stakeholders, strengthen quarantine systems and build human and physical capacity across Northern Nigeria. CVNNP is training researchers, students and quarantine officers to identify cassava viruses accurately based on symptoms and diagnostic molecular techniques. This will help combat viruses such as cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease (CMD) which can severely reduce cassava yield and cause widespread famine across Nigeria if left unchecked. The increased diagnostic capacity provided by CVNNP will help combat these viruses with the aim of increasing food security across Northern Nigeria.
WHAT ARE ITS AIMS?
The project focuses on the following objectives:
- To set up molecular laboratory for virus diagnosis in northern Nigeria
- To increase human capacity by training farmers, researchers, postgraduate students, extension workers and quarantine officials on the identification and diagnosis of CMD, and increase awareness of CBSD
- To carry out cassava disease impact surveys in Northern Nigeria, surveillance for EACMV-Ug, and record whitefly population and distribution
- To evaluate the ten most popular varieties for resistance to EACMV-Ug and West African cassava whiteflies in Nigeria by field and glasshouse screening
- To evaluate the cassava varieties for resistance to CBSD and East African cassava whiteflies in Kenya by field screening
WHO IS DELIVERING CVNNP?
- Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero (KSUSTA)
- Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Mtwapa (KARI – Mtwapa)
- National Resources Institute, University of Greenwich (NRI)
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CVNNP:
Dr Ibrahim Mohammed
Project dates:
2014–2018
Crop(s):
Cassava
Project focus location(s): Nigeria