International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is located just a short journey northward of Ibadan city, the institute is not only a research site, but also a huge leisure estate that is well known as a birdwatchers’ paradise.
This well-preserved vast land of tropical forest is a research and training institute for students as well as professionals in the area of agricultural research. In response to specific development needs, IITA works with research and development partners (research, development and extension actors, farmer organizations, NGOs, the private sector, and governments) to deliver research outputs that are achieving an initial outcome. They then use this research outcome to excite and attract more partners who will ultimately take charge of the upscaling and outscaling of the technologies by broadening participation and increasing the chances of success and ultimate development impact.
Much of the IITA’s 1000-hectare campus is used for scientific research on improving food production in Africa, and a third of the campus consists of unspoiled tropical forest, a natural preserve for birds and other fauna, a lake about 3 km long, developed to provide irrigation water and attracts hundreds of species of resident and migratory birds. The lake has been spawned with various fish species and is a lodestone for anglers. Guides are available for visitors wishing to take a tour of the forest, try their luck at angling in the lake, or watching for rare migrating birds.
Educational & Recreational Facilities: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is in an area of outstanding natural beauty covering 1000 hectares and this includes rain forest, lakes and the research laboratories. There is a fully equipped medical unit, water treatment plant, and power generators. IITA offers recreational facilities such as swimming pool which is adjacent to the Snack Bar, just relax and soak up the rays or take a cool dip. It also has a pool table available for use inside the I-House. Cue sticks and cue chalk is obtainable from the reception desk. Other sporting facilities at the institute include a 9-hole golf course, football pitch, badminton court, lawn tennis court, table tennis, squash, and fishing at the institute’s lake. Also available is a bike ride and opportunities for children to play in a safe and secure environment.
Accommodation: I-House, with its 108 well-appointed rooms, spacious dormitory facilities, and a conference hall is an ideal venue for organizing workshops, retreats, team building exercises, or a relaxing weekend with the family. Active visitors can go fishing or just stroll around the lake while less active visitors can kick back at the pool or in one of the bars. IITA’s hotel rooms are in three categories namely; Superior Rooms, Standard Rooms and Flatlets. Equipped with en-suite bathroom, satellite television, direct dial telephone, data dial socket, room temperature control, shaver socket in bathroom, fully equipped kitchen for self-catering, the hotel offers the perfect atmosphere for a pleasant experience.
Forest Reserves & Birdwatching: The forest reserve is a mature Guinea-Congo lowland rainforest with scattered emergent. Thickest of climbers grow in openings where the secondary nature of the forest is most apparent, with clumps of Terminalia spp., Bambusa vulgaris, Elaeis gurlensis (Oil palm), Ceiba spp., Milicia spp. The reserve is also boast of a small lake for water sports such as canoeing and fishing. Also a total of over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve and some of these birds include Ibadan Malimbe (Malimbus ibadanensis), Great snipe (Gallinago media), Phyllastrephus baumanni and a diverse assemblage of Pale arctic water winter birds at the site. The forest is a good place for bird-watching because of numerous species of tropical birds.
Int'l Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)
Contact:
IITA-Nigeria Ibadan, PMB 5320, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
Tel: +234 2 7517472, (0)8039784000, (0)8055055954, (0)8034035281, (0)8034035282, (0)8034035283
Fax: INMARSAT: 873761798636
Website: http://www.iita.org/
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