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A delegation from Bayero University, Kano, led by Vice Chancellor Prof Haruna Musa and Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Amina Mustafa, yesterday paid a courtesy call to the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), where they met with Dr Sunday Ekesi, icipe’s Deputy Director General – Research for Development, alongside Dr Julius Ecuru, Head of the Policy and Enabling Environment Platform, Dr Everlyn Nguku, Head of the Integrated Capacity Building Platform, and other staff members.

The visit highlighted the growing collaboration between icipe and African institutions under the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology–Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (PASET-Rsif), aimed at strengthening Africa-led research and innovation to address global development challenges, including climate change.

Through PASET-Rsif, Bayero University’s Centre of Dryland Agriculture (CDA)—one of the programme’s African Host Universities—is contributing to global climate action by advancing climate-smart agricultural technologies and building resilience in dryland regions across West and Central Africa.

The CDA, a World Bank Centre of Excellence, serves as a hub for research on sustainable land management, drought resilience, and climate adaptation strategies aimed at strengthening food security in climate-vulnerable communities. Through its role as a PASET-Rsif African Host University (AHU), the centre is also contributing to capacity development by training Rsif-funded PhD scholars in climate-resilient agriculture and dryland research, equipping them with advanced skills to generate practical solutions for Africa’s food systems.

The evidence and innovations produced through this research are further informing policy discussions and supporting the development of climate-responsive food security strategies, positioning the centre as a key contributor to national and regional policy efforts on sustainable agriculture and resilience building.