National Root Crops Research Institute
The National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) is an agricultural research center in Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria. Its history goes back to 1923, when an experimental farm was started at Moor Plantation in Ibadan by the Nigerian Department of Agriculture. The School of Agriculture began in 1955, and the two were joined in 1956 to form the Eastern Nigeria Agricultural Research and Training Station, based in Enugu. In 1972, it became a federal agency as the Federal Agricultural Research and Training Station, and in 1976 it was renamed the National Root Crops Research Institute under the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria. In 1995, the training wing became the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu.
NRCRI conducts research to improve economically important root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, cocoyam, sweet potato, Irish potato, ginger, rizga, Hausa potato, sugar beet and turmeric. It also studies cultivation techniques, storage, processing and how to use these crops, with a focus on farmers in the southeast of Nigeria. The institute trains middle‑level agricultural workers and awards National Diplomas and Higher National Diplomas, along with specialized training for farmers.
NRCRI has received funding from programs like the Generation Challenge Program and the National Agricultural Research Systems to establish a modern cassava genetics laboratory using molecular markers. It collaborates with regional centers through the Southern Africa Root Crops Research Network, funded by USAID. The institute has developed new varieties of yam and other tubers and conducts village training on agricultural business and technologies to boost community output. The Nigerian government has pledged continued support to help NRCRI increase the production of high‑yield root crops nationwide.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:14 (CET).