ILRI inks MOU with Ethiopian universities to transform livestock research  

ETHIOPIA – The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with seven Ethiopian universities—Adigrat, Aksum, Raya, Mekele, Jimma, Bonga, and Ambo to revolutionise livestock research and development in Ethiopia. 

This partnership, formalised during the Dairy Cattle Research and Development Workshop held at ILRI’s Addis campus, sets the stage for transformative collaboration to advance sustainable livestock solutions.  

The MoU marks a critical step in addressing the pressing challenges within Ethiopia’s livestock sector. 

With a cattle population exceeding 50 million—the largest in Africa and eighth globally—livestock contributes a quarter of Ethiopia’s national GDP and 40% of its agricultural GDP. 

However, productivity remains low, and the sector is increasingly vulnerable to climate-related disasters such as recurrent droughts.  

The workshop, which brought together universities, research institutions, and development partners, focused on pivotal areas such as genetic improvement, livestock health, and productivity enhancement through sustainable practices. 

Ethiopia’s growing demand for animal-sourced foods, particularly meat and eggs, underscores the urgency for animal feed, health, and genetics innovations to close the widening supply gap.  

Appolinaire Djikeng, Director General of ILRI, emphasised the importance of the partnership, stating, “The MoU we facilitate and sign today symbolises our collective commitment to these goals and will pave the way for effective partnerships towards impactful outcomes. These memoranda of understanding will cover our collaborations more broadly—not just dairy.”  

Dr. Fikiru Regassa, Ethiopia’s State Minister for Agriculture, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the diversity of voices and expertise present at the event. 

“This positions the collaboration that emerges from this conference to address challenges under different local contexts readily,” he said.  

The partnership leverages the expertise of Ethiopian universities and ILRI’s pioneering research capabilities to foster innovative solutions. 

Namukolo Covic, ILRI’s Director of Impact at Scale, underscored the collaborative spirit, stating, “We must find ways to collaborate effectively to accelerate progress not just on the one spot where we happen to be working, but across multiple locations across the country, simultaneously.”  

By empowering smallholder farmers—who produce most of Ethiopia’s milk, meat, and eggs in integrated crop-livestock and pastoral systems—the collaboration aims to enable the production of competitively priced, safe, and nutritious livestock products. 

Such efforts promise sustainable solutions to Ethiopia’s economic, environmental, social, and health challenges.  

The MoU sets a precedent for impactful research partnerships that prioritise local contexts, strengthen food systems, and promote resilience against climate-related threats, ensuring Ethiopia’s livestock sector contributes to sustainable national development. 

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.