Demand-Driven Technologies for Sustainable Maize ... - IITA

6collaborating scientists. This is done through a democratically electedSteering Committee, which is the policy making body of the Network.The number of WECAMAN member countries has changed over time.During the SAFGRAD era, all 17 WCA countries were members of theMaize Network. Because of funds limitation, membership was scaleddown to the eight countries with the largest annual maize production,Bénin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria,and Togo. From 1999 to date, when additional funding has beenavailable, Guinea, Senegal, and Tchad have been added.IARC FacilitatorsTwo IARCs that have mandates for maize research and developmentactivities, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan,Nigeria and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center(CIMMYT), Mexico, have been active facilitators for WECAMAN. IITA hasbeen the Executing Agency of WECAMAN since inception. In addition,the Institute has carried out the following responsibilities: provision offunds for the resident research of WECAMAN’s Coordinator; provision ofadministrative and technical coordination; provision of technical reviewsand technical backstopping; supply of useful germplasm to researchers;provision of consultants as necessary, and provision of accommodation forthe Network and its activities; for example, hosting Steering Committeeand Research Committee meetings. In short, IITA provides the necessarysupervision for the Network. CIMMYT has also been a very importantsource of germplasm. During the time of the SAFGRAD Maize Network,CIMMYT collaborated with IITA by providing research scientists toassist the national scientists in WCA. The Institute also provides resourcepersons to WECAMAN, for example, at the Biennial Workshops heldin IITA-Cotonou, Benin Republic. Both IITA and CIMMYT have beencollaborating to execute the African Maize Stress (AMS) and the NipponFoundation Quality Protein Maize (QPM) Projects. The two IARCs haveprovided indispensable leadership in conducting research on biotic andabiotic stresses in the subregion.Donor AgenciesThe United States Agency for International Development (USAID) hasprovided fi nancial support for WECAMAN’s activities since inception todate. Beginning in 1999, both the United Nations Development Project(UNDP) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development(IFAD) provided funds for the AMS Project, and in 2000, the NipponFoundation (NF) made funds available for the QPM Project in thesubregion. WECAMAN member countries executed both the AMSand the NF Projects in addition to the USAID-funded research anddevelopment projects.