National Root Crops Research Institute

National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, started on 1st January, 1923 on a 20 hectare land, as a British Colonial Provincial Research Farm, under the Nigeria Colonial Department of Agriculture with headquarters at Moor Plantation Ibadan. Following Nigerian regionalization in 1955, it came under the Eastern Region Ministry of Agriculture that was supervised by the Director of Agriculture at Enugu. In the same year, the School of Agriculture was establishment at the same location. This complex became known as the Eastern Nigeria Agricultural Research Station in 1956.

The national mandate of NRCRI is to research into the genetic improvement, production, processing, storage utilization and socio-economies of root and tuber crops of economic importance

The mission of NRCRI is to provide the necessary environment for the production, processing and marketing of value-added products of root and tuber crops towards National food security, income generation, gainful employment and rapid industrial development.

The Institute in collaboration with IITA, Ibadan, has substantially contributed to the National Food Security and sufficiency through research and extension activities on root and tuber crops.