The National Horticultural Research Institute (Headquarter); located in Ibadan was established in 1974 with the assistance of United Nations Development Programme in conjunction with food and Agricultural Organization as fruits and vegetables research and demonstration centre.

It acquired the status of a national institute in June 1976.The Institute’s headquarter is situated on a 350 hectares of land at Jericho Reservation Area, Idi-Ishin, Ibadan, in the rainforest agro-ecological zone of South Western Nigeria. To give a national outlook, the institute has two substations located in Mbato-Okigwe, Imo state in South Eastern Nigeria and the other at Bagauda, Kano state.

Mandates
The institute has the mandate to conduct research into genetic improvement, production, processing, storage, utilization and marketing of tropical fruits, vegetables, spices and ornamentals plants of both nutritional and economic importance.

The research mandate of the institute is carried out under the following programmes:

Citrus: (Sweet orange, tangelo, tangerine, lemon and lime)
Fruits: (Mango, pineapple, Pawpaw, guava, & indigenous)
Vegetables: (Tomato, pepper, okra, garden egg, leafy greens)
Ornamental plants of economic importance: (Hedges, spot plant, turfs and ground cover)
Farming systems & Extension (through training and information dissemination).
Integrated Pest Management (Plant health)
To improve processing and utilization of horticultural crops, add value so as to curb wastages for a sustainable crop production in Nigeria.
Training middle level manpower in all facets of horticulture.

Objectives of the Institute

To determine the most suitable environmental conditions in different ecological areas for the commercial production of various fruits, vegetables, spices and ornamental plants.
To collect and conserve available genetic resources of horticultural plants for improvement.
To select and breed the desired varieties of the best tropical horticultural plants vegetables for commercial production
To develop improved agro-techniques for horticultural crop production through investigations into such area as crop management, nutrition, irrigation, integrated crop management, weed control and mechanization.
To add value through processing and preservation of fruits, ornamental and vegetables, so as to curb wastage and sustain production throughout the year.
To study the present systems of distribution, handling, packing, preservation and marketing of fruits, vegetables and spices with a view to make recommendations for improvement.
To undertake socio economic studies of rural societies through adopted villages and research outreach centers.
On farm adaptive research through comparative trials of farmers compared with improved varieties of horticultural crops.
To provide knowledge and skills to farm managers, research support staffs, farmers, extension personnel and others interested in fruits, vegetables, spices and ornamental plants production through training (formal and informal) and information dissemination.

National Horticultural Research Institute
P.M.B. 5432, Jericho Reservation Area, Idi-Ishin,
Ibadan, Nigeria.
www.nihort.gov.ng
[email protected], [email protected]
08069481807, 08055523245