National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike started on 1st January, 1923 on a 20 hectare land, as a British colonial Provincial Experimental farm, under the Colonial Nigeria Department of Agriculture with headquarters at Moor Plantation Ibadan. Following Nigerian regionalization of Government Departments in 1954, it came under the Eastern Region Ministry of Agriculture, supervised by the Director of Agriculture at Enugu. In 1955, the School of Agriculture was established at the same location. The Provincial Experimental Farm or Research Station became known as the Eastern Nigeria Agricultural Research Station in 1956. Both the research station and the school were amalgamated in 1965 and called Agricultural Research and Training Station (ARTS), Umudike. On 1st April, 1972 the then Federal Military government of Nigeria took over this station and renamed it Federal Agricultural Research and Training Station (FARTS), Umudike.

The Station was upgraded to a commodity Research Institute in 1975 by Agricultural Research Institutes Decree 33, 1973 and Research Institutes (Establishment etc) Order 1975, and renamed National Root Crops Research Institute.

  • The National Mandate Of NRCRI Is to research into genetic improvement, production, processing, storage and socio-economics of root and tuber crops of economic importance (Yam, Cassava, Potato, Sweetpotato, Cocoyam, Ginger, Hausa Potato (Solenostemon Rotindifolinus), Sugerbeet, Radish, Rizga, And Amora (Arrow Root) ).
  • NRCRI Also Has The Zonal Mandate of reaching into the entire farming system of South-East Agro-Ecological Zone. The zone covers Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo State of Nigeria.
  • NRCRI additionally execute agricultural extension services in liaison with relevant federal and state agencies such as national agricultural extension research and liaisons services (NAERLS)and the state’s agricultural development projects (ADPS) on its mandate crop within the mandate zone.

Crop Research Operations Department: Cassava, Sweet Potato and Minor Root Crops (MRC) Programmes.
Research Outreach Department: Farming System Research and Extension Programmes
Biotechnology & Product Development: Biotechnology, Product Development and Seed Technology Programmes.
Agricultural Engineering & Mechanization Department: Engineering Research, Irrigation and Farm Mechanization
Planning Monitoring & Evaluation Department: Planning, Project Monitoring & Evaluation, Budgeting, Statistic, Human Resources Development And Training.
Research Support Services Department: Computer Services, Meteorology, Irrigation And Water Management, Soils, Biochemistry, Genetic Resources, Plant Protection, Plant Breeding, Apiculture, Research And Engineering And Farm Mechanization.

Km 8 Umuahia-Ikot Ekpene Road
P.M.B 7006 Umuahia
Abia State Nigeria