2021 SEED MEETING, IN-HOUSE RESEACRH REVIEW & 2ND ANNUAL SOUTH-SOUTH REFILS WORKSHOP
Alhaji Sabo Nanono, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has directed the management of the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) to ensure that its outstations were functional for full scale activities.
Nanono gave the directive in Benin City during the ongoing four days 2021 seed meeting, in-house research review and 2nd annual South-South Refills workshop organised by NIFOR in Benin.
Represented by the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Garba Sharubutu, Nanono directed ARCN to ensure full compliance in line with its mandate of coordination, supervision and monitoring.
The Opening ceremony was presided over by the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, represented by Executive Secretary Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Prof. Garba Sharubutu. The theme of the workshop was ‘Sustainable and Climate Smart Production of Palms and Shea for improved Livelihoods and Economic Diversity’. While welcoming participants at the 2ND Annual South-South workshop, he remarked that the session is coming on the hills of the recent pandemic which resulted in loss of agricultural commodities across the Nation. He said that the government in its endeavor’s in ensuring that agricultural inputs was not lacked by Nigerian farmers in other to mitigate against the problems encountered during the pandemic, were compensated for their losses through the Abuja flag off and input distribution done earlier in the year.
He informed the session of the importance of the 2021 Annual Review, citing the need to deliberate holistically on agricultural Issues that will change the dynamics of the Nigerian farmer as well as provide additional avenue for technology dissemination across all stakeholders. In his address he noted that, to transform agriculture, we must take it out of the political realm and treat agriculture with the seriousness it deserves, because of its enormous potentials which include job creation for teeming youths.
He submitted that, as a matter of urgency, there is need to diversify our economy away from oil, reduce the current drain on our foreign reserve from food importation while expanding new income sources from exports of agricultural produces/products, such as Oil Palm, Sheanut/Butter, Coconut and Date Palms. This is why these crops are among the top priority commodity value chains being promoted by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in tandem with ideals of this Administration to make agriculture a top priority on the on-going green alternative.
The Executive Director of NIFOR, Dr. Celestine E. Ikuenobe welcomed participants and emphasized the need for effective REFILS and the need for the ADPs to work in synergy with NARIs to sustain the South-South REFILS activities and agricultural development in the Zone
