Farmers in Nigeria, others to benefit from $7m commercial products project l"S .n six African countries including Kenya l{.erta. Ethiopia. Ghana. Uganda. and Tanza· nia will benefit from the second pha.ge. or I he Commercial Products (COM PRO-lI) proJed. Director ror Nltural Resource Management and Central Africa with the Illten lOtional In· stitute of Tropical Agriculture. Dr: Bernard vwtlauwe. said yestenI. . The COMPRO-Il projeclls a USS7m grant fnm the Bill &lo1e-linda Gates Foundation that aims to iostitullorullise quality
F:;
assurance mecfwitislUs
and
fa-
cUltate the rapid dissemination
and will work wUh the Aftican AgriculturaJ Technology Foundation (AATF'). Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. SOU Health Program (AGRA). Farm Input Promotions (FIPS). the Tropical SOU 8iology and FertilIty Resean:h Area of the Loternational Centre for Trupicn1 Agriculture (TSOF-ClA'I'), the Centre for Agricultural Sb
science lnlernaLlonal (CABO.
and universities. national research organizations. extension organizations, and quality control entities in the different target oountries. "The plan is to raIse awareness among over two milllon
of top quaHty BJI'icu1tural com- smallholder farmers on effecmercial prodlll!l:S to 1ncrease yields and hnPl"OVe the food security of SJM1Iholder fa.r:mE!rs in the region. flTA will hpd the project,
STAHlEY IHEDtGBO
he Kwad: State Gover· nor, AlhaJl Abdulfatah Ilhmed has urged indi· genes ol.blde the state to come and inJest in Jte agrlculture and agro-allied sector, as the state has becol:le and agriculturnl h~b. He made the call at the spe· cial business Ilmcbeon in b.ls honour organi8xi by the Kwara Professionals .;..agos. led by Prince VIctor K)lnde. Ahmed saId that the Federa1
T
Government atd various ambassadors in the country have bemg recomme ldlng in....estors to the state for tt I'ange of agricultural acti¥lL es, adding that Kwnra bas comparative advantage in the agI' cultural sector and reiterated Lll' need for pr0cessing of tbe agrlc products for value addlU~n for both local
tive and profitable commercial products by 2016 through pub-llc-private partnershlp," acc:orolng to UTA Dlrector General. Or: Ntcranya Sanginga
STANlEY IHEO
BO
TI -=:
stnndanI and
compe . eness. the StantJoo .. NI·
dard
Wfl.
geria ~N) the O»nmon_th """""""I (COMSEC)
"""" _ ~ia1 trnInlng programme to pare 32 Small and Medlwn CllIrises (SMEs) In country roc ISO 9001and Z!:OOJ
--
Speakingat tbe)JlllgrIlDll11e, In
Lagos
on »iWo\ D_-Ceoer·
aJ of SON, Me. Jt>seph Odumodu. MId thai he """"""" that by the end of the programme, about 250 SME's wID he certifled and
TOLA A KINMUTIMI ASUJA
he Federal Government has unveiled plans to revtve the booming years of massive production of palm produce from wWch it seeks to save at least N79 bUllon yearly from the current bill on vegeta· ble imports for the countr)t This is one of the key thrusts of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the government as it continues to explore the opportunities or repositioning the agricultural sector Into the pre-oU di.!Icovery days when it remained the mainstay of the natIoo's economy In terms of revenue generation, food production and employment geo· eratIon. CurrenUl4 the sector accounts for about 42 per cent of
T o
the GOP and accesses only about one per cent of bank ctedlts. The Mlnl5ter of AgrIculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwuml Adeslna. disclosed that the drivt! towanls reduc· ing import bill on vegetable oil would be achieved through the Oil Palm Transformation Agen· da programmes In the South· South, South East and South West zones of the country even as government projected that the country could also leverage on its potentials to also export for the increastng1y growing demand for aU palm products in the global markets. The mlnlster said in order to achieve the goals of the proposed projects In the various levels of the 011 palm value c.bain, government would adopt a combination of production,
marketing and manpower development strategIes includ· ing, increasing the yield and productivity of both organised and unorganlsed plantings; ex· panslon of the areas under field planting; rehabUltation of existing old palms; lntroduction of oil seed regulation; and identification and registro.tion of genuine farmers to participate in the scheme. In addition, Adesl.na disclosed. that efforts v.-ere also belng made to prepare fertility management packages; promote efficient harvesting and milling/refining facUlties; prepart! speclflc apprais-
al reports in the all palm supply chain.! and improving oll palm marketing and trading system; and create employment opportunities for the youth and reduce poverty in affected states.
Kwara eyes more investments in agriculture consumption and export to the international market. He stated that preferenUal pollcies and mcenU\'es was made available for any investor that is coming to invest in the state, as this would create em· ployment and vocational training opportunities. Prince VICtor Kolade had acknowledged tremendous opportunities in the state, and its unique climatic location between the forest to the south and the sawnnah to tile north gives potential for the produclion of an array of boih cash and food crops to trigger export earnings. sustain loca.1 people and indeed position Kwara as the food basket of the nation.
----~------------------'I products standanUsed in order to SON, COMskc partner meet the 1nlemational markets.
to prepare SMEs for ISO certification
FG targets N79bn yearly saving from vegetable oil imports
Odumodu. represented by the Head of IntI!rnational Standard and SME of the organisation, Mt: Robert Okiyi , dl9closed that the essence d: the training worltshOp was to set up quality on SMEs and theywuuldbavequalityoonsciousness in their production and services . He oob!d. that the training is 9CheduJed fir _ Lagos and
Aba. ';l.ilkb
\\' $
meant to start
willi the oommen:.L1.I hub centres across the 00Wltr)/, was not the usual group "",.1D<lay _
but "quality hrlmIcaI training where there will be rot at Hie eod c:L the day to select thase wOO will SI!l"\'e as model om iBJe. flUromthe_SttmdanI _(ISO)-~
lIlr_therequlrunents.
OLUSEGUN K OIKI
~
Federal Government
been told thai the only way it can do justk:e to the "unnecessary" lIquidation of the former national carrier; Nlgerla AiIways LImIted is to revisit the Justice Obiora Nwamta Panel primarily set up to look into the poor managenleni of the dB\mct oan-ie>: Speaking with National Mirror in Lagos during the week. the funner director. illght operations, NAL and the President, Aviation Round Table. CapL Dele Ore decried the setting asldef# the panel by the PM!fl1J1lent. which he said unveiled the various shady deals that existed in the canieI: He noted that those indicted by the panel are still walking the stn!eb free, alleg:I.ng that the indicted penonneI al.9o aided the
Justice Nwazota panel, only justice to Nigeria Airways' liquidation - Ore liquidation d the airline to tude their loots. He said that until guvernrnent
explains the reason behind the liquidation of the former national carrier and pay ofT Its entire stafI he would personally institulf! a Legal action against the governmeot on Ute proposed new national carrier: He said" Justice Obiora Nwa· zot:a n!COlIlIlH!ndaUon panel is pushed aside and we are pretend· Ing nothing "'" _ and we want to form a.notbeI- carrier. If \\'e don't revisit It. there will not be justice in this a:Kllltrlc 'The panel indlcated a looting d everything that be10ngs to Nlgerla Air· ways.. It was obvious that people W8'e out tomokesure that tbealr-
tine grounded to a halt and having
looted all the available assets and all that. they v.-ere the ones in the forefrmt of misadvising the gov. ernment so that their sins would not be visited upon.
"You can liquidate it. bUi the spirit is still hanging around. the spirit will never die. People will continue to talk about It untl1 justice is done. I've documents and Ute swnmary of the recommenda· tIons. It is sad if we don't do anything about It. "Again. those who worked for the cartier are )-'et to be paid their entitlements and if you don't do that. you are only postponing the d-dQ: Whatever they are call1ng a national carrier, I will take an l.nJunction slopping such a thlng Ulltll my entitlements are fully paid."