- - --.,. - -- - - --,- - - --- ----- -- ----- --- --------"- - - - - - - - -I
'2~
I·. ,
~----
.
- - - ..!...---- -- -- - ----- ---- - - - -- - ---- ---- - - - ------- --- -- -----
VANGUARD, fRIDAY,JULY9, 2010
d '.
business
-p
§
A
Ag ricu Iture
aM
>
l'~igeria co~ends
IITA over strides in cassava value·addition THE Nigerian government has the village ofAgwan Mada, a sublauded IITA's contribution to- urbinLafia Specifically, it has a capaCity of wards cassava enterprise development, as the country intensifies proc:essing ~t least one toone of the campaign to diversify its econ- gari' per day in a hygienic enviomy. The commendation was ronment . thereby guaranteeing made by the Minister of Commerce food safety and security. Martinil-Kuye who 'was repreand Industry, Senator Jupril Martins-Kuye during the inaugura- sented by the .i'ermanent Secretion of a Gari Processing Center in tary, FMC&!, Dr; A, K. Muhammad said the processing center Lafia, Nasarawa State. The Center which is the third to would add value, enhance combe commissioned within two years petitiveness and 'reduce waste in is funded by the Common Fund the cassava value chaine for Commodities but implemented '-.. ACCording to him, "!,or any by IITA and partners including the commodity to attract premium price in the market, both locally · Federal MiIiistry of Commerce & Industry, and·the Farm and Infra- and internationally, it mu~t necessarily. pass .tlirough some level structure Foundation. The two, earlier inaugurated by of processing.': While expressing the 'team included Joe Bergg Cas- the williogness of Nigeria to consava Processing factory in Masa- tinually support such projects, ka, Nasarawa State; and Shaback the minister noted that the Gari Gari Processing factory in Kuje, Processing Center would not only Abuja. In his words, Martins- absorb the cassava produced in Kuye said, "I must also appreci- the country but also spur the culate UTA, the Project Executing tivation of the crop. The Women Agency, for their relentless efforts Leader of the benefiting group, towards the success . of this Mrs. Talatu Umaru, who spoke on project." The Gari Processing fac- behalf of her colleagues, pledged tory in Lafia comes as a relief to a that the group would' ensure judiwomen group of more than 50 that cious use of the factory. She commended the IITA_CFC are engaged in garri processing·in
team for coming to their aid, stressing that the Center would make their jobs easier, increase their income~ and improve livelihoods. Prof. t.ateef Sanni, IITACFC Project Goordinator, emphasized that the development · of value chain projects s«ek to shift the country's attention from oil,-a commodity that currently
provides more than 90 per cent of the country's revenue-generate employment and create sustainablewealth. According to him, the establishment of cas~ava processing centers across the country is necessary for increased cassava production in the country and wealth generation in the local communi-
ties in particular. He explained that the gari processing center was part of a bigger project funded by the CFC in three countries including Nigeria, Benin and Sierra Leone. Sanni also urged the Nigerian governinent to replicate the processing centers in other communities.
-------
d qtl8ll~, wtI.n8 rhe t,...I-....its .re .piidood .Iith ,_.ncold ..,d·hl\lJ~"'" ""'lUres mueli ~!IO!" enlQ\l2lble 10 h peace 01 mind, now tI1al tI1a,XpIod""""ken; Md haad..,nlts nEM!ll}betI;Mtsam"galn. "';~ ,
-'
~
I
.
~
•~x~
.~a2lFlOtIt:t ~~ < .~ !II1 ..
*'
. :~==.~ -
.,elt:a.E
. AlItbll.dudl haJm Cl!lIl'ers
• F,lylb91 DO,\!8! lltd\, 3:41:{8\, Blwma Rdl, A"pap'a,. tagD S\.Ti!1i:2!JJl'r 1;-·7:9j1i280:mn:0.6aOona:~m" RlilihlllOhve>.Uldj .48"j AnpF010i11YJ!!l1S1ree/r WbtmIIr.ISlimd i.liagpS; .TIH: 2.a4l1 ' 77.401 OP/;46J !i80Bi
('
M K