Over the years, crude oil has been the main source of revenue for Nigeria. Many observers, however, believe that rather be a blessing, oil resources appear to have been a curse because the nation has virtually neglected other sectors of the economy while proceeds and management of oil exploration had been poorly handled.
This line of argument took the centre-stage at the justconcluded Cassava2017Tech Conference as well as the facilitation and communication skills training programme, held for Agricultural Development Programmes’ (ADPs) extension officers and procurement staff of large-scale cassava producers. The Cassava2017Tech Conference was put together by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), through the project; “Increasing the Performance of the Cassava Industry in West and Central Africa (IPCI)” by bringing together, actors involved in cassava processing, including manufacturers of equipment, factory owners, policy makers, financiers, scientists and engineers, to consider the latest developments in cassava processing in West and Central Africa.
Major themes discussed at the wellattended conference covered the profitability of cassava processing, High Quality Cassava Flour, Bioenergy from cassava waste, cassava as animal feed, ‘garri’ as well as the environment. The conference also made it possible for Nigerian fabricators to present and exhibit various equipment that give an assurance that we can really do great things in agriculture. On the other hand, the facilitation and communication skills’ training programme for Agricultural Development Programmes’ (ADPs) extension officers and procurement staff of large-scale cassava producers was organised by the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (CAVA II); a project led by the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, in partnership with the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom; Food Research Institute, Ghana; Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre, Tanzania; Africa Innovations Institute, Uganda; and the Chancellor College, University of Malawi, alongside other partners. CAVA, which is set out to increase the incomes of at least, 200,000 value chain actors, mostly smallholder farmers and processors in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi, intends to achieve this aim within five years while another collaborator at the scientific conference was the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), which is affiliated to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food Supply.
Th e uniqueness of the conference was the opportunity for cassava equipment displays, demonstrations at AgraInnovate; unfolding of CassavaTech mobile app and NRI Cassavabag launch, as well as rich presentations by experts. The Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Felix Salako, speaking at the occasions, joined other opinion leaders to stress the need for nation to increase cassava production, to meet the increasing local and international demands for the nation’s cassava, stating that the crop’s yield per hectare could be increased through the use of appropriate agronomic practices by farmers and stakeholders along the cassava value chain.
Prof. Salako observed that even though Nigeria prided itself on being the largest producer of cassava in the world, the product yield per hectare still remained low and that, there was an urgent need to increase the national average yield of cassava from less than 12 tonnes per hectare to about 50 tonnes. Salako, a Professor of Soil Physics, the Southwestern Nigeria Coordinator (2016- 2021), African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI), a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Project of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria as well as a former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) of FUNAAB, noted that it was crucial to put together the training, aimed at enhancing facilitation and communication skills of participants in having better knowledge of life-changing management.
He restated his call for the country to move away from its over-dependence on oil resources and embrace agriculture. On his part, the Country Manager of CAVA II (Nigeria) and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development) Designate of FUNAAB, Prof. Lateef Sanni, recalled that the issue of inconsistency in the supply of raw materials was a major and critical point for the survival of large scale industries, noting that sourcing for raw materials of between 250 and 450 tonnes of cassava required quite a lot of work.
“We are aware that you have different locations where you source for raw material but at present, there are some issues we have itemised in the last two years – right quality, right quantity and right time of supply – which should be urgently addressed. The major problem is that the farmers themselves have informed us that some of the extension officers or procurement officers are delaying their payments, which is attitudinal and that’s why we felt its better we bring in a consultant (Prof. Michael Ajayi of FUNAAB) that will interact with you on facilitation, communication and sustainable engagement”, he added.
The main lessons that we can take home from the series of activities highlighted above are that agriculture remains one of the best and most viable options that should be embraced by developing countries, to attain economic independence and sustainable development.
Apart from providing the enabling environment that would make farming attractive, what we simply need is the strong political will, on the part of policy makers and executors, to ensure that agriculture really takes its pride of place
