Yemisi Izuora
Three federal institutions are currently working on a collaborative effort with the intention to enhance growth in the agricultural value chain in the country.
The agencies include the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), an arm of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF).
They have also expressed the hope that the tripartite agreement will not only have a development push on the agriculture sector, but will bring forth joint programmes using indigenous technologies to diversify the economy, create new jobs, improve the national GDP and the general socio-economic wellbeing of the country.
In her speech during a courtesy visit by the chief executives of NIRSAL and PTDF to her office in Lagos, the Director General of FIIRO Prof. (Mrs) Gloria Elemo said that the most beneficial effort of the partnership would be to enhance the agricultural value chain.
“I would like to say that the most beneficial objective of this partnership would be partnership that brings agricultural value chains development to the fore most especially enhancement of agricultural value chains where Nigeria has upmost comparative advantage”, Elemo stressed.
FIIRO boss disclosed her desire for the agreement to target development of value chains where the country has comparative advantage such as rice, cashew and cassava, where the institute has the competency to fabricate and install processing machinery and equipment at micro, small, medium as well as rendering technical consultancy services to large scale enterprises in these value chains.
FIIRO ‘Change Agenda’ she further disclosed, is focused on the agricultural sector as it remains the key to the diversification of the Nigerian economy.
In his speech at the occasion, the managing director of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulhameed says the agency is well funded by government with over $500million in its kitty to finance agric and its value chain and explains why it is going into partnership with FIIRO as NIRSAL do not conduct research.
Abudulhameed disclosed NIRSAL readiness to adopt FIIRL Tomato Catalytic Model Plant already in operations in Kano as a model for enhancing agricultural value chain in the country.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of PTDF, Bello Aliyu said the agency is going into the partnership in order to develop human capacity so that country would be transformed industrially through indigenous technology
“I have seen the waste generated and losses recorded on agricultural commodities. That is why we are collaborating to check this colossal waste”, Aliyu stated.