Yemisi Izuora
The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending has accepted partnership with ABG Paulas Resources Limited to deliver the international conference on potato value chain and other root crops.
Potato is the third most consumed food crop globally coming after rice and wheat, consumed by a billion people worldwide.
The expo would be the first international potato value chain expo in Nigeria, which is the 4th largest producer of Potato in the Sub-Saharan Africa and the 7th largest producer in Africa.
The Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono in a letter dated April 30th, 2021 validated the conference and exhibition, describing it as an event that would “open up investment opportunities, create jobs for stakeholders and facilitate increased production as well as food and nutrition security.
The minister is scheduled to deliver a keynote address at the event, which would be attended by a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the root crops value chain.
Other confirmed speakers are the Managing Director of NIRSAL, Aliyu Abdulahammed; the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Garba Sharubutu; the Chief Executive Officer of Farmforte, Osazuwa Osayi and Member Board of Directors, Inova Capital Ag, Switzerland, Prince Henry Erimodafe, among others.
The Executive Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong had also appointed the Deputy Governor of Plateau State, Sonni Gwanle Tyoden to oversee the organisation of the expo, describing the event as in line with the objectives of the agriculture policy of the State.
Lalong spoke when the ABG Paulas team paid him a courtesy call at the Government House in Rayfield, Jos.
During the visit, the Governor and the Deputy Governor were decorated as Chief Ambassadors of the Expo by the MD/CEO ABG Paulas Resources limited, organisers of the expo.
Participants at the expo are expected to define a pragmatic and achievable roadmap for the full development of the multi billion dollars value chain, yet to be tapped by the private sector.