ITA DG wants governments to tap agriculture for job creation

Emeka Ibemere

Though the Oyo State Economic Summit has come and gone but the resolution reached at the august summit was going to defined the future of development in the ancient empire and probably restore the past beauty, culture, agriculture and the glory of the historic empire. The resolutions reached at the Summit would also in the years to come   if government were to be a continue process in this clime be an economic blue print for governments that would succeed Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The economic summit which attracted industrialists, including the Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Oba Otudeko; the Chairman, Nigerian Economic Summit Group and Executive Chairman, Philips Consulting, Mr Foluso Philips; and the Director General of Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), Dr Joseph Odumodu, was one to behold because of the array of professionals in attendance.

The Governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, in his welcome address said the State was ready to offer incentives and partnership to investors willing to explore opportunities in the agricultural and industrial sectors.

He commended the partnership the State was enjoying with IITA, noting that plans were underway to train young people in agriculture. The Governor solicited more synergies from other foreign bodies in the human and capital development of the State.

 Unveiling data from the private and public sectors, the Governor spoke about several opportunities that abound in various sectors and the efforts his administration had undertaken to make Oyo an investment destination of choice.

 His list of opportunities included infrastructural development, urban renewal, peace and security, training and retraining of civil servants and political appointees, and accountability.

 Governor Ajimobi called on investors and private sector players to avail themselves of the opportunities. He listed as part of the attraction the large market in Oyo State, the huge working population, peace and security, proximity to Lagos, and good governance.

Speaking on the Summit and its implication in creating wealth and jobs, the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Nteranya Sanginga called on Governments to make use of the potential in agriculture to create wealth and jobs.

In his address delivered to stakeholders at the Oyo State Economic Summit, Dr Sanginga said there were opportunities for the youth to start small businesses in seed production, input supply, weed control, and processing, among others. Represented by Dr Kenton Dashiell, Deputy Director General for Partnerships & Capacity Development, Dr Sanginga further explained that the youth could also be farmers and use modern methods that reduce the labour required, raise yields, and increase income.

Citing the example of the IITA Youth Agripreneurs model, Dr Sanginga said that there was the need to change the mindset of the youth. He explained that the Youth Agripreneurs project – the first of its kind in the CGIAR—engages young people from various educational disciplines and through mentoring and training transforms them into Agripreneurs. He added that making agriculture a business is at the core of the program. “This project has so far been successful and we need to scale up,” he said.

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is one of the world’s leading research partners in finding solutions for hunger, malnutrition, and poverty. Its award-winning research for development (R4D) approach addresses the development needs of tropical countries. IITA works with partners to enhance crop quality and productivity, reduce producer and consumer risks, and generate wealth from agriculture. IITA is a non-profit organization founded in 1967 in Nigeria and governed by a Board of Trustees. IITA works on the following crops: cowpea, soybean, banana/plantain, yam, cassava, and maize. IITA is a member of CGIAR, a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future.

It would be recalled that IITA has inaugurated its Central African hub with the commissioning of an official building in Kinshasa that will cover the west provinces of DR Congo and an office in Bukavu, in South-Kivu that will serve the entire Great Lakes sub-region. The Central African hub is the fourth hub established by the Institute. The East African hub has its operations in Tanzania; Southern African hub in Lusaka, Zambia; while the West African hub is based in Nigeria. The West African hub also hosts the headquarters of the Institute in Ibadan.

The hub concept aims to accelerate the Institute’s response to the different opportunities and threats to food security in sub-Saharan Africa. At the inauguration of the hub, IITA Director General, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, said that the choice of DR Congo “is important because of the country’s agricultural potential, which serves as a focal point for research for countries of the Central African region.”

According to him, the inauguration of the building in Kinshasa is part of the Institute’s strategy for efficient delivery of research outputs and to ensure more effectiveness.

In Central Africa, IITA will work with national agricultural research systems such as Institute National pour l’Etude ET la Recherché Agronomique (INERA), universities, nongovernmental organizations, farmers and the private sector.

Dr Sanginga said the establishment of the hub would also consolidate the long-time collaboration between IITA and partners in that region.

For instance, since 1974, IITA has been contributing in strengthening the capacity of INERA. Both institutions have been involved in the breeding of disease-resistant varieties of cassava against major diseases such as cassava mosaic virus. Such collaborations and many more will continue in the years ahead. The Prime Minister of DR Congo, His Excellency Augustin Matata Ponyo, commended IITA for establishing the hub in DR Congo. He expressed optimism that with research, DR Congo could tap its agricultural potential for economic growth and development, and could feed the entire sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to improved varietal development, IITA and INERA research.