Author: Adewale Kupoluyi
Nigeria’s perennial failure to leverage its natural advantages to create wealth and eliminate poverty was brought into sharp relief. The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development admitted that while the country remains the world’s largest producer of yam, it is missing on the list of exporters. The federal and state governments need to adopt effective policies to reverse this pathetic pattern of poverty amidst plenty. A stakeholders’ workshop, held in Abuja, provided a forum for the reality check. The Permanent Secretary in the MARD, Ernest Umakhihe, in his message, said, “Nigeria is the leading producer of fresh yams, yet…
The Federal Government (FG) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), have lauded Enugu State for its excellent performance on the FG/IFAD-Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP). IFAD, which is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries. Enugu State is among the nine states in Nigeria currently benefitting from the programme. Five of the 17 council areas of the state are currently among the beneficiaries of the programme on value chain of rice and cassava for sustainable agricultural transformation.They are Aninri, Enugu…
