Dr.Gbenga Olabanji |
4 billion dollar wheat import unacceptable says ED, lake Chad Research Institute, Dr.Gbenga Olabanji,Read the excerpts of his interview below.
Sir, can you tell us the recent
achievement wheat production in Nigeria has recorded to checkmate import?
Thank you,
let me first start by appreciating the present administration for the political
will they have demonstrated in supporting the wheat value chain.
We are all
aware the huge amount being spent monthly on wheat importation going to the
tune of four billion dollar per annual. We feel strongly against the
continuation of this spending. This why the wheat value chain has strategized
on how we can improve on local productivity towards making the produce very
competitive with other crops on the globe.
However the production of wheat has
increased from 2 tons to 5-6 tons per hectare which was very evident with the
farm we visited together with the Kano state Governor and our minister
yesterday. Both His Excellency and the Honorable Minister observed that is
very possible to grow 4 tons per hectare with what they saw.
Also we have
expanded the wheat production frontiers to marginal areas like Kaduna,
Nasarawa, FCT, and Ogun state. Already there are demands from many other states
to joining in the production.
States like Kogi, Kwara, Ebonyi and Edo have been
showing interest of joining in the wheat production programme and which I have
promised to send them pilot packages.
Now we have already developed heat
tolerant wheat varieties that would guarantee our success in terms of good
yield towards self sufficiency in the next five years couple the political will
we are enjoying from the government with funds and inputs being made available.
I can assure Nigerians that within the next five years, there will be wheat
sufficiency in Nigeria. One good news is that the millers have seen the quality
of our wheat varieties with research test and they have promised to off take
them after production.
They have seen it is as good in terms of quality like
the imported ones and they have agreed to mop up all our production from
farmers and we are very committed to that.
Our challenge is how do will meet
the national requirement and that is why we are expanding our production
frontiers. I want to thank the Governor of Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, and
Gombe as they have really tried to support their farmers. Also the millers association has promised to
invest five hundred millions into wheat research in Nigeria, that was the
outcome of our meeting with them at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
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