RMARD, Concerned stakeholders advocate oil seed repositioning

 Lt-Rt-Engr Henry Olatunjoye, Dr. Hassan Agungun, FACAN President,  Dr. Victor Iyama, RMRDC Dr. Ogunwusi & Mr. Chris Mamadu.

The Raw Material Research And Development (RMRDC) and the concerned stakeholders at the oil seed value chains including farmers, processors and marketers in Nigeria have had a brainstorming session on the need to holistically reposition the sub-sector into a more viable business ventures in order to create wealth and job for the people especially the youths and women in the country.

They argued that Nigeria can potentially grows many of the oil seed crops at all the regions, but sadly enough the economic potentials in them are not exhaustively tapped in the way Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, South Africaand Ghana have harnessed the opportunities in all the crops for the economic growth of their nation as the crops viability are said to be able to remove poverty in Nigeria.

Cross section of stakeholders

The oils extracted from  soybean, groundnut, peanut, rapeseed mustard, sunflower, safflower, sesame, linseed, castor and palm kernel are predominantly used for edibles as this has attracted wealth and jobs to country like Malaysia that came to Nigeria to pick the seed to plant and process to earn more foreign currency. Others are jatropha, neem oil andmoringa seeds that have industrial use like olechemical substances which is basically imported at a cost into the country.

In the spirit of charting a new course to proactively reposition the oil seed value chain to performing effectively to standard, the Director General, RMRDC, Dr. Hassaini Doko Ibrahim wanted the stakeholders to address some key areas the country must be repositioned to ensuring global standard saying a new chart must be fashioned out to meet the present day government administration aspiration of going into commercial productivity to checkmate import and create jobs.

In his speech read by the Director, Agriculture and Agro Allied Department, Dr. Abimbola Ogunwusi, the DG, Dr. Ibrahim said that the meeting should address the present position of the sub sector in its holistic productivity saying that “ the stakeholders is expected to critically look at the situation in the vegetable oil industry ( both primary and secondary raw materials) especially, in the areas of demand and supply situation, importation, to mention but a few and then chart a way forward on the optimal production and processing of the common oil seeds of which Nigeria is abundantly blessed”

In the face of billions of dollar potential Nigeria is losing to importation, and the readiness of the President Mohammudu Buhari to diversify the economy from mono oil using agricultural sector as one of the engine power houses to create job and wealth through saving of foreign exchange by enhancing the development of food, chemicals and pharmaceutical industries in the country, the DG submitted that there is need for proactive steps to achieve positive result stressing that “In other countries of the world, oil seeds are the major raw material for the olechemical industries, but at present about 100% of olechemicals are being imported into the country as we lack any known producing plant according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics”

The National President, Federation of Commodity Associations (FACAN) Dr. Victor Iyama and other co-speakers at the meeting shared their experiences on the way to move the sector forwards saying both the private and public sectors need to bring more ingenuity that will ensure aggressive productivity towards checkmating import, and creation of jobs for the youths in the country as no foreign investors can be genuinely interested in the development of the country more the citizens.

The Publisher of Food Farm News Ayeni Oladehinde with Prince Adeyeni

Dr. Iyama posited that the idea of foreign investors on our economy would not actually allow the country to develop as Government must wake up to support local investors who have genuine intention, argued that majority of the foreigners being paraded as investors in Nigeria were mere buyers of our raw produce for further processing in their countries saying that there is need to encourage modular factories for proper engagement of our people in the development process of the country.

According to him “there is enough in agriculture to give $50 billion per day. Nigeria should develop her market to allow consumption. Who are the foreign investors? Is it the Chinese or other nationals that come here to buy raw sesame seeds, ginger or cocoa for further processing in their countries? No person will develop you except by ourselves. Importing palm oil from Malaysia when we can grow and process it through modular factories is uncalled for. Very soon we will be looking for foreign president, foreign coach, foreign investor, foreign this and foreign that”

A former director of RMRDC, Dr. Hassan Argungun alluded to the fact that oil seed crops are more competitive if properly harnesses in term of premium price and other environmental advantages over petroleum, but pointed that the sector was not well coordinated to attract much potential despite the high demand of them abroad. Dr. Argungun said “we have not done much with these resources as the gains that come out from value addition in terms of oil and cake can give much to the country. 

Cross section of stakeholders

RMRDC has carried out many researches into several oil seed including moringa and Nigeria needs 30 million metric tons of castor oil to process. All are opportunity we must use to eradicate poverty”

Both Engr. Henry Olatujoye and Mr. Chris Mamuda in their papers titled“Nigeria oil seed: A potential for industrial revolution and economic diversity” and “The Investment opportunities in some selected oil seeds and production in Nigeria” respectively threw more light into the potentials and many other gains Nigeria could benefit if the sub sector is properly harnessed for global agronomics practices with uncompromised standard as commercial banks give support to agriculture.

The meeting ended up with a need to have an umbrella association that will be speaking as a voice for the oil seed crops in any global forum as being practiced in the other advanced countries of the world.