NEF, FACAN partner to ensure standard for export

The Nigerian  Entrepreneurship Forum, NEF in partnership with Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to access the five billion dollars made available by the Chinese government through its Entrepreneurship Development Centre Facility under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for entrepreneurs in the country to ensure standard for export.

This was disclosed by the President, NEF, Sidney Inegbedion during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja.

Inegbedion said both organisations are already working with the Chinese government through the CBN to make the grant available for access, adding that the signing of the MoU, is important to both NEF and FACAN  because it would give the country the opportunity to be able to expand the horizon of the indigenous farmers through capacity building towards standard for global market.

He explained that to attain this, training, funding, creation of market access, locally and internationally and also the deployment of mechanised equipment and modern infrastructure to the development of agriculture are all required.

The NEF boss stressed that with FACAN playing a major role in the agriculture sector having over 49 association groups representing strategic sector of the agriculture value chain, like sesame seeds, shea butter, cassava etc, will through the memorandum ensure that quality and standard is ensure as the Nigerian agri produce is expected to be exported to the Chinese and the European market.

The President of Federation of Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria (FACAN) Dr. Victor Iyama said that it was time for the both parties to extend their relationship as to ensure that the sector is reposition.

 ‘We have collectively decided as a nation that reliance on monoculture or the crude oil will not do us any good in the light of the global change. Agriculture remains constant. The coming together of Nigerian Entrepreneur Forum and FACAN is to address these issues,” he explained.

He noted that only agriculture can take the nation off the poverty line, as the sector can generate not less than N100 billion monthly and that the nation can feed Africa if agriculture is given the attention it needed.