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Today
marks an anal in the history of Nigeria with the official inauguration of three
formidable agricultural commodity associations by the Permanent Secretary
Federal Ministry of Industry Trade and Investment. This is a landmark in the
quest to diversify the economy of Nigeria from the present oil dependent
economy that rely on revenue that accrue from sales of crude oil that is at
present not attractive in terms of earns.
The
clarion call to develop other viable options aimed at saving the country from
the present economic regress is germane to having sustainable livelihood that
will be facilitated by massive empowerment/employment that will be created with
the development of the various agricultural commodities.
Benefits
of keeping Honeybees
Apiculture,
otherwise known as bee keeping is simply the art of raising honeybees for man’s
economic and health benefits. It involves the use of modern practice of
management of honeybees for the production of their highly desirable products
such as honey, comb/beeswax, pollen, propolis, be venom, royal jelly and
pollination services.
Like all other
agriculture endeavors, beekeeping is not only a noble and economically
rewarding vocation. It is also a very viable economic pursuit undertaken all
over the world. It is therefore, an important aspect of modern agriculture any
developing economy can ignore to the detriment of its general well being. The potential
beekeeping offers to agriculture, in terms of providing employment, improved
nutrition and income generation in developed and developing countries is
substantial.
To the
common man, it is very difficult to understand the real value of bees,
beekeeping and honey production to development. Historically, it has been
proven that man from time immemorial has reaped the benefit of bees; for
instance, King Solomon of 1000BC said “…my son, eat honey, because it is good
and the honey comb which is sweet to Thy taste”. Also the Glorious Quran has a
whole chapter dedicated to the bees (Surat Nahl, Chapter 16). The virtues of
honey in preventing many of the worst disorders in the cure of several others
have been testified globally.
The global
demands for all bee productions cut across religious and cultural lines. The
curative ability of honey as a potential germ destroyer with renowned
antiviral, antifungal, antiseptic and antibiotic activities, as well as,
anti-inflammatory qualities attracts customers to the products. In medicine,
topical applications of honey under controlled conditions have shown
accelerated wound healing in animals, burn wounds and post-operative wounds in
humans.
The
domestic demand for beekeepers’ honey remain amazing as nearly every family is
becoming interested in honey consumption; even at a high price provided purity
is guaranteed. Bee farming also provides people that take beekeeping as
secondary occupation with extra source of income and nutrition and can generate
foreign exchange earnings, thus is a sustainable form of agriculture. More so,
the practice is not detrimental to the environment, since it helps in the
regeneration of forest resource, reclamation of eroded land and pasture
improvement.
Wax from
the honeybee has an extremely wide spectrum of use applications and occupies a
very special position among waxes. Beeswax for centuries, before the advent of
petroleum-based waxes, was appreciated as the best material for making candles.
Ancient jewelers and artisans formed delicate objects casted in precious metal
from beeswax. Furthermore, the colors of ancient wall paintings and icons
containing beeswax are reported to have remained unchanged for more than 2000
years and the wrappings of Egyptians mummies for over 1000 years. The beeswax
has long found use in medical practice and the cosmetic industry, as they are
used in compounding creams and lotions. Of all the primary bee products the
beeswax has been, and remains, the most versatile and most widely used product.
Beeswax is also useful in the traditional
textile industry for making batiks, while in the pharmaceutical and medical
lines it is used as a coating for drugs or pills, to facilitate injestion but
retards dissolution of the enclosed compounds until they reach the digestive
tracts. Beeswax can also be prepared as a mixture with various drugs and it
functions as a time release mechanism, ensuring the release of the drug over a
longer period of time. In horticulture, a mixture of one part melted beeswax
with one part of resin and enough lard or tallow to a pliable finely ground
charcoal may be added to protect the wound against sunlight, is especially with
grated surface and crops.
The royal
jelly is another important product of beekeeping. It is secreted and fed
directly to the queen or the larvae. The only situation in which royal jelly
harvest becomes feasible is during queen rearing, when the larvae destined to
become queen nees are supplied with abundant royal jelly. The hormonal effect
of royal jelly is responsible for the enormous fertility of a queen
genetically. An invitro study has confirmed that IO-hydroxydecanoic acid in
royal jelly has a thermo stable antibiotic activity which decreases with
improper or long-term storage. This has worked against Escherichia coli,
Salmonella proteus, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, Fungi and
viruses.
Propolis
is another major product obtained from beekeeping. It is formed from mixture
of various amounts of beeswax and resin
collected by the honeybee from plants, particularly from flowers and leaf buds.
This product is useful in the extension of frozen fish storage life by 2-3
times and post-harvest treatment and conservation of fruits. The dermatological
and cosmetic applications are probably the most common uses for propolis and
its extracts. One of the most widely known and extensively tested properties of
propolis is its antimicrobial activity. A positive synergistic effect has also
been reported for propolis extract and various antibiotics. It has been proven
that propolis extracts are more effective than commercially available drugs.
Pollen is
frequently described as the “only perfectly complete food”. High performance
recorded by athletes substituting on pollen are suggested as being informed by
the “miracle food”, just as the “busy bee” represents a role model for an
active and productive member of society. The only long-term observations on the
medicinal effect of pollen are related to prostate problems and allergies. A few
clinical tests in Western European countries have shown pollen to be effective
in treating prostate problems ranging from infections and swellings to cancer.
There is also some evidence that ingested pollen can protest animals, as well as,
humans from the adverse effects of x-ray radiation.
Beekeeping
is always associated with bee stings. The sting may be painful with both local
and systemic effects. The correct placement of injections, or stings and the
dosage are very important in its therapeutic use. Therefore, the bee venom
therapy must be properly learned. For instance in the Republic of China, bee
venom therapy is combined with the knowledge of acupuncture by many hospitals,
and relief of some ailment are obtained by simply applying a bee sting or two
to the affected area. This led to the formation of a society for
api-acupuncture in Japan in 1980. Similarly, bee venom therapy popularly called
BVT is currently in use in Romania to cure HIV/AIDs.
Bee venom
has also been of benefit in tracing a large number of ailments. This
therapeutic value was already known to many ancient civilizations. Today, the
uses of bee venom are in human and veterinary medicine. Bee venom has long been
used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various kinds of rheumatism.
The protective value of bee venom and militating against the lethal or damaging
effects of x-rays has been investigated.
It is a
known fact that agricultural growth and crop productivity largely depend on bee
pollination services that have ecological and agricultural values. As we also
know, the global business of honey industry contributes to over $200billion to
the global economy through crop pollination, production of honey, beeswax and
other beehive products. Out of this, Africa gets a teaspoon i.e. less than 10%,
while the potential of the sector is frighteningly huge. It is therefore
worrying that Nigeria has failed to tap on this important and strategic
industry to generate food, employment, environmental conservation and diversification
of exports especially at their period of the nation’s economic predicament.
Challenges and Prospects of
Beekeeping in Nigeria
The
present economic challenges in Nigeria call for a serious sustainable
environment-friendly agricultural enterprise with a great potential that
improves export earnings. It is pure fervent believe that this program will
enhance the contribution of the apiculture sector to its sustainable human
development and specifically increases the income of beekeepers and traders of
bee products through improved commercialization of quality bee products in
Nigeria which will in turn lead to a drastic increase in the GDP of the nation.
Challenges
of Nigerian Beekeeping Industry
The major
constraints facing the Beekeeping Sector in Nigeria are:
ü Lack
of Formal Beekeeping Policy And Law
Beekeeping
should be recognized as a viable agricultural enterprise by formulation of a
Beekeeping Bill of Right which should take into account the roles of
inter-sectoral cooperation and coordination for the enhancement of
environmental conservation and development of appropriate indigenous beekeeping
technology popular to beekeepers and friendly to the environment.
No doubt,
there is high competitiveness at the international markets for honey and
beeswax in terms of quality. The roles being played by National Agency for
Foods and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is commendable but there is
still need for directives which will have to be strictly adhered to by all
people handling the honey before it reached the customer especially during
harvesting. These legal directives need clear mission and vision of the
Beekeeping Policy concerning development and control of quality standards for
honey.
Nigeria is
one of the few countries of the world that still enjoy clean environment and
this extends to our strain of bee. In line with Banjul Bee Declaration,
beekeepers should be discouraged from importing used equipment and bee colonies
due to various bee diseases. Thus legal regulation for controlling importation
and exportation of honeybees is inevitable. Such legal regulations must be
based on a sound Beekeeping Policy which encourages research and development
of indigenous honeybee species.
ü Lack
of effective Beekeeping Extension Services
Beekeeping
extension services are not effectively reaching the beekeepers, processors of
bee products, manufacturers of beekeeping equipments and business people
involved in buying and selling of bee products. As a result, the goods and
services of beekeeping sector are still low in quantity and quality; the number
of beekeepers is still small thus the national production of bee products less
than 5% of production potential; about 98% of beekeeping activities are carried
out by mostly hobbyists while participation of women and the youth is low or
non-existent in some areas of the country due to beliefs that beekeeping is
sacred.
Another reason why women and youth are not actively participating in
beekeeping is the stinging behavior of the honeybees and lack of knowledge
about the use of bee protective, management techniques coupled with inadequate
public awareness on bee products-based industries which could employ many
people and improve their socio-economic development.
ü Lack
of Adequate Statistical Information to Guide Plans and Operations for the
Development of The Beekeeping Sector
The
importance of statistical information for sustainable development of the sector
is in the areas of attracting and giving confidence to potential investors
guiding the preparations of bankable beekeeping programs and projects which can
attract provision of credit facilities for beekeepers, processors of bee
products, manufacturers of bee equipments and traders of the products
Information on bee resources which exist in the various ecological zone in the
country is not readily available. Other important data for guiding plans and
operations include:
o
Colony
productivity in terms of bee products per session per given type of hive
o
Prices
of bee products in local and international markets
o
Prices
of bee equipments in the various beekeeping areas
o
Annual
National production and export figures of the bee products
o
Contribution
of the beekeeping sector to the GDP
ü Lack
of Knowledge for Adequate and Appropriate Processing and Storage Facilities for
Bee Products
The
quality and quantity of honey reaching the costumer is dependent on the quality
and conditions of the processing and storage facilities
ü Lack
of Transport Facilities for Beekeeping Extension, Production and Marketing
Services
This
problem has a negative impact on attraction women and the youth to join
beekeeping distribution of goods and services.
ü Lack
of Efficient and Effective Marketing of Bee Products
Field
surveys revealed that there are huge amounts of honey and beeswax which
beekeepers found difficult to push to the market due to lack of efficient and
effective marketing system. This frustrates beekeepers and potential ones.
Establishment of bee products commodity board to mop up beekeepers’ productions
is necessary.
Prospect
of Beekeeping in Nigeria
The
overall goal of the National Beekeeping Policy is to enhance the contribution
of the beekeeping sector to the sustainable development of Nigeria and the
conservation and management of her natural resources for the benefits of
present and future generations. The sectoral objectives are derived from the
macro-policies of the country as well as from the beekeeping sectoral problems
and opportunities. Objectives for the beekeeping sector are as follows:
ü Ensured sustainable existence of
honeybees by maintaining and effectively managing adequate area of bee reserves
ü Improved quality and quantity of
honey, beeswax and other bee products and ensured sustainable supply of the
same
ü Enhanced beekeeping – based national
development and poverty alleviation through sustainable supply of bee products
(honey, beeswax, royal jelly, propolis, brood, pollen) and services
ü Improved biodiversity, increased
employment and foreign exchange earning through sustainable bee products-based
industrial development and trade
ü Ensured ecosystem stability by
practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and carrying out
ü Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) for investment inside or around Bee Reserves and Apiaries; and
ü Enhanced national capacity to manage
and develop the beekeeping sector in collaboration with other Stakeholders.
Conclusion
The value
of beekeeping is as sweet as honey itself, not minding other valuable products
such as beeswax, pollen or otherwise
known as bee bread, propolis, royal jelly, bee venom, apilarmil and apilanil
prop, which are derivable from keeping bees.
Long live
Federal Republic of Nigeria
Long live
Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment
Long live
Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Long live
FACAN
Long live
FEBKAN
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