By Chinyere Anyanwu
The African Development Bank (AfDB) President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, has stressed the need for the federal government to eliminate food import dependency and support local farmers to feed the country through enhanced food production.
Dr. Adesina stated this recently during the inauguration of a soybean plant and refinery at the Called Servant to Service (CSS) Global Integrated Farms in Gora, Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Expressing concern over the rising cost of food and the hunger crisis in Nigeria, the AfDB boss emphasised the need for bold policies and programmes to support local farmers and agribusinesses.
He said, “accelerated efforts are needed to expand food production, lower the prices of food commodities, eliminate food import dependency and support local farmers to feed Nigeria,” he said.
He highlighted the huge difference in rice prices, comparing the current price of over N100,000 per 50kg bag to the N8,000 it cost during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture under President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Nigeria should have bold programmes and policy support for its farmers. It should also provide incentives for agribusinesses to support agricultural value chains, from food production to processing, value addition, packaging and market supply,” Adesina stated.
He commended CSS Farms for its role in enhancing food production and agribusiness development in Nigeria, particularly among the youth.
The soybean plant and refinery, with the capacity to produce 10,000 litres of soybean oil daily, was described as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He noted that the refinery would help reduce Nigeria’s dependence on crude soybean oil imports valued at $62.2 million. The founder of CSS Farms, Prof. John Okpara, revealed plans to establish an agriculture university to empower students to set up agro-related businesses.
He also recounted the divine inspiration behind the establishment of the farm, which began six years ago with one hectare of land and has since expanded to 1,750 hectares with over 1,450 workers.
“In this farm, we produce 3,000 crates of eggs daily. Today, we are going to commission something new. I also produce a lot of soybeans,” Okpara said. He explained the farm’s integrated approach, which processes soybeans into various products, including soybean meal, cake, oil and sludge. The sludge is used to produce soap, while the soybean cake and meal are used in animal feed production.