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By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Southwest National Rubber Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NARPPMAN) has set out a 10-year development plan for the establishment of hectares of rubber plantation in the region.
This is as the association called on Southwest governors to prioritise rubber farming because of its potential to become a major foreign exchange earner, create employment and bolster the economy.
This was revealed by Mr. Jeremiah Oluwatosin, Chairman of Osun State NARPPMAN and convener of the meeting, during a maiden stakeholders gathering held recently in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. He said the Southwest NARPPMAN agreed to meet the governors to intimate them about how rubber farming could help in galvanising the economy, make it a major export commodity and create employment for the teeming youths.
The association, which said the commodity could generate billions of naira for the region and reduce unemployment, also plans to meet with Yoruba royal fathers on the issue of lands to cultivate rubber massively as contained in the 10-year plan.
The Southwest NARPPMAN also plans the launch of development/intervention fund in the range of about N500 billion in August/September this year, noting that it has finalised modalities for setting up agriculture cooperative society for members to enable them access credit facility, get technical service, hire machinery, haulage and advise on distribution, sales and marketing.
Oluwatosin, in his opening speech, said research studies have confirmed that some other countries of the world like Malaysia reap good revenue from rubber, saying, “this can be a game changer for Nigeria if the crop is given necessary attention.’’
According to him, rubber is rich in by-products, and these keep increasing as technology advances. He said it is a highly profitable crop with hidden treasures that can be explored for the region’s economic liberation.
“It is this desire to use agriculture and particularly the commercial production of rubber to stimulate massive industrialisation of the Southwest, generate huge employment opportunities for the teeming youths, which will eventually serve as the much needed panacea to curb social vices including kidnapping, armed robbery and thuggery, among others.
“The days of Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo were not era of crude oil exploration but he used agriculture to lift the region and make life easy for the people. He encouraged planting of cocoa trees, rubber, cashew, kolanut, coconut and used the revenue to build Liberty Stadium, the Cocoa House, WNBS, WNTV.”
He, however, said the meeting was convened to enable people in the rubber industry to brainstorm and bring out ideas that can help in rescuing the zone and Nigeria in general from further descent into economic pit.
So, in order to showcase and enlighten the government, as well as individuals on rubber, the association is participating in the forthcoming Odua International Agriculture Trade Fair, holding at Expoyo Complex between May 31st and June 11th, saying that the trade fair with theme, “Food Security System for Sustainable Development and Wealth Creation”, will hold in collaboration with all the six Southwest states.
Strategic partners for the trade fair are IITA, Dangote, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, BoA, Zenith Bank, Wema Bank, Jaiz Bank, First Bank, and SARO, among others.
Present at the event were Oladapo Olanrewaju, Chairman, Ondo State, NARPPMAN; Dele Odulaja, former Commissioner for Forestry in Ogun State and elder in NARPPMAN; Jeremiah Oluwatosin, Chairman, Osun and convener of maiden meeting of Southwest, NARPPMAN; Oladele MacDaniel, Chairman, Ogun State NARPPMAN; Alo Adejuyigbe, Chairman, Lagos State NARPPMAN; John Ogungbile, Chairman, Oyo State NARPPMAN; Ademola Sote, an elder from Ogun State; Vice President of NACCIMA, Kola Akosile, and Bisi Makanjuola, among others.
