participants and resource persons
Youths across Nigeria especially participants at the cassava capacity training have been urged to take advantage provided by cassava seed entrepreneurs to make themselves champions in agricultural business and end food shortage in Nigeria.
The Executive Director, National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, Professor Ukpabi Joseph Ukpabi represented by the project leader of the institute and training coordinator, Dr Godwin Asumugha gave the charged during the closing ceremony of the participants at the training programme for Cassava Seed Entrepreneurs, CSE 2021.
Organised by National root crops research institute, Umudike in partnership with federal government of Nigeria cum international fund for agricultural development IFAD, assisted valued chain development programme, on the theme, “Cassava Seed Entrepreneurs 2021” for youths in six states held at Library complex of the institute Umudike Abia state.
According to him, the trainings covered aspects of good agricultural practices, pests and disease management, business and enterprise development strategies, as well as modern techniques and handling of cassava materials and benefits of producing Pro-Vitamin A Cassava in addition to other developed varieties.
The coordinator of the training said the trainees were exposed to various agronomics practices, agricultural practices, disease management, business and enterprise development services, as well as modern techniques of cassava as well as cassava handling/plantlets, both harvest handling and cassava seed certification and cassava seed tracking, as well as Nutritional Perspectives and benefits of producing Pro-Vitamin A in addition to other developed improved varieties.
He reminded the participants that IFAD will monitor them using the cassava seed tracker and further charged them to expose to members of their clusters and associations what they learnt.
Dr Asumugha reminded the participants that seasoned scientists from National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, International Institute for Tropical Agricultural, IITA Ibadan and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike have trained them and prepared them to become successful Cassava Seed Entrepreneurs towards development creation, poverty alleviation, food security and growth in Nigerian economy.
In their separate speeches, the representative from international fund for agricultural development, IFAD and national programme coordinator, Mr Ongele Darlington, director of biotechnology, Dr Joseph Onyeka, Dr Charles Amadi, Engineer Victor Ihediwa told the participants that the training was designed to empower them and produce food to fight poverty and ensure food security.
Responding, some of the participants including Nwefuru Godwin from Ebonyi, Uzochukwu Chukwuebuka from Anambra, Momoh Bashiru from Benue and Ibrahim Mustapha from Niger states promised to replicate what they learnt in their various states.
After collecting their certificates, they commended the organisers of the training especially the federal government for given them opportunity to expand their chosen profession.
