From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Federal Government and some stakeholders, yesterday, brainstormed on how to resume yam export to boost national wealth creation. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe, gave hint on the government’s plans at a workshop in Abuja.
Represented by the Director, Department of Agriculture, Abdullahi Garba Abubakar, he said: “Nigeria is the leading producer of fresh yams, yet it is unfortunate to note that despite the huge production, Nigeria is nowhere in the map of countries exporting yams. “If we must have sustainable food security for our teeming population of over 200 million Nigerian people and have enough to export to other countries, there is need to critically examine the factors working against quality production and export of our major commodities of which yam is one of them.
“It therefore become imperative to put Nigeria in its right position by considering its contribution to global production.
He recalled how in 2020, Nigeria contributed 67% while Ghana 10 percent to global output. “However, Ghana remains the second highest world exporter of yam for over ten years and the highest in West Africa with 94 percent to annual export contribution,” he said. Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Abdullahi Garba Abubakar, represented by the Deputy Director, Nutrition Division, Oyeleke Oshadiya, said the workshop had provided an avenue for stakeholders in the sector to deliberate on the way forward in order to boost the income and improve the standards of living of yam farmers to bring prosperity to all yam value chain players.
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