Okwe Obi, Abuja
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has confessed that Nigeria is lagging behind in beekeeping farming.
Ogbeh, who enlisted some benefits of beekeeping disclosed this at the 6th Edition of ApiExpo in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, “We have not treated the bee very kindly in the past. Now we have discovered that the bee is our friend, money maker and a helper of the ecosystem.
“As we all know, beekeeping has created jobs for many developed and developing countries from production, processing, packaging and marketing.
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“Beekeeping has improved the lives of smallholder farmers with an estimation of $500 billion.”
He gave cheering news that “Government will undertake the greater support in beekeeping industry. Government will provide materials, do more training and encourage more persons to get involved and that only the high standards of production are applied as we seek to be part of this vibrant sector to the agriculture and food industry,” he noted.
Chairman, ApiExpo Africa 2018, Dr. Dooshima Kwange, added that every part of the country is blessed with bees, which should be tapped for economic diversification.