From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Africa Intellectual Property and Innovation (AfrIPI), in collaboration with the Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITCR) and the Nsukka Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NCCIMA), has organised a consultative meeting for the proposed establishment of the managing group for Nsukka yellow pepper as a potential geographical indications product in Nigeria.
The yellow species of pepper, otherwise called ‘Ose Nsukka’ (Nsukka pepper) in Igbo, is essentially used for spicing food. It has a unique aroma, with many believing that the species can only grow on Nsukka soil (Enugu North senatorial district) hence the reason it is so much sought after, and attracts buyers from every part of the country and other parts of the world.
The the stakeholders’ meeting, Daily Sun gathered, was part of the organisers’ endeavour to support the government of Nigeria, Enugu State in particular, in creating an enabling environment for developing and promoting geographical indications in Nigeria.
The event, which brought together participants from the public and private sectors, including relevant players in the Nsukka yellow pepper value chain, was held recently at Grace Manor Hotel, Old GRA, Nsukka, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the meeting, Mr. Sand Mba-Kalu, executive director at Africa International Trade and Commerce Research (AITCR), said his organizations was the national partner of the Africa Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation (AfrIPI) project in Nigeria.
According to him, AfrIPI is an international cooperation project funded and directed by the European Union, co-funded and implemented by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
“The overall objective of AfrIPI is to facilitate intra-African trade and African and European investment. It specifically aims to create, protect, utilise, administer and enforce intellectual property rights across Africa, in line with international and European best practices and in support of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the African Union´s Agenda 2063.
“The concept of geographical indications (GIs) is an important area that offers the opportunity for Nigeria’s diversification and sustainable development goals, especially in the agricultural sector.
“It refers to unique goods or services originating in a specific locality or region in a country, given that the quality, reputation or other characteristics are essentially attributable to the specific locality or region,” he said.
Speaking further Mr. Sand said that GIs preserve local cultural practices and traditional knowledge throughout a product’s value chain due to their local characteristics, territorial reliability, and source of origin.
“GIs is intellectual property rights that protect certain products with specifications closely linked to their geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, country) and therefore are often identified with their geographical names, such as “Abakaliki rice” from South-East, Nigeria, “Ofada rice” from South-west Nigeria, “Miango Pepper” from Miango- Plateau State, Nigeria, “Palm Kernel Fruit” from South-South Nigeria, to name a few.
“Although the concept of GIs is not a new idea in many countries, it became a common subject of discourse in Africa. For decades, countries in Europe, Asia and the US have benefited immensely from GI certification, locally and internationally. For example, in the European Union, over 3,100 unique products were registered between 2010 and 2017.
“In 2017 alone, revenues from GIs products in the bloc stood at over €74 Billion. 51% of this amount was earned from wines alone and 35% from agricultural and food products.
“In France, popular wine products such as Champagne, Bordeaux and Côte-du-Rhône alone contribute over €19 Billion, making the country the one-stop destination for exotic wines,” he said.
He noted that a similar example is observed in the Kampot pepper, which was registered as a GI in Cambodia in 2010, thereby attracting significant investment, creating thousands of employment opportunities and boosting the income of the local producers. Between 2009 and 2020, the number of producers of Kampot pepper and the size of land cultivated in the region had increased by over 600% and 28,000%, respectively.
He said that producers were also able to sell at premium prices as demand grew exponentially in local and international markets. The pepper, which was sold for $4/$8 in 2009, had appreciated to $15/$25 by 2020.
Mr. Sand expressed confidence that Nsukka yellow pepper would replicate the notable successful GIs products across the world just like Champagne from France, Basmati rice from India and Penjan pepper from Cameroon, Campot pepper from Cambodia, etc.
Dr. Monique Bagal, the AfrIPI long-term GI expert, said the Nsukka yellow pepper was one of Nigeria’s numerous potential candidates for GIs products. She further affirms that studies have highlighted the unique taste, yellowish colour and aroma of Nsukka yellow pepper, attributable to the soil and farming practice unique to the Nsukka area.
Mr. Dan Oche, director-general of NCCIMA, added that the attainment of GIs status would put Nsukka, Enugu and Nigeria on the global map as the source of GIs pepper, while it will improve the livelihood of Nsukka rural women, youths and other stakeholders along the production and marketing value chains.
The Nsukka yellow pepper managing group members were nominated during the consultative meeting to establish Ose Nsukka as a GIs product. The managing group comprises persons who have deep knowledge and experience in the Nsukka Yellow pepper value chain and will represent the interests of stakeholders by ensuring compliance with the GI certification specifications standard.
