FUNAAB VC seeks measures to consolidate Nigeria’s cassava

The Federal Government and other stakeholders in the Cassava Value Chain have been enjoined to play their roles efficiently and also apply new strategies to sustain and consolidate the country’s current position as the world’s largest producer of cassava.

Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Felix Salako, made the call at a recent Cassava Technology International Conference organised in Lagos by the university, in collaboration with Natural Research Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, London.

The FUNAAB boss noted that as part of efforts to sustain the country’s position on cassava, the federal government and government in all cassava-producing states, must immediately address issues of infrastructure; especially road and transportation generally, which in his view are very critical to attaining this goal. 
 In his view, Nigeria’s position could come under serious threat as a result of epileptic power supply, citing the case of some firms, which re-located to Ghana due to poor power supply.

The university don who lauded government’s agric policy and reduce dependency on oil, revealed that holding the conference at this period was not coincidental and that it was timed to boost this new agric drive, by encouraging the emergence of new cassava farmers, new cassava technology and new and improved standard of taking cassava products for export.

The Vice Chancellor also said the workshop was part of the university’s response to the fresh mandate by the Minister of Agric, Audu Ogbeh whose ministry now supervise agric universities in the country, to mobilise people in their areas of coverage to produce enough to feed themselves.