By Olawale Asake
The Federal Government says the implementation of Cassava Bio-economy will end Nigeria’s food insufficiency and it will create more employment opportunities for the teeming youths.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mr. Nebeolisa Anako stated this at Institute of International Tropical Agriculture, IITA, Ibadan during the South-West Regional Awareness and Sensitisation workshop on Bio-economy on Cassava-Bioethanol value chain Development programme.
The workshop has as its theme “Knowledge Transfer: Cassava and Bio-Ethanol Value Chain”
The Permanent Secretary represented by the Director, Economy Growth in the Ministry, Mrs Elizabeth Egharevba, said the workshop on the strategic implementation of Bio-ethanol Project was one of the aspirations of the Federal Government to bring about higher GDP growth and significantly reduce unemployment in the Country.
He said that Bio-economy Policy was aimed at promoting sustainable economic growth and development by creating a Bio-based economy that would contribute to Nigeria job creation, poverty reduction, and increased access to food and energy.
The Permanent Secretary said that the aim would be achieved through the development of the cassava Bio-economy, as well as other Bio-resources.
Mr. Anako appreciated all the stakeholders from the relevant Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs, for their collaboration and enduring partnership thus far in developing the Bio-economy Policy.
He maintained that it was pertinent to look at the Bio-economy response and how it could contribute to the deceleration of the rising food insecurity in Nigeria.
“The country, at this time, needs an approach that will increase food production, youth employment, and increased growth through the provision of industrial feedstock and exportable products to boost our economy”.
“This becomes even more imperative, given the recent removal of subsidy on Petroleum products, re-evaluation of the Naira through the merging of official and non-official exchange windows.”
” Development of the Cassava Bio-ethanol value chain is a veritable pathway to assuage the economic impacts on citizens and for sustained development,”
Speaking on behalf of IITA management, Dr Chrysantus Akem, Project Coordinator of Technology Transformation, said that the cassava Bio-ethanol value chain aimed on how to transform cassava to other by- products.
Dr. Akem said that IITA was ready to partner on the project based on its impart on African youths who are were in dear need of employment.
In his Presentation, the Consultant, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Professor Ken Ife said bioeconomy enhances production, utilization and conservation of biological resources to provide sustainable solutions within and across all economic sectors to transform into a sustainable economy.
Professor Ife maintained that Nigeria being one of the biggest producers of Cassava in the world needed technology and added value to cassava production.
He added that Bio-economy was the new economy for the future where an infinite range of products and services across all sectors of the economy which Nigeria need to work on.
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