(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DSC02240-3-300x168.jpg) Dateline: Kakanfo Inn Conference Centre, Ibadan – The West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) is set to see to the resuscitation of Nationally Coordinated Research Projects (NCRPs) in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Prof. Baba Yusuf Abubakar disclosed this in a message delivered at the on-going Workshop organised for the revival of Nationally Coordinated Research Projects holding at the Kakanfo Inn Conference Centre in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The Representative of the Executive Secretatary, Prof. Olusola oyewole delivering the ES's welcome address while in According to the Executive Secretary, the resuscitation of the Nationally Coordinated Research Projects (NCRPs) is "necessitated by the desire to improve the productivity of the local farmer and to reduce poverty and malnutrition in Nigeria across Nigeria." He said, "Farmers and households are struggling to survive and rural poverty remains high. Farmers face difficulties in obtaining knowledge and services that could improve their cultivation practices, increase their production outputs, reduce their post-harvest losses and provide them with access to reliable market and policy information. If the situation remains, especially in the context of food price shocks, global economic recession and increased climatic and disease challenges, poverty and malnutrition are highly likely to increase."
Besides, the Executive Secretary added, the NCRPs will enable researches on particular crops, animals, fisheries management practices etc, be tackled simultaneously and collectively by scientists and with a spirit of cooperation, taking into consideration the ecological peculiarities and the socio economic and cultural backgrounds.
Research and development is key to improving the agricultural sector and rural livelihood, he emphasised. He thus charged the committee members to critically review past experiences in operating the NCRPs, draw lessons and proffer a way forward in reviving and ensuring sustainable NCRPs in Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary's speech was delivered on his behalf by Prof. Olusola O. Oni, a Director in the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria.
While delivering an opening remark at the workshop, the National Project Coordinator, Prof. Damian O. Chikwendu stated that the development objective of WAAPP is to strengthen the National Agricultural Research Systems (NARs) in Nigeria to contribute to technology development, dissemination and adoption in order to boost agricultural productivity in Nigeria's top commodity sub-sectors that are aligned with sub regional priorities. Studies, he expatiated identified roots and tubers, rice, sorghum, livestock and aquaculture among others as the commodities that make the greatest contribution to the sub-region's agricultural growth and producer's benefit from research and development.
To this end, he said, the competitive Agricultural Research Grants (CARGs) have been advertised by WAAPP-Nigeria. He announced that quite a number of proposals have been received and are being processed. He also acknowledged that there were still many critical research issues which are not properly addressed in the Competitive Agricultural Research Grants and that WAAPP-Nigeria will try to address such issues using the window of opportunities of the Non-Competitive Agricultural Research Grant schemes.
Professor Chikwendu called on the Professor Magaji-led Committee for the revival of the nationally coordinated research projects to come out with workable recommendation on the revival. He asked them to take into consideration the issue of 40% inclusion of women in their recommendation as well as inclusion of environmental impact assessments to enable their proposal receive positive nods from the World Bank.
The NCRPs Committee has as its members several eminent scientists, scholars and other key stakeholders of the National Agricultural Research system (NARS).
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