The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Afam Mbanefo

  • Obiano inaugurates farmers support initiative in Anambra

    Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Friday, inaugurated a Farmers Support (FS) Initiative, to eradicate extreme poverty among rural farmers in the state.

    Speaking at the occasion at Aguleri in Anambra East Local Government Area, Obiano said his administration had earmarked N300 million as loans for farmers in the coming farming season.

    Obiano, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Afam Mbanefo, expressed commitment to eradicating poverty through agriculture.

    He, however, urged farmers, yet to repay their previous loans to do so.

    He said participation of youths in agriculture had risen from eight per cent to 25 per cent since he became governor in March 2014.

    According to him, women currently occupy over 60 per cent of the farming population, with men coming below 40 per cent, pledging 100 per cent support for the project in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative is a UK-based International Development Organisation that promotes farming in Africa and Asia.

    It is in collaboration with the State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture and the State Ministry of Agriculture.

    In his remarks, the International Director of FS Initiative, Mr Ikenna Offor, explained that the five-year multi-million naira project was designed to address subsistence and peasant level of farming.

    “The focus is on advocacy, information, training and logistical assistance where necessary.

    “We promote farming as a viable means of livelihood and an avenue of sustainable socio-economic development in developing economies.

    “We plan to commence the project among farmers from Anambra East and Anambra West Local Government Areas after which other local government areas will follow,” he said.

    According to him, the organisation also plans to assist farmers with grants, farm seedlings and inputs on a path to sustainable development.

    “With as a little as N400, 000, I can tell you that most of these peasant farmers can be put on sustainable development and upgraded from the extreme poverty level ,” Offor said.

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    In his speech, the Director-General of the State Chamber of Commerce, Mr Ikechukwu Chukwumaije, expressed confidence that the project would benefit the people of the state.

    He urged stakeholders to key into the project by being supportive at the various stages as part of measures to help farmers out of poverty.

    Other speakers, including Chief Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya) and Prof. Chukwuemeka Omaliko, said if properly implemented, the initiative would impact positively on the security programme of the state.

    NAN

     

     

  • Student who invented bitter-leaf processor gets scholarship

    Anambra state government has promised to sponsor Dikanna Onuigbo, a secondary school student in the state who invented a machine that processes bitter leaves (onugbu) to study Mechanical Engineering in the university.

    The Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke, who made the promise in Awka, on Friday, also assured him of government assistance in patenting his invention.

    He praised the 16-year old SS3 student for his resourcefulness, saying the feat was an indication that the State was blessed with rich talented people.

    Earlier, Onuigbo, a student of Community Secondary School, Okpuno, Awka South Council area of the state, said his dream was to patent the invention and secure funding for its commercialisation.

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    He also said the machine would relieve people from the use of hand processing method they were traditionally used to over the years.

    Accompanied by his father, Peter Onuigbo, the Anambra-born student demonstrated his invention before the presence of the Commissioner for Agriculture, Afam Mbanefo and his Lands counterpart, Nnamdi Onukwuba, among others.

  • Anambra to increase cassava production by 2018 – Obiano

    Anambra to increase cassava production by 2018 – Obiano

    Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra says his administration will increase cassava output and processing by 2018.

    The governor said this on Tuesday during the inauguration of an ultra-modern Cassava Processing Centre and Farmers’ Business Forum at Anambra State Polytechnic ( ANSPOLY ) in Mgbakwu.

    The processing centre is a joint project executed by the institution and Harvest Plus, an organisation that improves nutrition and public health via production of bio-fortified food crops.

    Obiano said that the new strategy for improved cassava production and processing would be in full operation by 2018, adding that “Anambra Garri’’ would soon saturate the markets.

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Afam Mbanefo, said that the state was already a leading producer rice and exporter of vegetables.

    Obiano, who commended Harvest Plus for donating the machines for the project, said that prototypes of the machines would be installed in communities across the state during his second term in office.

    In his remark, Dr Paul Iluno, the Country Director of Harvest Plus, said that the company was partnering with the state to develop efficient farm managers, who would assist farmers in their efforts to achieve good yields.

    Iluno said that the machines of the processing centre had the capacity to process five tonnes of fresh cassava tubers of cassava or one tonne of garriper day.

    The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha, urged cassava farmers to take due advantage of the processing machines to boost their production.

    The Acting Rector of ANSPOLY, Mrs Nneka Mefor, commended Obiano for upgrading the institution from a college of agriculture to a polytechnic.

    She said that the processing centre would expand the knowledge of students, lecturers and farmers in practical aspects of agriculture.

    NAN

  • Commissioner urges increased youth participation in agriculture

    Commissioner urges increased youth participation in agriculture

    The Anambra Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Afam Mbanefo, has advised youths to take advantage of the best training in agronomy practices offered by the ministry to boost food production.

    Mbanefo made the call on Wednesday in Awka while briefing representatives of the Gov. Willie Obiano media team on the achievements of the administration in agriculture so far.

    “With good agronomy practice, vegetable farming can easily net a farmer between N300,000 to N350,000 in six weeks.

    “We are targeting youths for increased food production in 2017; that is why these programmes are organised periodically to sensitise and encourage youth farming, to boost yield in their farms.”

    Mbanefo attributed the launch of the programme to the governor’s desire to alleviate farmers’ low standard of living.

    “Community Farm Development Programme was launched by Gov. Obiano to boost the living standard of farmers in the hinterland and bring development to the grassroots.

    “This will attract youths into agriculture, thereby giving them a source of income which will make youth restiveness and the prevailing poverty in the society a thing of the past,” the commissioner said.