Casava Export to Reach $1 Billion Mark as Chinese Experts Visit Nigeria

A 500-man team of Chinese agriculture experts are due in Nigeria, shortly to assist in the construction of simple earth dams for irrigation purposes. This development was disclosed by President Olusegun Obasanjo, to a delegation of the National Association of Women in Agriculture and Environment, who paid him a courtesy call in his office, Abuja, recently.

According to President Obasanjo, 10 experts will be posted to each of the 36 States of the Federation to ensure that the entire country benefit from their expertise in the areas of production of vegetables and fish farming. He frowned at a system which discriminates against women in the granting of agricultural loans and urged the Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development, Hajia Aisha Ismail to ensure that the Nigeria Agriculture, Corporative and Rural Development bank favours women in its disbursement of loans to farmers.

In a related development, though at another forum, President Obasanjo told the leadership of the labour unions that from next year, Nigeria is poised to earn $1 billion from the export of cassava pellets. He revealled that this has become the focus given the preference of cassava pellets over grains in feeding livestock as a means of curbing the menace of foot-mouth disease. President Obasanjo at the forum, sold the idea of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) to the labour leaders and explained that since gas export was not subjected to OPEC quota like crude oil sales, government was determined to derive within the decade as much revenue from gas as oil.

In explaining NEPAD, President Obasanjo reiterated that it was a comprehensive program that is designed to uplift Africa politically, socially and economically, within a short period and called on the labour leaders to support the laudable initiative. He said the program hold the potentials to impact positively on the lives of ordinary citizens and should be embraced by all workers.

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Adams Oshiomole expressed the appreciation of the workers to President Obasanjo for carrying them along on issues that are of national and continental significance and for his constant interaction with workers. He referred to NEPAD as another "dividend of democracy."

Bolaji Adebiyi
Nigeria Information Service Centre
July 24, 2002.