By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
AATF’s Regional Representative for West Africa, Dr. Jean Baptiste Tignegre has said that farmers and extension agents have crucial roles to play in Africa’s quest to attain food and nutritional security.
Dr. Jean Baptiste made the observation at the opening of the North-Central sensitization programme organized for farmers and extension agents on biotechnology in Abuja.
“To our farmers and extension agents, of all the things that will be said here today, please remember that you are the link to the attainment of food and nutrition security which all African countries are working hard to achieve.
If our extension agents get it right, by taking the necessary technologies and information to our farmers, then farmers will be properly guided to produce the necessary food that will ensure we meet our daily needs and even export,” he added.
Jean Baptiste who also doubles as the Project Manager for the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea noted that with good guidance from extension agents’ farmers will be able to implement best agronomic practices that will lead to increased agricultural productivity and reduced hunger.
Earlier, Dr Rose Gidado, OFAB Nigeria Coordinator, said the workshop has the objectives of implementing a proactive communications strategy and policy based on an outreach and awareness framework; and promoting modern biotechnology and biosafety to engender public trust in regulatory decision-making.
Dr. Gidado said the workshop will offer participants the opportunity to discuss the existing modern biotechnology research capacity opportunities and limitations in Nigeria and explore policy issues related to improving biotechnology innovation in the country.
“The need for safe biotechnology application, especially in agriculture, is integral to the roadmap for improving productivity, quality of food crops and income of farmers. It is therefore important to sensitize the North Central on the benefits of modern biotechnology practice to counter the health-related claims made by the antis,” she added.
The one-day meeting attracted participants from all the states in the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria.
AATF is an international not-for-profit organization that is empowering smallholder farmers across Sub-Saharan Africa with a wide choice of agricultural innovations that contribute to food and nutrition security to generate health and wealth for their families and communities.
Established in 2003 as an African-led entity, AATF works with public and private partners across the full food value chain to access, develop, deliver and commercialize innovative technologies that bring meaningful change to Africa’s agriculture. AATF is driven by a vision of a prosperous and food-secure Africa, one where millions of smallholder farmers can transform African agriculture with the same innovations that are transforming food production around the world.
AATF believes that farmers in Africa will become globally competitive through the use of the best technology, optimal agricultural practices, strategic product value addition and boosted access to efficient markets within and outside Africa.
