The United Nations Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (UNEP-EBAFOSA) has proposed an incentive for tomatoes famers in Nigeria to boost production as well create job for the mass unemployed in the country.
The group however urges stakeholders in the tomato industry to take advantage of its proposed incentives which seeks to facilitate operationalisation of positive climate change guidelines.
According to EBAFOSA, the said incentives is in agreement with the Standard Organisation of Nigeria’s (SON) guidelines, stressing that the planned would create about 60.000 jobs for a start.
The UN Environment Africa Climate Change Coordinator, Richard Munang during a presentation at the Tomato Stakeholders meeting in collaboration with SON in Abuja Monday, said that the incentives would be in form of organic fertilizer, seeds, pest and weed control.
Munang also mentioned clean energy such as: solar powered micro-irrigation, solar driers etc, as part of the incentives.
“The gathering storms of climate change threaten a 25% per hectare reduction in crop productivity in the tomato production areas of Nigeria, threatening livelihoods of over 200,000 farmers and an entire supply chain of enterprises they serve.
“To make it clearer, the infamous pest attacks in 2016 that caused an 80% loss in tomato production, and a shortage of raw materials resulting in closure of the iconic 20 million tomato processing factory, and a loss of thousands of jobs and incomes for farmers, could not have happened if Nigeria’s tomato value chain was adequately climate-proofed.
“Application of solar driers and solar fridges could have enabled earlier harvesting to prevent total loss while use of best practice organic & environmentally sustainable approaches could have improved the resistance of the tomato plants against this pest.
“Left unaddressed, climate change is set to exacerbate these losses. Cumulatively, climate change is projected to cost 6 to 30% of Nigeria’s GDP by 2050, translating to $100 billion to $460 billion in losses, that threaten realization of shared socioeconomic development aims as enshrined in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) & Vision 2020.
“The work of every state agency including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), cascades up to drive these shared economy-wide objectives.” He stated.
Richards went on to say that; “UNEP seeks to collaborate with SON to support you the stakeholders by operationalising this guide, to maximize your production with attendant huge economic benefits.
“This country, which is the second largest producer of tomatoes in Africa, expends a further $1 billion every year, importing tomato paste. These challenges present a billion-dollar worth market opportunity for the SON to tap into, and again, this is what UNEP-EBAFOSA is set to support you do by leveraging on climate action enterprises that are already taking root across the country.
“When a tomato farmer in the North of Nigeria for instance, is linked to organic inputs, like organic fertiliser, organic seeds, organic pest and weed control to grow their tomato, they automatically increase chances of getting harvest, considering these organic approaches, that qualify as Ecosystems Based Adaptation (EBA) are more resilient to the changing climate and its impacts. Most importantly, they set themselves apart to tap niche markets, among increasingly sophisticated consumers who prefer organically produced foods to preserve their health as well as that of their environment.
“With the operationalisation of the tomato production policy, Nigeria is set to convert the $15 billion losses and $1 billion in imports into revenue and enterprise opportunities, cumulatively unlocking 60 000 direct jobs, a big boost to Nigeria’s economic aims.
“Nigeria’s tomato market opportunities urgently need a defender, a defender to make recouping the up to $16 billion in annual market opportunities a reality. And to ensure Nigeria’s comparative advantage as second largest tomato producer in Africa counts in form of food secure homes, incomes & jobs for our youth, more money in more pockets, increased revenues for government.”
Earlier in his remarks, Mr. James Oyesola, UNEP-EBAFOSA Nigeria’s National President, noted that compliance and implementation of through the incentives would create more wealth and jobs for Nigerians.
“The compliance market incentives for agro-industrialization a guide towards fulfilling tomato value chain products for the continental and Global market are first of its kind in Nigeria. It was prepared with technical backstopping of United Nations Environment (UNEP) through the Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA) policy lead by Dr. Richard Munang of UNEP”.
NRIC bill to transform Nigeria technological pursuit- ASURI
The General Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Research Institutions (ASURI), Dr Theophilus Ndubuaku has said that the National Research Innovation Council (NRIC) Bill if passed into law can change Nigeria’s technological pursuit for good.
Ndubuaku who spoke when he was honoured with an Exemplary Leadership Award by the ASURI FCT branch for his struggle and outstanding contributions to research in Nigeria, said he is confident that the Bill will be passed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The NRIC establishment Bill has been passed by the two Houses of the National Assembly and awaiting Presidential assent.
Ndubuaku has been in the forefront of the struggle for the NRIC Bill, leading rallies and protests across the country including the National Assembly.
Various speakers at the award which held in Abuja Monday, described Dr Ndubuaku as a leading light who is championing Research innovations in Nigeria.
He is a member of the Entomological Society of Nigeria (ESN); Nigeria Society for Plant Protection (NSPP); Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN); and Nigerian Society of Experimental Biologists (NISEB).