The federal government of Nigeria has called on the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to take steps to commercialize its research findings as well as create subsidiary companies whose business is to market its research findings on a large scale and earn income.
The acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo who made this call on the occasion to mark the 50th Anniversary of IITA at its headquarters in Ibadan on Monday noted that the research carried out by the institute was not enough if the results of the research were not marketed for universal application.
The acting President who was represented at the event by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh added that if the research findings of the institute were marketed, the institute would not only expand its earning, it would also create jobs as well as open its door for its scientific researches would be used by farmers.
According to him,” You have done great things in the past, the research is not enough if the results of the research are not marketed for universal Application. In a society where vast majority of farmers are small holders, aging and not educated, more needs to be done. You have to commercialize your findings, you have to create subsidiaries of this institute and if there is the need for us to project to the National Assembly to pass adequate laws, you may have to create subsidiary companies whose business is to market your research findings on a large scale and earn income.
“Governments and their capacities to funding are diminishing and if funding is 90% from outside, something has to be done within. Other countries have their own trouble too and they may not necessarily be always willing to send to us what they need for their own use. This way, you will not only expand your earnings, you create jobs, you also open your doors and your scientific researches will be used by the peasants, the small, the young and even the older farmers.
“You have already done much in your fight against aflatoxins which has been a major challenge to grains just as mealy bug has devastated maize and cassava production many years ago. The army worms is doing terrible things to maize production affecting poultry and human consumption. On tissue culture, you are doing great work and your research works have to spread far and wide for us to begin to produce varieties of food crops in particular which are resistant to diseases”.
He congratulated the former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon and former President Olusegun Obasanjo for establishing the institute which he said had endured in splendour and in success.
“IITA, you make us proud, you make us hopeful. You have been constant in mission, faithful to your mandate and committed to the vision of your founders. We congratulate you, we rejoice with you as you begin a journey into history. Having come this far in half of a century, we have course to rely on you and ask you to join us in dealing with the challenges facing us as a country and Africa as a continent and these are very serious issues for us and indeed for the whole of Africa.
“The first and more urgent is that of population growth. At 3% growth per annum, we are reportedly heading to 400 million Nigerians by the year 2050. That will place Nigeria in the third place after China and India and in a world of 9 billion persons, that will award us not very enviable position if containing 5% of the world population. If these figures are realistic, then we have reason to worry. It is now also speculated that more children are born in Nigeria each day of the week than in the entire European Union. If this is true, it is scary.
“Big question then is, how do we feed 450 million people in just 32 years from now? There is then a question of nutrition, eating much is not eating well. Carbohydrates alone can’t do and that is the bulk of our diet. How do we deal with the issue of other nutrients in our food? But we can do it relying on an institute like this and others joining hands with it. If China and India did it, we too must”.
The acting President however observed that if Nigeria and indeed Africa must move on, her people must reflect on the quantity of their food and quality of products saying that to achieve this, the institute must embark on more research.
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