President of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB), Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has called for accelerated efforts to expand food production in Nigeria, lower the price of food commodities, eliminate food import dependency, and support local farmers in Nigeria to feed Nigeria.
Adesina stated this on Saturday during the commissioning of the Call Servant to Sight (CSS) Global Integrated Farm Soybean Refinery Mill, in Gora, Nasarawa State.
The former Minister of Agriculture said Nigeria should have bold programmes and policy support for its farmers as well as provide incentives for agribusinesses to support agricultural value chains from food production to processing, value addition, packaging, and market supply.
The AfDB President also revealed that the Bank and its partners are supporting the Federal Government and are implementing a $538 million programme for the development of the special agro-industrial processing zones (SAPZs) in Cross Rivers, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, and the Federal Capital Territory. He added that the second phase of the SAPZs will cover the remaining 28 states with a financing target of $1 billion.
He commended the Founder of CSS Global Integrated Farm, Professor John Kennedy Opara, for his initiatives and vision in establishing the farm, describing it as a light in the agriculture sector to support Nigeria’s economic transformation and feed Nigeria.
“We are here to see the good works of John Kennedy Okpara, exemplified by his vision to establish the CSS Global Integrated Farms. A light in the agriculture sector to support Nigeria’s economic transformation. A light in support of efforts to feed Nigeria. The level of hunger in Nigeria is too high due to very high food price inflation.
“Accelerated efforts are needed to expand food production, lower the price of food commodities, eliminate food import dependency, and support local farmers in Nigeria, to feed Nigeria. There is no doubt that Nigerian farmers can feed Nigeria. They did when I was Minister of Agriculture under President Jonathan. The price of rice at the time was N8,000 per bag; today it is over N100,000 per bag.
“Nigeria should have bold programmes and policy support for its farmers. It should also provide incentives for agribusinesses to support agricultural value chains, from food production to processing, value addition, packaging, and market supply. The CSS Global Integrated Farms is playing its own part.
“I am impressed that the farm, located on 1,600 hectares, is a diversified modern farm, with mechanisation, modern irrigation systems, to improve the production of food crops, oil seeds, poultry, and fish. The farm has achieved global ISO 9001 certification, bolstering its commitment to food safety and environmental standards.
“I am also impressed that the CSS Global Integrated Farms is a model farm to encourage the youth to move into agriculture as a business and has supported the training of thousands of youths in various aspects of agricultural production and agribusiness management.
“I commend the CSS Global Integrated Farms on the construction of this modern soybeans processing plant and refinery. This ultra-modern refinery with a processing capacity of 10,000 litres of soybean oil per day is a major milestone in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“Nothing on the farm is wasted. Soybeans from the farm get processed into soy cake, soy meal, soy sludge for soap, and soy oil. The feed mill will support poultry and fish production, an excellent example of an integrated farm operation. The production of soybean oil by CSS Global Integrated Farms will contribute towards reducing Nigeria’s crude soybean oil imports, estimated at $62.2 million in 2023.
“The success of the operations of the CSS Global Integrated Farms will be greatly enhanced within the context of the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) in Nigeria. The African Development Bank and its partners are supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria and implementing a $538 million programme for the development of the special agro-industrial processing zones in 8 states (Cross Rivers, Imo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara) and the Federal Capital Territory.
“The second phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones will cover all remaining 28 states in Nigeria. The SAPZ-Phase II is planned with a financing target of $1 billion from the African Development Bank, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development, and the private sector.
“I am excited that at the recently held Africa Investment Forum (AIF) from December 4-6 in Rabat, Morocco, the African Development Bank and its AIF partners were able to mobilise $2.2 billion in investment interest for the development of Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones in Nigeria.
“I am pleased to announce that Nasarawa State will be in the second phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones. When established in Nasarawa, the CSS Global Integrated Farms will be a key anchor investor in the Zone,” Adesina said.
The Founder of CSS Global Integrated Farm, Professor Opara, advised Nigerians, especially the youths, not to be afraid of starting small, saying the farm, which today sits on 1,750 hectares of land, started on one hectare of land with no road.
The former executive secretary of the Nigeria Christians Pilgrimage Commission said the farm, with a population of about 1,450 workforce, operates on zero waste as each department serves as a raw material to the other.
He said, “To the glory of God, we run an integrated system. We are sitting today on 1,750 hectares of land. I started with one hectare of land. Every department we have here is a raw material to the other department. The soil where we are, we plant maize, we take it to the factory you are seeing here which is the feed mill. We produce feed for the fish, feed for the birds and then we’re able to take the waste from the poultry back to the soil to serve as manure.
“Here, we operate zero waste. We call it waste to wealth. Every waste material around us is moved to the house you’re seeing there where I produce paper crates which are what we use in holding our eggs. In this farm, we produce 3,000 crates of eggs daily.
“We also produce a lot of soybean. From the soybean, we produce soycake, soyoil, and soysludge which we use at the Centre and other areas to wash plates. The soycake is taken back to the factory to produce feeds for my birds. And then, the soymilk for the poultry birds. It’s been amazing.
“We harvest and process our rice here at the mill. We produce cassava starch to produce bread. We produce bean flour, plantain flour, and corn flour. Everything around us is integrated. We have a workforce of about 1,450 people and we cater for them. When I came here, there was no road to this place but today there is a road. Today, we’re giving back to society what God has given to us.”
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