A former Minister of State for Health, Prof Iyorwuese Hagher, has urged federal, state, and local governments, as well as tertiary institutions across the country, to invest in moringa farming for its significant revenue generation, employment creation, and health benefits for the citizenry.
Speaking shortly after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Moringa Productions, Marketers and Farmers Welfare and Empowerment Association of Nigeria, Eden Moringa Productions and Marketers Limited, the Middle Belt Youth Development Organisation, and Agreco Shift Limited at the weekend in Abuja, he advised universities and polytechnics to establish moringa farms to boost their revenue base and create wealth within the citadels of learning.
“Moringa is a miracle plant. Moringa cures so many diseases. It has been scientifically proven that moringa cures numerous ailments.
“Nigeria is facing challenges in health policy. As a former Minister of Health, I realize that we can no longer depend solely on chemical medicines.
“We need to go natural. If we plant moringa and make it available to the citizenry, we will have a healthier population.
“Planting moringa is the cheapest way for people to attain premium health,” he explained.
Iyorwuese, who is also a former Minister of Power and Steel, further decried the negative effects of chemical fertilizers on the soil, urging Nigerians to embrace organic moringa fertilizer for optimal productivity.
He said: “We can no longer endure the damage to our soil caused by chemical fertilizers imported into the country.
“Chemical fertilizers destroy the soil, and producers of these chemical fertilizers make Nigerians dependent on them.”
Iyorwuese, a Grand Patron of the Middle Belt Youth Development Organisation, further advised the federal government to begin the production of moringa fertilizer to achieve food security, adding that “It is in agriculture that the security of this country is guaranteed.”
According to him, “One seed of moringa is more powerful than an AK-47 gun.”
In his remarks, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Moringa Productions, Marketers and Farmers Welfare and Empowerment Association of Nigeria, Dr. Ashimashiga Akoloaga, explained that the signing of the MoU with the Middle Belt Youth Development Organisation was intended to encourage youth engagement in moringa farming.
Akoloaga pointed out that the synergy was also designed to educate farmers on how to cultivate and produce moringa products that meet international standards.
He acknowledged that Nigeria had experienced rejections of its agricultural produce in the international market due to high levels of chemical substances in these products.
He, therefore, advised Nigerians to embrace organic fertilizers produced from moringa to ensure a bumper harvest and good nourishment of the soil.
Akoloaga called on farmer cooperatives and farmer groups to partner with the association in the distribution of e-moringa fertilizer and other related products in Nigeria and beyond its shores.
Also speaking, the President of the Middle Belt Youth Development Organisation, Chris Aba, enumerated the numerous benefits of moringa products while calling on well-meaning Nigerians and investors to invest in moringa farming for the socio-economic development of the country.