The Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) Wednesday sensitized manufacturers under the auspices of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to leverage the potential of beekeeping, to boost Nigeria’s economy.
The Council’s Director-General, Professor Ibrahim Hussaini Doko said it was high time manufacturers looked inward to save finances on importation.
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At a one-day workshop on bee keeping in Lagos, the agency said the products including propolis, royal jelly and bee venom are raw materials for the food and pharmaceutical industries.
Ibrahim encouraged the stakeholders to invest in beekeeping and the by-products. The Council, he said, is collaborating with MAN to develop the bee keeping value chain and to promote products from bees.
He said, “There is a huge investment in this sector, as it will reduce importation of those products into the country, just like import substitution. If we have vast land and other things that can be used for this particular investment, it will reduce importation, that will save the country a lot of finance, create jobs and avenue for national economic development.”
Director-General of MAN, Mr Segun Kadiri lamented that manufacturers have for so long been handicapped by the importation of materials, while he stressed the need to partner with the Council to break the barrier.
“We are going to mobilize our interested members and help them to access the immediate funds to be able to get more expert opinions and we will guide them to develop to full grown materials,” he assured.
