The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Youth Programme on Agriculture and Entrepreneurship Development (YPAED) Cooperative Society to promote organic agriculture in the country.
The program will be carried out in accordance with the Rural and Urban Organic Agricultural Development Plan (ROAD-P) 2023-2028, a strategic plan for modernizing and scaling up the organic agriculture value chain in the 36 States and FCT in order to achieve food security and the SDGs while also generating wealth and employment in those regions.
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Professor Garba Hamidu Sharubutu, praised the cooperative society for its perseverance after a protracted effort to pursue a partnership with the Council on the Rural and Urban Organic Agricultural Development Plan (ROAD P).
Prof Sharubutu stated that the council viewed the project as a plan that is currently lacking in Organic Agriculture development in Nigeria, adding that the council would support the plan with content development such as information and communication materials to equip the ARCN Adopted Villages and Schools (AV&S) across the country to educate the youth and women farmers on the Organic value chain development.
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The Executive Secretary further noted that the program will be introduced to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), adding that the effort is a positive development for Nigeria.
He announced that the ARCN Radio and TV is providing YPAED Cooperative Society with a 2-year free-to-air access for mobilisation and campaigning on the program.
Earlier, the President and Founder YPAED Cooperative Society, Adams Peter, stated that the ROAD-P project aims to close a well-known gap and remove a significant barrier to the export of produce and goods from organic agriculture by building the skills of young people and women in organic agricultural principles, practices, and entrepreneurship.
“The ROAD P will complement the works and operation of other relevant groups with a flexible and responsive structure built upon guiding principles of technical excellence, inclusiveness, transparency and country relevance. The ROAD-P will provide a community of practice and peer learning which cuts across organic agricultural expertise, principles, practices and entrepreneurship, and promotes strong linkages between communities in and outside Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Peter said the YPAED Cooperative Society and partners’ adoption of the ROAD-P, which covers the potential of Nigerian organic agriculture as well as specialized programs to aid women and young people in expanding the organic agricultural value chain and export, is comprehensive.
The ROAD-P seeks collaboration and support from technical experts, leaders from the three tiers of government, members of the private sector, and other important players in the nation’s agricultural sector.
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