The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) says it is taking steps to contribute to food security in Nigeria and specifically Ogoni by partnering with Ogoni farmers and relevant development agencies to actualizing this.
Project Coordinator of HYPREP, Professor Nenibarini Zabbey made this statement when he hosted the State Chairman and Local Government Coordinators of the Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Rivers State Chapter at the Project Coordination Office (PCO) recently.
The Association was on a thank you visit to the PC following the training of 201 active cassava farmers in Ogoni by HYPREP in December 2024.
Speaking further, Prof. Zabbey said the training was fit for purpose, targeting cassava farmers from Ogoni and disclosed that the Project is in talks with the African Development Bank (AFDB) to establish a special agro industrial processing zone in Ogoni, focusing on cassava production which is predominantly cultivated in the region.
The PC pointed out that the agro hub will improve the value of cassava in the value chain, create jobs for the local people, increase farm gate income and youth participation in agriculture and strengthen the ability of the Ogoni people to feed themselves, thereby achieving food security in the area. He noted that the spill over of the project will be enormous as some of the produce and products will be traded outside Ogoni which will contribute significantly to national food security in line with the priority of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He stressed that the Project is not just remediating oil contaminated land but also interested in the after care- by enhancing the fertility of the remediated soil to enable farmers to return to farming.
”We feel that beyond decontaminating the land, we should also think about enhancing the fertility of the soil before we handover the remediated land to the farm or land owners” He explained
In this regard, the PC disclosed that the Project is recording significant success in a pilot experiment it is carrying out in Eleme to improve soil fertility and farms yields using biofertilizers that have been produced from microorganisms isolated from Ogoni.
While assuring of HYPREP’s collaboration with the Association in securing sustainable food supply, he commended them for their contributions to food security in Ogoni, adding that the Project would support the effort to achieving food sovereignty in the region.
Ledogo Dumnia Lucky, Chairman of the Association appreciated the Project Coordinator for balancing remediation and livelihood, noting that the training for farmers was a step in the right direction and requested the Project to consider establishing a demonstration farm for training of more farmers in Ogoni.
Participants at the HYPREP Agro-Skill Enhancement and Empowerment for Ogoni Cassava Farmers training in December, were given 402 improved International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) cassava bundles and 201 high quality 50kg bags of fertilizer each. The training aimed to enable Ogoni farmers acquire relevant skills and support for improved farming and attainment of food security in the region.
The present Administration launched the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project to address the challenges in different agricultural productivity for improving the livelihood of farmers
HYPREP’s intervention through the training and support for the Ogoni farmers is part of the Project’s efforts to domesticate the NAGS-AP Project by enabling smallholder Cassava Growers Association (NCGA) in Ogoni Rivers State.
The training provided Ogoni farmers with entrepreneurial, climate-smart and sustainable agricultural skills to enable them become more efficient and increase productivity, while protecting the environment
