Nigeria May Soon Resort To Importing Yam From China, Perm Sec Laments

Nigeria May Soon Resort To Importing Yam From China, Perm Sec Laments

The Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Ernest Umakihe, has raised concerns over the possibility of Nigerians having to import yam from China for local consumption……READ ALSO Court Sentences Ex-Perm Sec To 4-Year Jail Term (Photo)

Umakihe conveyed this apprehension while addressing stakeholders at a workshop focused on repositioning yam as an export commodity. The workshop, themed “Prospects and Challenges of Yam Export in Nigeria,” aimed to explore avenues for enhancing yam exportation from Nigeria.

As reported by Leadership, Umakihe lamented Nigeria’s absence from the league of yam-exporting nations, despite the country’s significant contribution of 67% to the global yam output.

Expressing worries over the potential influx of Chinese yam into Nigerian households due to the population’s inclination towards imported goods, Umakihe highlighted the adverse effects such a scenario could have on employment rates and the income of local yam farmers.

Umakihe recalled Nigeria’s initial attempts at yam exportation, noting that Nasarawa State Government made a modest effort in 2009, followed by Oyo State, but with little success. He also critiqued the Ministry’s handling of yam export initiatives in 2017, suggesting inadequate planning as a contributing factor to the lack of sustained progress in this regard.

“It was only in 2017 that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture under the leadership of Chief Audu Ogbeh, then Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development organised the first flag-off ceremony (of yam) with a batch of 72 tons to UK and USA. I believe these were done without proper planning before the execution. Aside the mentioned attempts, nothing much has been heard of the yam export from Nigeria,” Umakihe remarked.

Umakihe stressed the importance of introspection and corrective measures to ascertain the shortcomings in previous yam export endeavors and chart a more successful course for the future.

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