The National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF and the National Root Crops Research Institute, NRCRI Umudike on Friday, unveiled the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme, GVCRSP and formalized a strategic collaboration between them.
Speaking on the occasion, Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mr. Mohammed A. Ibrahim described the programme, as a “demonstration of the Federal Government’s unwavering commitment to repositioning agriculture as a major driver of economic diversification, food security, industrial development, export competitiveness, and inclusive national prosperity under the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
According to Abraham who was represented by the General Manager, Technical Services, Ernest Ihedigbo, “it equally reaffirms NADF’s mandate as the Federal Government’s catalytic financing institution, committed to translating national agricultural policies into sustainable investments that strengthen research, innovation, and national food sovereignty”.
“The Federal Government recognizes that sustainable agricultural transformation cannot be achieved without strong research institutions, modern technology, and strategic investments that connect science with production and markets.
“Accordingly, significant priority has been placed on strengthening agricultural research systems, promoting innovation, enhancing value addition, and building resilient agricultural value chains capable of driving national development and improving the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians”, he said.
To realize this vision, he said, two flagship programmes are being implemented by the NADF. The first is the strengthening of selected agricultural research institutes as centers of excellence.
“Through this program, six strategic agricultural research institutions are being supported to address key infrastructure gaps in modern laboratories, biotechnology facilities, renewable energy systems, irrigation/water management infrastructure, digital platforms, and innovation hubs to enhance research capacity and technology development across multiple agricultural value chains.
“In the first phase of NADF’s collaboration with Research Institutes, the NRCRI, Umudike, has been selected from the Southeast Geopolitical zone for support in energy and digital infrastructure, and installation and maintenance of laboratory equipment”, he informed.
The objectives of this component he said, are “to strengthen research infrastructure, enhance technical capacity of scientists and research personnel, promote demand-driven research, strengthen research-extension-farmer linkages, facilitate commercialization and scaling of agricultural technologies, establish strategic partnerships/collaboration with leading international agricultural research institutions to facilitate joint research programmes, knowledge exchange, staff training, and the adoption of global best practices for building world-class agricultural research Centres of Excellence in Nigeria, and to stablish effective monitoring, evaluation, and knowledge management systems”.
The second program, he said is the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme (GVCRSP), stating that NRCRI, Umudike has been selected “to implement this specialized intervention which was designed to support the recovery, and long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s ginger value chain.
This, he said, was following the devastating impact of the 2023 ginger blight epidemic which severely disrupted production, affected thousands of farmers, reduced export capacity, and exposed critical vulnerabilities within the ginger value chain.
He highlighted the objectives of the program to include, “conservation of critical Nigerian ginger genetic resources, increased availability of disease-free ginger planting materials through a resilient seed system, and improved research, characterization and management of blight disease, combined with improved extension service delivery”.
Others he said, are “enhanced resilience and sustainability within Nigeria’s ginger value chain, and improved productivity and competitiveness of the ginger subsector”.
“Under GVCSRP, necessary resources including 6m/tons of ginger rhizomes and relevant infrastructure for germplasm conservation, disease-free seed multiplication, tissue culture propagation, adaptive field preservation, and sustainable seed system development will be provided for NRCRI by NADF.
“Moving beyond social impact intervention, the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme (GVCRSP), is being implemented by NADF to drive recovery, resilience and long-term ginger sub-sector transformation.
The National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, occupies a critical place on this national agenda as one of Nigeria’s premier agricultural research institutions and one of the two institutions selected for the implementation of the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Programme, and the first phase of NADF’s collaboration with research institutions, NRCRI possesses the expertise and institutional capacity required to drive innovation in agricultural research and development.
The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to ensure that research outcomes move beyond laboratories into farmers’ fields, agro-industries, and export markets, generating tangible benefits for the national economy. The implementation of these interventions will:
“Significantly strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural research ecosystem, demonstrate the critical role of research and innovation in achieving sustainable agricultural transformation, reinforce Nigeria’s position as a leading producer of premium-quality agricultural produce.
“The unveiling of the Ginger Value Chain Recovery and Sustainability Program (GVCRSP) and the formalization of the collaboration between NADF and the NRCRI today represent a significant milestone in the Federal Government’s commitment to building a resilient, innovation-driven, and globally competitive agricultural sector.
“Through the mutual commitment to sustained inter-agency collaboration between NADF and NRCRI, as demonstrated by NADF’s strategic investment, and NRCRI’s proven capacity for research and scientific innovation, we will strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural research system, transform strategic value chains, empower our farmers, and advance the Renewed Hope Agenda for the benefit of present and future generations”.
Speaking, the special guest ay Commissioner for Agriculture Abia State, Cliff Agbaeze, who was represented by Ijeoma Agoha said Otti’s administration remains firmly committed to transforming agriculture into a major driver of economic growth, food security, employment generation, and shared prosperity, stating, “today marks another significant milestone in our collective journey towards building a resilient, innovative, and sustainable agricultural sector in Nigeria”.
Abia State Government she said, “remains committed to supporting initiatives that promote agricultural research, encourage innovation, and improve the livelihoods of our farmers”.
Earlier in his speech, the Executive Director, NRCRI, Umudike, Prof. Chidozie Egesi, who was represented by his Director, Root Crops, Dr. Olojede Adeyemi, said, “this meeting is being held to see how we can collaborate together as an institution to address the danger of production in Nigeria by new key development”.
Represented by his Director, Root Crops, Dr. Olojede Adeyemi, “the reason why we are here this morning is just at that meeting to have a synergy between one another and also to make sure that the project or the program has been designed, properly executed, to the benefit of Nigeria and also the Nigerian farmers”.
