Nigeria to Host International Organic Agriculture Center

Nigeria to host International Organic Agriculture Center ABUJA, April 18 (Xinhua) — Nigeria has been selected to host the African center of the International Organic Agriculture where research on the development of organic agriculture would be carried out, Minister of State for Agriculture Bamidele Dada said here on Wednesday.

The center, named “the Olusegun Obasanjo Center for Organic Research and Development”, would conduct research and promote the development of organic agriculture in the country and coordinate the work throughout the continent.

In addition, a delegation of experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization,the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and a team from the Coventry university in Britain presented a special medal to Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo in recognition of his contributions to the development of agriculture in Nigeria in particular and in Africa in general.

Speaking shortly after he was presented with the award after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council, Obasanjo said the country would continue to focus on the development of agriculture.

“We will strive to take our own share of the world’s 30 billion dollars organic agriculture market,” he said.

According to him, the country is blessed with a wide variety of vegetation zones from which a large number of crops could be produced, including a variety of forest resources, flowers, tomatoes, onions, okra as well as tea and coffee.

Noting that special centers were being established for the organic agricultural produce, he said his administration was also encouraging the development of bio-pesticides.

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