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Showing posts with label Centre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Centre. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

CEFTER to reduce N880byearly post-harvest losses by Africa




 
The former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), Dr (Mrs) Farida Waziri, has said that Centre for Food Technology and Research, (CEFTER) will reduce over $4 billion, about N880 billion estimated as the yearly post harvest losses incurred by African countries, NaijaAgroNet reports. 

According to a statement by her media aide, Mr. Ade Williams, Waziri said this while commissioning the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence Project, CEFTER, located at the Benue State University, Makurdi.The former EFCC boss who was the chairperson at the official launch of the Centre noted that the World Bank project is coming to Nigeria at the right time. 

While counseling the managers of the Centre to make dedication and transparency their watchwords, Waziri commended the Vice Chancellor of BENSU, Prof (Mrs) Charity Angya and the Project Manager of CEFTER, Dr Barnabas AchakpaIkya for their efforts to see the project take off. Benue State University was chosen by the World Bank as one of its 10 Africa Centre of Excellence Project, NaijaAgroNet learnt. 

“No doubt, our over-dependence on oil revenue has brought us to the point where we are as a nation today. As an anti-corruption czar, I have seen how some of those nation entrusted with its oil resources in the past helped themselves more than the country. 

“With our focus on agriculture, the struggle by political office holders to steal oil fund would diminish while the national wealth will be in the hands of the people instead of a privileged greedy few. We cannot all dig oil wells in our backyard but we can all farm in our backyards. It is time to end oil-money induced corruption in our land by buying into President Buhari’s vision and take ownership. 

"I am aware the mandate of this Centre, CEFTER is to promote teaching, research and extension in Post Harvest services, enhance agricultural productivity and industrial output for the socio-economic advancement of Nigeria and Africa. I must admit that this can’t be coming at a better time than now when the new leadership of our country is already looking towards agriculture as a more reliable alternative to oil revenue. 

“With the strategic location of CEFTER in the food basket of the nation, Benue state and the caliber of hands that have been put in charge to manage the project, I will wholeheartedly seek the support of the federal government, multi-nationals and well-meaning Nigerians and our friends across the country that this is one project all of us should support in the interest of our national economy and economic development of all.” 

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE
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