ANAMBRA INAUGURATES WAAP VALUE CHAIN Innovation Platform

In a bid to increase agricultural productivity as one of the major pillars of Governor Willie Obiano’s administration, Anambra state, recently inaugurated West African agricultural product programme (WAAP – Nigeria) Value Chain Innovation Platform (VICP) with the aim of making agriculture more productive and sustainable and as well support regional growth and integration.

  Four innovations platform; cassava, rice, maize and aquaculture were inaugurated as a systematic way of adding value to agricultural produce in the state.
While inaugurating the VCIP at the ADP conference hall, Awka, the WAAP – Nigeria Technical Support Team member, Prof. Josephine Ayoola revealed that WAAP – Nigeria is contributing in no small measure to the agricultural transformation agenda of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s administration in the area of improved breeder seed and foundation seed as well as seed multiplication under community based seed multiplication programme.
Prof Ayoola added that the Value Chain Innovation platform gives farmers the opportunity to take their future in their hands by having joint actions that will enhance productivity.
She noted that the selected platforms; maize, rice, cassava and aquaculture need each  other for effective productivity, even as she described the platform as a cash commodity that will benefit Anambra state more.
The Anambra state Acting programme Manager, Agricultural Development Programme, Mr. Clement Oguebue regretted that Nigeria has the lowest agricultural growth rate indices which he attributed to limited use of farm inputs, low adoption rate for innovations and undeveloped value chain.
Mr. Oguebue who described the inauguration of the VCIP as timely also expressed happiness that WAAP is collaborating with 29 ADPs which Anambra state ADP is one of them noting that the value chain is seen as a complete package, involving production, processing, packaging, branding and marketing.
Earlier, the Chairman on the occasion and SA to Governor on fisheries, Hon. Emeka Iloghalu said that WAAP in Nigeria is intervening on developing the value chain on each of the four components, hinting that the objective is to get the formative structure that has already been advanced by Gov. Willie Obiano’s administration.
Hon. Iloghalu who is also the South East coordinator of WAAP aquaculture VCIP revealed that stakeholders in aquaculture platform has segmented aquaculture into 15 segments which according to him, will make the Governor’s vision to be actualized easily.
In their separate speeches, the Anambra state Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief  Nnamdi Mekoh represented by the permanent secretary in the ministry Dr. Paul Nwadukwe and the Anambra State coordinator for WAAP, Mr. Nnanwuba Mmadubueze Robinson commended WAAP for the partnership and stated the readiness of the state to support WAAP in all things.