Nigeria spends N1tr yearly on agric commodities

THE Founder/President, Growing Businesses Foundation (GBF), Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, said that Nigeria spends N1 trillion yearly on agricultural commodities.Nnoli-Edozien, who made this known on Saturday in Abuja, at a dinner, tagged, 'Celebrating Enterprise', said that the statistics was an indication that agriculture could create wealth and jobs.'We have not really taken our time to break it into the different agro chain. Technology is also very important as this will aid us to achieve this purpose,' she said.The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the GBF partners micro-finance institutions in Nigeria as intermediaries to make funds available to entrepreneurs.Citing bread, which is made from wheat as an instance, she said that Nigeria was contributing greatly in growing the businesses of other countries through the importation of the commodity.She commended the Federal Government's directive that bakers include 10 per cent cassava flour in the baking of bread.Nnoli-Edozien said that the policy would save Nigeria huge foreign exchange and encourage Nigerian farmers to cultivate more cassava.'We all eat bread and anytime we do that, we are growing other people's businesses abroad. Our farmers don't grow wheat so we should stand up and say we do not want wheat anymore but cassava,' she said.Nnoli-Edozien said that GBF was determined to succeed in empowering and inspiring a new generation of entrepreneurs.Mr. Peter Bankole, the director, Enterprise Development Centre of Pan African University, said that the Federal Government alone could not make entrepreneurs.Bankole added that it was regrettable that many young graduates wanted jobs in banks and oil companies and asked: How many people want to work for themselves'This is what we want to change in this country.''He said the few who were into business were losing touch either for lack of information or the technology to grow their businesses.'Technology is what will change the game and the tool to make small businesses grow like big businesses.'We have a golden opportunity to do things better than it is being done in the world today,' he said.The director said that there was need for the government to improve the business climate in the country by providing infrastructure.Mr. Wale Adegoke,Mrs Uwa Osunbor, both farmers, Clarion Osaji, a fashion designer, Okechukwu Akaneme, a businessman and Jaminu Sani, a fish farmer, all beneficiaries of the foundation's programme, said that the organisation had helped them to grow their businesses.The event was attended by entrepreneurs from the 36 states and the FCT.
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