by Adaora Adibe/Kelechi Obassi/Nafisat Abdulrahman
Worried by the spate of rejection of Nigeria’s agro produce from the international market, experts from the Pesticidal Plant Society of Nigeria and the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) gathered in Abuja in a two-day conference, held on the 12th- 13th August to brainstorm on developing a strategy to curb the unfavorable practice.
Announcing the theme of the conference: ‘Pesticidal Plants: A bridge to safe & sufficient Food Security & Agricultural Productivity,’ the President of the society, Dr Simeon Okweche said the event is aimed to develop a comprehensive plan to curb the unfavorable trend, which has been largely attributed to the presence of Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) in Nigerian agro products.
In his welcome address, he observed that the event is the 2nd in Nigeria and explained that the maiden edition took place in 2023 at the University of Calabar, Cross River State. He said the society is joining forces with RMRDC to enhance agricultural sustainability in Nigeria. He stated, “This collaboration will focus on the identification and extraction of active ingredients from pesticidal plants, aiming to reduce the reliance on synthetic chemicals that pose significant risks to human health and the environment”
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The president further expressed gratitude to RMRDC for supporting the society’s activities and ensuring the conference was a success. He said the event will equip participants with the latest techniques and advancements in pesticidal plant science.
On his part, the Director General RMRDC, Prof Nnayelugo M. Ike-Muonso commended the Pesticidal Plants Society for their thoughtful and well-considered selection of thematic areas for the event, particularly in light of the current focus on economic diversification and the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope agenda.
“Efforts to replace chemical pesticides with biopesticides formulated from pesticidal plants is a worthy venture for RMRDC’s collaboration. The consistent rejection of Nigerian Produce, particularly in Europe and Northern America, is a significant concern that needs to be addressed to protect the country’s economy and farmers’ livelihoods”, the DG said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman Local Organising Committee for the Conference and Deputy Director, Raw Materials Quality Assurance Division (RMQAD), Dr Obiageli Okafor in her opening speech explained that the Mandates of PPS cut across various professions in Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, etc. She said the PPS is an organization for those who want it, who need it, and who will profit from it.
