International Potato Center (CIP)

NIGERIA CAN REDUCE WHEAT IMPORTATION BY 25% – PEJU

PEACE — NOVEMBER 3, 2015

The representative of the International Potato Centre, (CIP) in Nigeria, Dr. Phorbee Peju has said the Country can reduce importation of wheat by 25 per cent, if its farmers embraced proper growth of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes, (OFSP). 

Peju, who spoke at the 18th annual lecture of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin on the topic; ‘Food Security, Employment Generation and Wealth Creation in a Developing Economy: the Role of (OFSP),’ said OFSP, which could be grown in all the 36 states of the Federation could meet some bakery needs in Nigeria.

According to her, the bakery industry – which is the largest industry in Nigeria – can boost farmers’ productivity; improve nutrition and livelihoods if OFSP- in form of puree – can be used in bread baking and other pastry products like cookies, cakes, pies and so on.

She said a composite flour of about 40 per cent OFSP puree has been made into well acceptable bread for commercial purpose in Nairobi while most bakery in Osun State are presently using it.

HarvestPlus’ Yellow Cassava… promoting nutrition through TV

Yellow Cassava

And it was a few minutes past 9pm local time; an important announcement was about to be made. Venue was Expo Hall, Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event was the third edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA). The hall was packed to the brim with stakeholders in Africa’s Film/TV industry.

The tension in the air was thick enough to be sliced with a knife. Across Africa, in over 50 countries, over 100 million viewers stayed glued to their TV boxes awaiting the biggest news in the entertainment industry. Only five movies, out of over 2,000 entries received by the organizers of the AMVCA from filmmakers across Africa, made it to the final shortlist as Best Movie 2014.

Yellow Cassava, produced by Zeb Ejiro in partnership with HarvestPlus Nigeria, ran neck-to-neck with big budget movies of 2014: Kunle Afolayan’s October 1; Lancelot Oduwa Imasuen’s Invasion 1897, Steve Gukas’s A place in the stars and Frank Rajah Arase’s Iyore.