The tomato policy introduced by the Federal Government, if effectively implemented, can boost local production and promote Nigeria’s economic growth.

Chief Eric Umeofia, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Erisco Foods, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, May 21, 2018 in Lagos.

According to him, the industrialisation strategy, which aims at achieving greater global competitiveness in the production of processed and manufactured goods, will be a mirage without effective implementation of government policies.

NAN reports that the government had on March 27, 2017 introduced the tomato policy, and increased tariff on importation of tomato concentrate from five to 50 per cent in its bid to encourage local production.

The policy measure was to accelerate the growth of the manufacturing industry and deepen the diversification of the nation’s economy.

According to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Nigeria imports an average of 150,000 metric tons of tomato concentrate per annum, valued at $170 million, mostly due to inadequacy in capacity to produce tomato concentrate.

FMITI data reveals that the current demand for fresh tomato fruits is estimated at 2.45 million metric tons per annum (MTPA), while the country produces only about 1.8 million MTPA.

“There are lots of policies by government that are targeted at stimulating growth in the manufacturing sector; but the sector has continued to suffer slow growth and low productivity, due to ineffective implementation of these policies.

“One year after the tomato policy was introduced no tangible progress has been made in implementing the policy.

“The objective of the policy, which is to boost tomato production, improve the value chain, create jobs and attract investment into the sector has been delayed,” Umeofia said.

According to him, the tomato industry is still facing challenges of fake tomato paste that are being smuggled and imported into the country.

He noted that these substandard products portend a risk to the health of unsuspecting consumers, as well as affect the viability of local producers.

Umeofia said that the recent zeal attached to curbing the “Codeine Syrup” menace should be extended to flush out fake and substandard tomato paste from Nigerian market.

He said that fake and substandard tomato paste was much more harmful and dangerous to human health than the “Codeine Syrup”.

“People choose to abuse Codeine consumption, but fake tomato paste consumption is ingested unknowingly by the generality of the people, and it affects both old and young.

“As people consume fake and substandard tomato paste, they would be dying slowly, and contributing to medical bills,” he said.

Umeofia commended the government for returning the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to the nation’s ports.

The industrialist urged the agency to leverage on its presence at the ports to effectively control importation of unwholesome foods and substandard goods.

“A 2015 survey report of NAFDAC revealed that 91.1 per cent of tomato pastes circulated in the country is fake and substandard, we expect the agency’s presence at the ports to stop the entry of these products,” he said.

Umeofia urged the relevant government agencies to collaborate on policing the ports and borders toward reducing smuggling in order to grow the nation’s industrial sector.

By Oluwafunke Ishola

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) on Monday, May 21, 2018 commenced a 21-day display of an application dossier by Golden Agri Inputs Limited, a subsidiary of Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc., for the importation of genetically modified (GM) maize for feed processing. But certain quarters appear unexcited over the development, describing it as mere window dressing.

The public display, which will come to a close on Tuesday, June 12, 2018, is aimed at enabling the public to make input that would facilitate informed decision on the application.

The endeavour, according to the NBMA Director-General, Dr Rufus Ebegba, is in accordance with the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015, requiring public display of any biosafety application, for permit to intentionally release genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for comments.

According to him, the GM maize in question was engineered for insect resistance and herbicide tolerance.

The display centres are listed to include:

• Department of Biosafety Enforcement and Operations (National Biosafety Management Agency, Airport Road, Abuja),
• Office of the Executive Director (Forest Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, Oyo State),
• Office of the Executive Director (National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia State),
• National Cereals Research Institute, Badeggi, Niger State, and
• Website of the National Biosafety Management Agency (gov.ng)

In a reaction, Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said: “In recent times we have seen applications for the confined field trial of soy bean. The truth is that from all indications sending comments on applications to NBMA is sheer waste of time. Their call for comments is nothing more than window dressing, merely keeping to the letter of the law. The spirit of the law has never been there. If anyone wishes to waste his or her time sending comments about the risks connected with the GMOs being brought into Nigeria, it is okay.

“However, we at Health of Mother Earth Foundation, and our allies, have become very sceptical of the process. And we have reasons for this. When the agency published the first sets of GMO applications from Monsanto and we sent highly scientific comments on the application they acknowledged receipt of our comments on a Thursday and issued the permits the next Sunday! Our comments opposing the application by IITA (On GM Cassava) was also acknowledged a few days before they issued the permit – indicating that they probably do not even read our documents.

“Why should anyone bother to comment on predetermined matters? When we also consider that the NBMA made a lot of noise ordering repatriation of illegally imported GM maize some Nigerians thought that someone was checking to ensure our biosafety. What happened thereafter? While the Federal Executive Council applauded the move and the NASS held a public hearing, NBMA advertised and permitted the offending company to import GM maize at will over the next three years. Given all these, some of us believe that as far as GMO regulation is concerned in Nigeria, ‘we have entered one chance’ as they say in popular parlance.”

But Ebegba insists that the process is a transparent and credible one, which entails public involvement in decision making process.

According to him, the Nigeria Customs Service on Monday, November 6, 2017 impounded a consignment of 90 metric tonnes of genetically-modified (GM) maize at the Apapa Wharf in Lagos. The shipload is believed to have been imported by seed company, Walcot, from Argentina. Worth over $10 million, the cargo was reportedly returned to the country of import.

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) celebrates global efforts to preserve earth’s biodiversity as this year’s International Day of Biodiversity marks the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Progress has been made at national and global fronts by the convention in achieving its objectives, says the group, adding however that a serious threat to biodiversity grows with the push for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as solution to agricultural challenges.

HOMEF stresses, on the occasion, that the release of GMOs into the environment would negatively impact crop diversity, non-target soil organisms and land use. The non-governmental organisation demands for a concerted effort to discourage their use, pointing out that biodiversity is an essential natural resource for the earth, and that it is the key for sustainable development of humanity.  It plays a crucial role in the formation and preservation of culture, self-knowledge and adaptability.

According to Nnimmo Bassey, Director of HOMEF, genetically modified crops operate as monocultures as, according to him, many of them are designed to withstand the use of proprietary chemical herbicides. These chemicals directly erode plants, animals as well as microorganisms.

“Crops engineered to be resistant to pests or herbicides negatively affect biodiversity because they do not only affect the target insects or weeds, but destroy other living organisms. These negative impacts threaten the survival of species and lead to rise of super weeds and super bugs that create new environmental problems,” he says.

Bassey further regrets that “transgenic crops have the potential to pass novel traits to their wild relatives who may be altered in such a way that they take up completely new ecological roles, and disrupt ecosystems.”

HOMEF calls on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to step up efforts to regulate new forms of genetic engineering, including gene editing, and also ensure that parties do not pay mere lip service to the Precautionary Principle when considering the entry of new technologies that have implications for biodiversity.

Joyce Ebebeinwe, Biosafety Project Officer at HOMEF, adds: “When it comes to biodiversity, nature holds the key. Wisdom dictates that the world wakes up to the reality that biodiversity is best preserved with local knowledge, cultures and innovations. Techno-fixes will never be the proverbial silver bullet.

“As we celebrate this milestone, nations should renew commitments to protect global biodiversity. It is in our collective interest to do so.”

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has established a $3 million Rockefeller Trust Fund, a joint effort of the institution and The Rockefeller Foundation to help in spurring Africa’s transformation.

With this initial endowment, the Trust Fund will support the bank’s activities particularly with regards to two of its High 5 priorities – under the bank’s “Feed Africa” priority, it will support the Leadership for Agriculture (L4Ag) Platform, a network of Africa’s Finance and Agriculture ministers created by The Rockefeller Foundation; under the Bank’s “Improve the Quality of life for the People in Africa” priority, it will support the Jobs for Youth for Africa Coding for Employment Programme, whose goal is to increase inclusive employment and entrepreneurship among Africa’s youth.

Subsequent contributions may also be received to support other areas of the High 5s, which include Light up & power Africa, Industrialise Africa and Integrate Africa.

The Rockefeller Foundation works to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world, and for more than a century has done this through strategic partnership with grantees and other likeminded organisations.

“The Rockefeller Foundation is proud of its long history of partnership with the African Development Bank, and is pleased to help establish the Rockefeller Trust Fund,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Trust Fund not only invests in the capacity of Africa’s young people but also advances Africa’s Agriculture Transformation Agenda, helping to renew private-sector engagement and support innovative agriculture financing tools that will help Africa strengthen markets and ensure its food security.”

The Trust Fund will complement AfDB’s efforts to catalyse Africa’s transformation over the next decade by leveraging its own resources and significantly scale up development finance for the benefit of its Regional Member Countries (RMCs).

“I am delighted by the establishment of the Rockefeller Trust Fund at the African Development Bank. I am particularly pleased because I worked at The Rockefeller Foundation for a decade, so I understand the power of philanthropic institutions in helping shape big agendas. Our partnership with The Rockefeller Foundation will expand our work on building leadership and financing for agriculture between Ministers of Finance and Agriculture in Africa. We look forward to further expanding the scope of our work with The Rockefeller Foundation under its dynamic new President, Dr. Rajiv J. Shah,” said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB.

The Rockefeller Trust Fund is the bank’s second formal collaboration with a philanthropic organisation, following the establishment of the Bill and Melinda Gates Trust Fund in March 2015.