Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) is set to launch the first ever National Association of Agricultural Commodity Value Chain Development (VCD) facilitators in the country.
Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture would be launching the NAACVCD facilitators today at the institute premises in Ilorin, according to a press statement made available to BusinessDay.
According to the institute, the commissioning is a pivotal step in deepening the landslide efforts being undertaken by the Federal Government towards the development of agriculture and diversification of the Nigerian economy.
It would be recalled that in 2012, ARMTI was commissioned to conduct the first baseline study on agricultural commodity value chain development (VCD); the result of which it then proceeded to present round the nation through sensitization workshops in each geo-political zone.
The Baseline study on commodity value chain development gave the appropriate picture and provided information on the level of value chain development among the agricultural commodities in each geo-political zone with emphasis on the commodities fro which each zone has comparative advantage.
Having identified the commodities for which each zone has comparative advantage, ARMTI has continued to train farmers, facilitators, administrators and other actors along various agricultural commodity value chains on how to develop virile value chains.
Furthermore, ARMTI has proceeded to conduct a National Training of Trainers (TOT) for Value Chain Development Facilitators (from 2013-2016) for selected facilitators drawn from all over the country (total of 112).
These have been empowered and mandated to further step down the training to the grassroots level in their respective states. It is all these facilitators that are about to be inaugurated into an association for proper coordination and efficiency of efforts.
At the official inauguration, an interim executive body would be elected and commissioned that would have a secretariat at ARMTI premises in Ilorin, with each state having a chapter to ensure that states actively key into the value chain development program.
Josephine Okojie
