The Ogun State Ministry of Agriculture has hosted the Advocacy and Sensitization Meeting on Cassava Viral Disease Management through Participatory Surveillance.
The meeting facilitated by the Central and West Africa Virology Epidemiology (WAVE) Project, is aimed at raising the awareness and training of Cassava farmers, Extension Officers, Cassava seed multipliers/seed entrepreneurs and other critical stakeholders in the Cassava sector.
It also sensitised farmers on the use of healthy planting materials, symptoms recognition to prevent the incursion and spread of Cassava brown streak disease in West Africa.
At the meeting, Ogun and Benue states being the largest producers of Cassava was selected as pilot locations for the participatory surveillance intervention for the South West and North Central Zones of Nigeria.
The Commissioner for Agriculture in Ogun State, Dr. Adeola Odedina said the State has one of the biggest Cassava Anchor Borrowers Programme, hence the importance of the participatory surveillance Programme to help improve Cassava productivity, which in the long run, would ensure food and nutrition, security, in line with the agricultural agenda of Ogun State.
The WAVE programme is an international research programme funded from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.
It is being implemented in ten West and Central African countries including Nigeria.
The programme also works closely with small holder farmers and national key stakeholders such as Researchers, Extension Officers, Seed Multipliers, Scientists and Policy Makers so as to put in place preventive control measures to mitigate the impact of viral diseases.
The meeting also had in attendance, Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Timothy Ijir; Country Director of HarvestPlus, Dr. Paul Ilona; Country Director, WAVE Project, Nigeria (South West and North Central) Dr. Angela Eni; Country Director, WAVE Project, Nigeria (North West and North East), Professor Ibrahim and Nigeria Cassava Growers Association, Cassava Seed Entrepreneurs, Stakeholders in the Cassava Sector, among others.
Nneka Ukachukwu
