The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has advised farmers in Adamawa, northeastern Nigeria, to adopt organic farming methods to become competitive in the global export of organic foods.
Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of NEPC, made the call at a one-day training on organic agriculture and certification on Monday in Yola.
The training, themed “Building Capacity for a Thriving Organic Export Sector in Nigeria”, targeted smallholder farmers and processors across the state.
Ayeni, represented by the NEPC North-East Regional Coordinator, Mr. Ben Egon, said the initiative was part of the Council’s broader strategy to unlock the export potential of Nigeria’s organic agriculture sector.
She said the Council was focused on building the capacity of farmers to acquire the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification, which is crucial for meeting international organic standards.
She said PGS is a locally focused certification system that promotes trust, quality, and direct involvement of farmers in the certification process.
Ayeni noted that the global organic food industry, once considered a niche, had grown into a $97 billion sector and was projected to reach $437 billion by 2028.
“In today’s world, the demand for organic food items is no longer a niche; it is a global business driven by growing consumer awareness of health and food safety concerns.
“The market opportunity was projected at $97 billion globally and is estimated to reach $437 billion by 2028.
“For Nigeria, this presents not just an opportunity but a responsibility to tap into this global market,” she explained.
According to her, organic and agro-ecological practices provide a sustainable and profitable alternative but must be backed by strong certification frameworks and government policy.
She reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to economic diversification through non-oil exports, identifying organic farming as a great contributor to the agenda.
As part of NEPC’s farm input support, Ayeni announced the donation of 300kg of improved high-yield SAMNUT 22 groundnut seeds to the Groundnut Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria, Adamawa Chapter.
She said the seeds would be planted on an eight-hectare demonstration farm in Malkohi, Yola South LGA, with plans to expand support to other clusters in the state.
Also speaking, Prof. David Jatau, Adamawa Commissioner for Agriculture, said the state government was fully supportive of the shift to organic practices.
Represented by Mr. Peter Irimiya, Deputy Director, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jatau said that smallholder farmers in Adamawa were eager to explore export opportunities.
“We believe this is the way forward for our farmers, especially at the grassroots, to begin exporting beyond the state and across Nigeria’s borders,” Jatau said.
A participant, Malam Ismail Alhasan, expressed appreciation to NEPC while describing the training as a transformative initiative.
“We are grateful for the 300kg of groundnut seeds. We are ready to start organic farming in Adamawa,” he said.