The Federal Government has charged the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) to research innovations that would address agriculture production losses and post-harvest losses.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, this was disclosed by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, represented by Prof. Garba Sharubutu, the Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) in Ibadan, during the inauguration of the newly constructed zonal administrative complex of NSPRI.
Abubakar said NSPRI was the only research institute that has a mandate for post-harvest losses and preservation of food.
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Urging the management and staff members of the institute to remain highly creative, aggressive and relentless in carrying out research, Abubakar said it is important to see more innovations being churned out by NSPRI as innovation is a tool that is increasingly accessible and affordable to the common man.
“Innovations which are convenient for the common man to adopt and which deliver unimpeachable value to the people of Nigeria,” Abubakar said.
Also calling on farmers to access facilities that were available in all the Federal Government research institutes, the minister charged NSPRI to form a synergy with other agricultural research institutes, the local and state governments.
Commenting on the newly built administrative complex, the minister said that the building inauguration perfectly fits into the target set out for all research institutes to ensure optimal performance of all outstations also noting that the new structure would serve as an impetus to engage and collaborate more with other stakeholders.
Dr Patricia Pessu, the Executive Director of NSPRI, in her remark said the overall goal of the new administrative complex was to ensure that NSPRI researchers and other staffers work in a conducive environment which requires churning out scientific innovations that boost food security and add real value to the lives of Nigerians.
Dr Florence Kakulu, the Oyo State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, also urged NSPRI to ensure the timely release of research findings to the end-users to reduce product storage problems and also enhance food security.
