Ethanol industries to create more than 1million jobs #nigeria

Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development, made this
known on Monday at the beginning of a three-
day workshop at the International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
The workshop had as theme ``Cassava Based
Feed System in Africa: Roadmap to a Commercial
Reality.’’
The minister, who was represented by Dr Martin
Fregene, his Senior Technical Advisor, said
President Goodluck Jonathan had finalised plans
to create about 3.5 million jobs through the
establishment of the industries by 2015.
``Instead of our women and children being
exposed to poison by inhaling smoke while using
firewood for cooking, ethanol derived from
cassava would be used,’’ he said.
The minister also explained that about 1.2 million
jobs would be created through the value chain of
cassava production.
Participants at the workshop, who were drawn
from international research institutions, discussed
ways to combat viruses that attack cassava as
well as means of boosting production of the
crop.
An expert, Dr Okike Acho, said Nigeria imports $
350 million worth of maize per year, adding,
however, that cassava peels could be used to
feed livestock and other animals.
Another expert, Dr Claude Fauquet, called for
global alliance in the improvement of cassava,
saying more than 105 countries were growing
cassava.
He explained that about 12 million hectares of land
were being used for cassava planting in Africa
alone.
Fauquet also said Nigeria produces 50 per cent of
the world’s cassava although poverty level in the
country remained high when compared with
Latin America and Asia.
Dr Kenton Dashiel, IITA's Deputy Director General,
Partnerships and Capacity Development, called on
the global community to harness the potentials of
cassava.
`` We need to seize this opportunity and harness
the benefits of every part of the cassava crop for
national development, income generation,
nutrition enhancement, and poverty alleviation,’’
he said.