The EU-funded Cooperation for Holistic Agriculture Innovation Nests in Sub-Saharan Africa (CHAIN Project) has kicked off a two-day crash course on agri-business and value chain development at Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State.
Declaring the programme open, the Coordinator and Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Robert Onyeneke, urged the Federal Government to reform agricultural policies to support inclusive agri-food value chain development.
He stressed that effective agricultural transformation requires a holistic value chain structure linking input suppliers, farmers, processors, marketers, and consumers.
The event brought together farmers, agri-entrepreneurs, innovators, and students to strengthen their capacity on improving value addition for enhanced marketability.
Contributing, Prof. Jane Munonye of the Department of Agricultural Economics said Nigeria’s GDP would experience significant growth if the government prioritises value chain–driven policies.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Ebonyi State chapter, Dr. Ignatius Unah, said value chain integration would create more opportunities and attract young entrepreneurs to agriculture.
A participant, Miss Christiana Ozofor from the Department of Agriculture/Animal Science, called for expansion of the training to enable more farmers understand the fundamentals of the agri-food value chain.
