NIGERIA TO SAVE N315B FROM USE OF CASSAVA BY BAKERIES

The Federal Government says the use of 50 per cent cassava by local bakeries across the country will save Nigeria N315 billion annually.

The Minister of Agriculture, Dr Ayo Adesina, announced this in Abuja while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

He noted that Nigeria was the largest producer of cassava in the World with an annual production of 35 million metric tons of the commodity.

Adesina said Nigeria had been spending N635 billion on the importation of wheat annually, noting that the country could replace the use of wheat with cassava.

He explained that the promotion of the use of cassava by the local bakeries, which was part of the Federal Government’s  Agricultural Transformation Action Plan, would make the nation self sufficient in food production.

“The point we want to report to the country is that Nigerians should start eating Nigerian stuff, we have to start processing what we produce instead of eating always imported things, making farmers of other countries happy.”

The minister said already, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, had produced  bread with 50 per cent cassava content.

The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, announced that the Council had approved e-learning training in 12 universities across the six geo- political zones of the country.

“Today, education received a major boost in the council and the Minister of Education presented a memo which will provide an e-learning platform for 12 Nigerian universities.

“These universities cut across the six geo-political zones in the country.

“The ministry is proposing presently to pick one state university and one federal university in each of the six geo-political zones for this e-Learning Initiative.”

Maku said the project, which was being funded by the Education Trust Fund (ETF), would support the universities to promote learning, using the Internet.

According to him, the Federal Government sees the promotion of e-learning as an important strategy to make learning easier, to make students access materials that ordinarily will not be immediately available.

The minister also said the Council approved the release of N5.5 billion by ETF to the University of Nigeria Nsukka, in Enugu State, to update its facilities.

“The university is desirous to commit part of the fund for the upgrading and improvement of its existing facilities to enhance teaching and learning in the institution.”

He said part of the fund would be used for the procurement of Ubiquitous Wireless Network for the ICT Backbone infrastructure for the four campuses of the university, using Direct Procurement method.-VANGUARD