NSPRI Trains 22 Potential Agripreneurs on Production of Value-added Agricultural Products
The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) had trained 22 potential agripreneurs on production of various value-added agricultural products from tomatoes, leafy vegetables and fish. The 3-day training programme was targeted at capacity building for small scale agripreneurs (SMAs) in agricultural postharvest value chain. The event, which had participants from different parts of the country across different works of life were exposed to some of the institute research breakthroughs in fish, fruits and vegetables value additions such as the smoking kiln, and the parabolic shaped solar dryer(PSSD). These two technologies were deployed for the training to compliment the value addition protocols developed for the various products. The notable value-added products produced during the 3-day training were tomato ketchup, puree, juice, paste, and tomato-pepper mix. Others were smoke-dried catfish, dried ugu leaf, dried ewedu leaf and dried soko leaf.
While reacting to the development, the Zonal Coordinator of the host office, NSPRI Ibadan, Dr Shuaeeb Oyewole charged the participants at the close of the programme which span between 12th - 14th August, 2024 to make good use of the skills acquired during the training to address the majority of food security challenges currently bedeviling Nigeria, and to also be good ambassadors of NSPRI wherever they may be. Dr Oyewole also reiterated that the Institute is ever ready to extend a special edition of the training/workshop for any group or organization that is willing to develop its members with this type of capacity building, adding that the capacity building on postharvest management (3.0) which is focused on storage of agricultural produce will be held in November, 2024.
In his closing remarks, the Executive Director of the Institute, Prof. Lateef Oladimeji Sanni, who joined the closing ceremony virtually appreciated the participants for honouring the call to make Nigeria a food sufficient nation by way of postharvest loss reduction in agricultural produce. Professor Sanni who reiterated on his commitment to serve Nigeria and Nigerians better in his capacity as the Executive Director of NSPRI said his door is widely opened to collaboration in all areas that fit into the institute’s core mandate of postharvest loss reduction. Prof. Sanni urged the participants to immediately put the acquired skills into practice to enable them complement government’s effort in making Nigeria a food secured nation. The participants, during the interactive session, expressed delight on the skills acquired from the training programme and hoped that the outcome will be greater fortunes for them in the coming days. In an exclusive interview with a representative of Agro Consortium, who also participated in the training, Mrs. Favour Achumba, she revealed that the NSPRI smoking kiln® surpasses all the fish smoking kilns she had ever used in terms of design configuration and high quality delivery. Another participant, who doubles as a food scientist and fabricator also appreciated the uniqueness of NSPRI smoking kiln, and stated that his experience from the 3-day training would be applied to further enhance the design of smoking kilns his company has been constructing for the public over the years. Also reacting, the Managing Director of Eyits Manna House Ltd., Mrs. Racheal Eyitayo Ariori who also commended the initiative of the Institute at this critical time when the nation is seriously battling with food insecurity, also expressed her readiness to embrace the open collaboration opportunity mentioned by the Executive Director of the Institute.
