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A Lagos-based firm,
Cifa International, has entered into partnership with the O’dua
Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture aimed at boosting
agricultural production in the southwestern part of Nigeria.

The managing
director and chief executive officer of Cifa International, Adebowale
Aderotoye, said at the official presentation of the prospectus of the
third O’dua International trade fair/exhibition in Ibadan, Thursday,
that the partnership was borne out of concern for the declining
fortunes of agriculture in Nigeria.

Mr. Aderotoye said
through the partnership, new ways of harnessing the climate and rich
land in the region will be discovered to increase food production in
Nigeria and Africa.

“The project is
important because agriculture is becoming something of the past. If
care is not taken, in the next 10 years, all food for consumption in
Nigeria will be imported. Record from the Nigerian Customs says food
importation in the country is above 38 per cent. That now becomes a
driving force for us. We want to use the project to resuscitate
agriculture in Nigeria,” he said.

First international fair

He explained
further that apart from inviting experts from Malaysia, Canada, Poland
and some West African countries to display their wares, the exhibition
will encourage state governments to develop their agricultural sector
in order to boost their economies and provide food for their people.

Olaitan Alabi, the
chairman of the 2010 O’dua International Trade fair/ Exhibition, said
the programme could not hold in the past two years because of logistic
reasons.

Mr. Alabi said this
year’s edition will not be restricted to the promotion of agriculture
alone, but will accommodate other sectors complementary to it. He
appealed to the federal government to build an international trade fair
complex in Ibadan as it has done in all other old regional headquarters
in the country.

Abiodun Oyeka,
chairman of Odua council, said this year’s exhibition was the first to
be approved for international participation to showcase the economic,
industrial and investment potentials of the country in agriculture and
food productions.

Themed,
“Agricultural Industry: Production, Processing and Packaging Synergy to
meet local and foreign markets in the face of globalisation,” the trade
fair is scheduled to hold in Ibadan from 8 to 18 October, 2010.