NWDC, Chemical Safety Group Move to Train North-West Farmers on Safe Agro-Chemical Use<\/p>\n
The Managing Director\/Chief Executive Officer of the North-West Development Commission (NWDC), Prof. Shehu Ma\u2019aji, today received the management of Global Chemical Security and Safety Consultancy on a courtesy visit to the Commission.<\/p>\n
The team, led by its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mustapha Usman, presented a proposal for collaboration on a Practical Farmer Training Project on Safe Use of Farm Chemicals for Optimal Production in the North-West.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, Dr. Usman stated that the organisation was established to promote safety, resilience and sustainability through professional training, research and advocacy on chemical use.<\/p>\n
He added that the proposed partnership with NWDC would drive best practices in agro-chemical application to improve agriculture, food security and stability in the region.<\/p>\n
Making the technical presentation, the Director, Chemical Security and Safety, Mr. Buba Shanu, disclosed that the project is anchored on the urgent need to retrain farmers on safe and responsible use of herbicides, pesticides, fertilisers and other agro-inputs.<\/p>\n
According to him, continuous cultivation, population pressure on farmlands and indiscriminate use of modern inputs have created serious health, environmental and productivity risks in the North.<\/p>\n
“Our farmlands have been cultivated for so long that production is running low. To boost production, farmers have resorted to modern methods – herbicides, pesticides and special fertilisers. But not everyone knows how to use them correctly. And no matter how good a process is, if it is not done the right way, there will be consequences,” Shanu said<\/p>\n
He noted that many farmers lack knowledge on dosage, handling, storage, pre-harvest intervals and personal safety, adding that the team’s experience from the fertiliser industry, including the National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON), informed its advocacy.<\/p>\n
The proposed training, he noted would adopt a practical, field-based approach across the seven states of the North-West to increase yields, reduce health hazards, protect the environment and prevent chemical misuse with security implications.<\/p>\n
Responding, Prof. Ma\u2019aji thanked the team and said the proposal aligns with the Commission’s mandate in agriculture, food security, human capital development and community resilience.<\/p>\n
He noted that the North-West is at the heart of Nigeria’s food system, and that insecurity, low yields and youth restiveness are interconnected. Any intervention that helps farmers produce more safely and sustainably, he said, is an intervention for peace and development.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Commission’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Abdulrashid Safana disclosed that the MD assured the delegation that Management would review the proposal and develop a workable collaboration framework that delivers measurable impact, ensures safety and creates jobs for youth and women in the agricultural value chain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NWDC, Chemical Safety Group Move to Train North-West Farmers on Safe Agro-Chemical Use The Managing Director\/Chief Executive Officer of the North-West Development Commission (NWDC), Prof. Shehu Ma\u2019aji, today received the management of Global Chemical Security and Safety Consultancy on a courtesy visit to the Commission. The team, led by its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[3309,3543,3542,3541],"class_list":["post-152544","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-others","tag-north-west-development-commission","tag-practical-farmer-training-project","tag-prof-shehu-maaji","tag-safe-agro-chemical-use"],"yoast_head":"\n