By Aplefe Ojong
As part of effort by the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) in Abuja to ensure that its programs and projects in Nigeria were executed according to standard, it has commissioned Alsram Ink Communication, Abuja to commence the documentation of all its projects in the country.
At the University of Calabar, projects being carried out by WAAPP-UNICAL under the leadership of the WAAPP-UNICAL Coordinator, and the immediate past Dean, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Emmanuel Agiang, the Model Hatchery and the 22 earthen ponds at the Institute of Oceanography, UNICAL were captured.
Also captured were the demonstration and high yielding Cassava multiplication farm in UNICAL, the University’s International Secondary School where three prototype fish ponds are currently being constructed.
The Agriculture Master in the school, Mr. Jackson Okon expressed happiness that very soon they will have a place to demonstrate to students in the area of fishery, and thanked WAAPP for approving the ponds for the school.
The documentary team also visited and captured the high yielding TMS 419, TMS 80 and 83, 55 and the Vitamin A fortified cassava farms in Ikot Akwa and Ikot Akwa Effiom Edem all in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River state.
Some of the beneficiaries, Elder Dominic Affang, Mr. Gabriel Archibong, Rita Okoi and Elder (Barr,) Okoi Ephraim who spoke to CrossRiverWatch, all expressed appreciation to WAAPP for the high yielding species of cassava, and disclosed that they have benefitted technologically as their knowledge have been improved tremendously, but appealed for a processing factory to be sited in the area.
Professor Mbe Ndifon who is in charge of Technology dissemination said that the people of the area are excited over the projects and area willing to donate more land to WAAPP, but asked for a cassava processing factory to be sited in the area for them to derive greater benefit from the process.
Speaking earlier, the Coordinator, WAAPP-UNICAL, Professor Emmanuel Agiang said that WAAPP-UNICAL was committed to executing all the projects to specification and to ensure that the purpose of the program which is to empower Nigerians and ensure food security is achieved.
Vice Chancellor of UNICAL, Professor James Epoke had welcomed the documentary team led by Mr. Oscar Olodu and Abubakar Zakari, and asked them visit all the WAAPP-UNICAL projects’ sites and see things for themselves while documenting what they saw.
The team was later hosted to a dinner by the VC at the First Bank Cafeteria, UNICAL, while the WAAPP-UNICAL Coordinator, Professor Agiang hosted them at the UNICAL Senior Staff Club.