NOABS 2021Ends As Stakeholders Release Communiqué

Oru Leonard

The 2021 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit (6th edition) held at Nigerian Export Promotion Council Headquarters, Abuja, Nigeria, from November 2 – 4, 2021, which represented organic agriculture stakeholders from all the geo-political zones of Nigeria, Ghana, the Netherlands, United States of America and Italy, has released it’s Communique.

About 120 participants gathered (physically and virtually) in what represented a circle of enthusiasts in Organic Agricultural input supply, Crop Production, Processing, Certification and Consumers. Also at the gathering were representatives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government of Nigeria related to organic agriculture, especially from Industry, Trade and Investment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Health, Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Environment, Information and Culture, Finance, Budget & National Planning, Education and Science & Technology as well the ECOWAS Commission.

RESOLUTION
 That stakeholders of organic agriculture in the country should have good understanding of the principles
and practice of Organic Agriculture;
 That the level of organic agriculture trade (domestic and export) in Nigeria although growing, is still on the
low side compared to leading countries in the organic sector of Africa;
 That relevant Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) need to contribute to policy
formulation and implementation of organic agriculture policy in the country;
 That funding for organic agriculture/ Ecological Organic Agriculture activities in Nigeria is low in relation
to the needs of the sector;
 That while appreciating the current MDAs’ investment in Organic Agriculture related issues in the country,
the level of investment is still low in relation to the expected development in the organic sector;
 That there is huge technical knowledge gap on Organic Agriculture production system for export in the
country;
 That the issue of agricultural extension services to facilitate Organic Agriculture in the country needs to be
addressed;
 That the understanding of most stakeholders in Nigeria of the required procedures for certification of
organic produce and products for both domestic and export trade is still low;
 That appropriate attention should be paid to the organic agriculture sector for enabling environment for
development of the sector;
 That there is the need for a definite engagement of youths, special people and women in Organic
Agriculture for meaningful livelihood development for all;
 That there is the need to put in motion necessary apparatus that can lead to increase in Organic market
share (in terms of produce, products and services) from Nigeria at the global market and participation in
BioFach (which holds yearly in mid-February at Nuremberg, Germany);
 Stressed the need for MDAs to contribute toward funding of the annual National Organic Agriculture
Business Summit in order to extend its benefits to more stakeholders, thereby contributing to national
development;
 Stressed also the need to increase efforts on mainstreaming Organic Agriculture into existing curricula for
agricultural training at all levels of education in Nigeria.

RECALLING
 That Nigeria subscribes to the Sustainable Development Goals; specifically Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 3
(Good Health and Well-being), Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and
Production) and the Malabo Declaration that are relevant to Organic Agriculture;
 That export value in Organic Agriculture sector of the country is much lower, compared to some countries
in Africa that are smaller in land size and population;
1The Communiqué of the 2021 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit
 That available facts reveal paucity of scientific evidence to support Organic Agriculture in Nigeria,
especially for policy, exportable produce and products;
 That Organic Agriculture is yet to be reflected in the existing curricula relating to agriculture in academic
programmes at all levels in Nigeria;
 That agricultural funding policy of the government is yet to give adequate attention to the Organic
Agriculture sub-sector.

RECCOMMENDATIONS
The NOABS urged that:
 All tiers of government in Nigeria to fully explore opportunities in the decision of the African Heads of
States and Governments on Organic Farming [EX.CL/Dec.621 (XVII), 2010];
 The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to ensure proper dissemination/public awareness of the
benefits, principles and practice of Organic Agriculture in the country;
 ECOWAS Commission as well as relevant international development organisations to support the annual
National Organic Agriculture Business Summit to enable more entrepreneurs in Organic Agriculture sector
of Nigeria tap into ECOWAS open-doors for exports and other international opportunities, including
participation in the biggest annual organic exhibition – BioFach at Nuremberg, Germany;
 Nigeria as a country to have a robust multi-ministerial/sectoral policy on organic agriculture to be led by
the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in order to provide enabling environment for
development of the sector in the country;
 All relevant or appropriate governmental and private stakeholders to put in place a consistent and proper
monitoring of Organic Agricultural enterprises to uphold the integrity of the Organic Agriculture sector of
the country;
 MDAs relevant to organic agriculture sector like Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investments,
Agriculture & Rural Development, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and financial institutions like Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Agriculture, Bank of Industry and similar others, support the processes of
improving quality of organic agriculture produce and products from Nigeria with respect to the
development and organic certification for export market;
 All MDAs relevant to organic agriculture in Nigeria to include organic agriculture activities in their annual
budgets;
 All appropriate bodies involved in capacity development of stakeholders of organic agriculture in the
country like the ‘Nigeria Go Organic Project’, NICERT Limited and others to step up efforts of training
stakeholders in having good understanding of the principles and practices of Organic Agriculture;
 Organic Agriculture Innovation Platforms in Nigeria (comprising Directors of Agricultural Extension, Desk
Officers for Organic Agriculture at State level and technical experts in the field of organic agriculture) and National Agricultural Extension and Research Liaison Service (NAERLS) to be strengthened to support activities of stakeholders in the organic sector and regularly provide solutions to their operational challenges and contribute to organic market development in the country;
 Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria to up-scale its activities and appropriate
stakeholders to join the EOA Initiative for better promotion of Organic Agriculture sector in the country;
 Appropriate committees of the Senate, House of Representatives and State Houses of Assembly to ensure
appropriate policies are put in place to provide enabling environment for practicing Organic Agriculture in
the country, using internationally acceptable guidelines;
 Appropriate support to be given to the work in progress – proposed ‘Organic Agriculture Bill’ with the
focus of formalising Organic practices in the country;
 Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (the umbrella body for Organic Agriculture in
Nigeria) to be appreciated and all private stakeholders in the sector be encouraged to join the Organic Association in order to ensure proper grass-roots development and appropriate coordination of the sector.
The Communiqué of the 2021 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit
 Ministry of Agriculture at State and Local Government levels to allocate lands for organic agriculture
production on group basis;
 Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investments to uptake the annual National Organic Agriculture
Business Summit (NOABS) as a statutory event on multi-ministerial/sector public-private partnership basis
with stakeholders of the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria;
 Each State of the country to have a Desk Officer for National Organic Agriculture Business Summit
(NOABS);
 Federal Ministry of Education to engage its appropriate Departments and Agencies to include organic
agriculture in academic curricula at all levels in the country.
APPRECIATING
 Active participation of Ministers of Industry, Trade & Investments, Agriculture and Rural Development,
Health and Education in the Summit;
 The efforts of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) in hosting the event;
 The Commodities and Export Department of Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments for
facilitating this Summit;
 Active participation of the ECOWAS Commission in the Summit;
 H.E Otunba Niyi Adebayo (the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment),
Mr Segun Awolowo (the Executive Director/CEO of Nigerian Export Promotion Council), Dr. Olugbenga
O. AdeOluwa (Country Coordinator, Ecological Organic Agriculture Initiative in Nigeria), Mr Elzakkar Bodewin (LouisBolk AgroEco Institute, The Netherlands), Mr. Willem-Albert-Toose (Agro-Eco Louis Bolk Institute, Ghana), Mr. Antsa Razafimbelo (IFOAM Organics International), Dr. Jelili Adebiyi
(Michigan State University, USA), Mr. Ernest Aubee (Head, Agriculture Division, ECOWAS Commission, Abuja), Engr. Tunde Bello (Director, Farm Input Support Services Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) for their insightful presentations during the event;
 Zenith Energy Enzymes Ltd, Amsaj Industrial Company Ltd, Florecer Global, NICERT Ltd, Gotomo Farms and Allied Company Limited, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Nigerian Export Promotion Council, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, as well as Ecobank for co-sponsoring this Summit;
 Support of the Federal Ministries of Industry, Trade & Investments, Agriculture and Rural Development,
Health, Humanitarian Affairs & Disaster Management, Environment, Information and Culture, Finance, Budget & National Planning, Education, Science & Technology and the ECOWAS Commission for development of Organic Agriculture in the country;
 The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) for always supporting organic agriculture development in Nigeria;
 The efforts of partner organizations of the Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria, namely; Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (Country Lead Organization),
Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Farmer Development Union (FADU), Ibadan Go Organic Multipurpose Cooperative Society, Justice Development and Peace
Commission (JDPC), Uyo, Organic Research Teams of University of Ibadan, Kwara State University and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ikot Ekpene Women Food Cash Crops Multi-purpose Cooperative Society and Healthy Food for Consumers Initiatives, under the chairmanship of Farm Input Support ServicesD of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the West Africa regional oversight and support of the ECOWAS Commission with funding from the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC) of Switzerland, through Biovision Africa Trust Kenya for consistent contribution
to the development of organic agriculture in Nigeria;
 The Local Organising Committee organisations of the Summit, namely, Nigerian Export Promotion
Council, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Raw Materials Research and Development Council, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, News Agency of Nigeria, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Disaster Management and Social Development, Nigeria Customs Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria, Organic Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, GFHNews, The Nation, Bank of Industry, Daily Trust, Nigeria Agricultural
Quarantine Services, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, National Sugar Producers, Processors and Marketers of Nigeria, Bank of Agriculture, BFA Food and Health Group, Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Vanguard, Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute, Food Farm News, Gotomo Farms, ABOMAX Integrated Farms, Organic Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers
Association of Nigeria, Cofarms Limited, Ginger farmers association of Nigeria, Healthy Foods for Consumers Initiative, Nigeria Tribune, North East Commodities Association, National Sunflower Growers
and Marketers Association of Nigeria, NICERT Limited.

THE 2020 NATIONAL ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MERIT AWARD WINNER
H.E., Lt. Col Abubakar Zakariya Maimalari (Rtd), Former Military Administrator of Jigawa State and
C.E.O Excel Standards Ltd., Kano was awarded a National Organic Agriculture Merit Award as National Champion of Ecological and Organic Agriculture in Nigeria and in recognition of his remarkable support for the development of organic agriculture in Nigeria.

NOABS agreed to meet in Oyo State in 2022, Ebonyi State in 2023 and Plateau State in 2024 for the 7th, 8th and 9th
editions of NOABS respectively to further pursue the drive for the development of Organic Agriculture businesses
in the country.

The Communique was signed by O. O. AdeOluwa (PhD), Country Coordinator EOA Initiative in Nigeria

Prince P.O. Bakare
Co –Chairman
Local Organizing Committee