By Chioma Onuegbu, Uyo

IN its determination and  commitment to enhancing transparency and consumer trust in the oil palm value chain, an international Civil Society Organisation, Solidaridad, has inaugurated  Akwa Ibom State Oil palm inter-ministerial Traceability Committee.

Members of the committee are drawn from both private and public sectors namely state Ministry of Agriculture & rural development, State ministry of Environment, Ministry of Trade and Investment, Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Export Promotion Council,  National Oil Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN) among others.

The committee was inaugurated  during a meeting organized by Solidaridad for critical stakeholders in the Oil palm value chain .

Addressing the stakeholders shortly before inaugurating the Committee, the Commissioner for Agriculture and rural development, Dr (Mrs) Offiong Offor,  commended Solidaridad team Nigeria for their efforts in the Oil Palm value chain.

Offor stressed  that the state government would stop at nothing to support and partner the organization in all its activities to improve oil palm production in the state.

 Her words, “I thank the governor for the opportunity he has given us to participate in different programmes as a state. And we appreciate Solidaridad for all they have been doing in the Oil Palm value chain.

“Recently they started talking about ‘Traceability system’. We are already doing that in Cocoa. So I am happy that it is going to be done in Oil Palm as well. It is something that I am excited about. We know that this is going to help us as a state.

    “So we are going to work together on this. There are too many things trending in the world currently and it’s only best for us to key-in as a state. You know Akwa Ibom has comparative advantage in oil Palm production.

She added that there was need for the people of Niger Delta region to focus on Agriculture because apart from the crude oil, the region is also blessed with favourable climate, good, and rich Soil.

  “So this year let’s all join hands together and move our state, and our region forward in Agricultural production so that we will be able to attain food sufficiency. I believe that when we rise from this meeting the things we take home will be beneficial to us”

In his presentation earlier at the meeting, Mr  Kene Onukwube, the programme manager of Oil palm at Solidaridad Nigeria,  expressed the Organization’s commitment to facilitating the ‘Traceability system’ which is under National Initiatives for Sustainable and Climate Smart Oil-palm Small Holder( NISCOPs) because of

Onukwube noted  that all stakeholder in the committee have a role to play to ensure a well established Traceability system in the state saying “If we set up a Oil Palm traceability system it will enhance transparency. It  will help us to increase consumer trust in our markets.

   “So we want to put our house in order today and begin now to say that we have a Traceability system in Akwa Ibom state. And if we are going to do traceability well based on global assurance standard, we need to improve supply chain transparency. This is critical. Also we need to promote sustainable practices”

Speaking further Onukwube disclosed that there would also be sub committees that would be saddled with the responsibility of looking at specific issues and then report back to the larger committee.

Emphasizing that everyone who has a role to play in the value chain need to be carried along,  stressed, “That’s why we have the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Standard Organization of Nigeria, NAFDAC, Export Promotion Council,  National Oil Palm Produce Association of Nigeria (NPPAN and the rest of them as part of this traceability committee”