Nigeria nowhere in global yam export – Agriculture Ministry laments

The federal government has lamented that the country has no place on the map of nations exporting yam despite being a leader in crop production.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe, made this known to DAILY POST on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ workshop in Abuja.

Umakhihe, represented by the Director of the Federal Department of Agriculture, Abdullahi Abubakar, said the meeting is aimed at reawakening the nation’s consciousness and increasing yam export.

He said the call became imperative for Nigerians to key into the economic potential inherent in the global yam production market and help achieve sustainable food security for the country’s over 200 million population.

“Nigeria is the leading producer of fresh yams, yet it is unfortunate to note that despite the huge production, Nigeria is nowhere on the map of countries that export yams”, he stated.