The Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, and the Anambra State Government have stepped up efforts to boost food security and sustainable agriculture with the inauguration of an Agroecology Centre of Excellence (ACE). The post Food security: NOAN, UNIZIK, Anambra launch agroecology centre appeared first on The Sun Nigeria .
The Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, and the Anambra State Government have stepped up efforts to boost food security and sustainable agriculture with the inauguration of an Agroecology Centre of Excellence (ACE).
The partners also launched the Anambra State “Ugbo-Ndu” Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), a farmer-led initiative designed to strengthen the verification and traceability of organic produce and improve consumer confidence.
The initiatives, inaugurated at UNIZIK, are expected to promote research, farmer training, organic food verification, technology transfer and market access, as well as create opportunities for students and young agripreneurs.
The event was organised by UNIZIK’s Institute of Organic Agriculture, Agroecology and Sustainability (IOAS), in collaboration with NOAN, Healthy Foods for Consumers Initiative (HeFci) and Food Soldiers, with support from the Agroecology Fund. It had as its theme, “Right to Food Traceability.”
Vice-Chancellor of UNIZIK, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Hilda Ewosiida Osisioma, said the initiative would strengthen the university’s contributions to research, innovation and sustainable agriculture.
Similarly, Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr. Ben Chuks Odoemena, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Chinyere Nwabachili, said the initiative aligned with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s vision of building a smart, prosperous and economically viable state.
She said the state government was prioritising the commercialisation of agriculture to increase food production, improve farmers’ livelihoods and strengthen food security.
NOAN President, Prof. Olatunji Olayinka Marcus, represented by Dr. Rose Kanu, described the launch as a major step towards expanding organic agriculture and strengthening farmer-led verification of produce.
He explained that PGS offered a community-based alternative to conventional third-party certification, relying on transparency, peer review and mutual accountability among farmers, consumers and other stakeholders.
According to him, the system would make organic verification more accessible to smallholder farmers while boosting consumer confidence in organically produced food.
He stressed that consumers had a right to know the origin of their food, how it was produced and whether it was safe for consumption.
Coordinator, ECOWAS West African Secretariat of Ecological Organic Agriculture at NOAN, Oyewole Gbadamosi, said the centre would provide training and capacity-building across the agricultural value chain, including crop and livestock production, processing, agripreneurship, technology, e-marketing and value addition.
He said the initiative was also designed to make agriculture more attractive to young people, create employment opportunities and strengthen local food systems across West Africa.
Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, UNIZIK, Prof. Okorie Okoro Ndukwe, described the centre as a “living laboratory” that would integrate scientific knowledge with indigenous agricultural practices.
He pledged the faculty’s support for research, student training, technology transfer, agribusiness development and policy engagement.
An agriculturist, Prof. Nkiru Theresa Meludu, disclosed that the centre had already cultivated more than 15 crop species and recorded three harvests within about two and a half months of establishing its farm.
She added that it had more than 200 broiler and noiler birds and had organised free practical training for students, while plans were underway to preserve indigenous seeds and extend agroecological training to people under custodial and non-custodial supervision.
Coordinator of the Agroecology Centre of Excellence, Dr. Uko Ibeabuchi, said the facility would bridge the gap between academic research and practical farming through research, training, innovation and capacity development.
He thanked UNIZIK, NOAN, Agroecology Fund and other partners for supporting the initiative.
The inauguration attracted academics, farmers, policymakers, government officials, development partners and organic agriculture practitioners, who canvassed stronger collaboration to promote organic agriculture, food traceability and climate-resilient food production.
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