The federal government of Nigeria has announced plans to develop a code of practice for apiculture in the country
This is to improve the quality of honey and other bee products in Nigeria
In the same vein, the federal government and Youth for Apiculture Initiative (YFAI), have also partnered to sensitise the youth on apiculture.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ernest Umakhihe spoke at this year’s World Bee Day and 4th Nigerian Youth Beekeepers Summit, in Abuja.
The theme for this year’s summit is:
‘Apiculture: A Sustainable Tool for Job Creation, Food Security and Rural Development.’
Umakhihe said: “Also, to improve on the standards and quality of Nigeria honey bee products, FMARD, in collaboration with relevant stake holders, is developing a code of practice for beekeeping in the country.
“The bees also provide complementary services, such as crop pollination. Nigeria is endowed with great potential for beekeeping, but this potential has not been fully tapped.
“To this effect, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), has been promoting modern bee keeping through the establishment and development of modern apiaries across the country.”
Also, YFAI President, Initiative, Yusuf Adeyemo, said the event was organised partly to create more awareness on the economic value of bee business.
Adeyemo envisaged YFAI membership strength of about 10,000 in all the value chain by 2030.
“It is a well known fact to us all that bees are important in ensuring food security and economic development. They also have huge economic potentials as a tool for sustainable wealth Creation.
“We are carrying out an advocacy to boost the potentials of beekeeping in Nigeria and we have involved a lot of youth in our activities.
“it is important to know that YFAI is the only registered body of youth under beekeeping in Nigeria that had been consistent in the commemorating of the World Bee Day and organizing national summit for apiculture in Nigeria since 2019.
“Our cardinal point is to introduce more young and active people into beekeeping and to scale beekeeping from a social intervention project to a commercially lucrative enterprise.
“We are glad for the progressive impact we are making in Nigeria as we form the largest gathering of youth in apiculture and acceleration of apiculture development to commercial level.
“Our strategic goal is to have over 10, 000 professional and commercial beekeepers along all the value chain by 2030 Nigeria,” he said.
Meanwhile, President of Apimondia Regional Commission for Africa, David Mukomana, said Nigeria can create sufficient jobs through t in bee keeping.
He said: “Thus, bees have the ability to create jobs for youths and women across Nigeria especially for the rural communities as working with bees does not require huge capital investment compared to other projects.
“And this day comes in at a time we are quickly realizing that we can create jobs for ourselves within our communities at minimal cost.
“Nigeria is one of the countries with a significantly high numbers of nationals of working age in the diaspora who left their communities in search of greener pastures.
“It is a common feature where
people move constantly in search of better opportunities, even migrating from rural communities to cities in search of employment.
“Often, lack of the opportunities leave desperate young people resorting to other means of irking a living resulting in many social ills.
“Many young people have risked their lives and travelled miles to go to Europe only to lose their lives on high seas and some finding themselves in “slavery” which they never anticipated.
“Yet looking back to the same communities they left, the natural environment provides perfect job and business opportunities
through beekeeping.
“Globally, nations are battling with the challenges caused by climate change. The effects of climate change is now equally felt across Africa with periods of heat waves and prolonged droughts being a common phenomenon.
“This is even affecting our food security. All this is directly linked to the destruction of our environment for commercial purposes and human settlement.”
