As a result of inad
equate attention to research in Nigeria, many of the nation’s research findings are gathering dust on the shelves of various universities, polytechnics and over 17 research centres in different parts of the country.
Commercializing the results of research institutes could translate to industrialization of the country.
Over the years, it has been argued with merit that the goal of diversification of the economy can only be achieved when agricultural produce and other mineral resources are harnessed into industries for the creation of value added products for both domestic and industrial use.
For example, if a fish farmer ventures into such a business without proper recourse to research on the specie of fish with a view to having a fore knowledge of its breeding process, you find out that at the end, such ventures fail.
For example, taking a look at catfish farming and its products , we can talk about the foreign claris and its stages through the juveniles and fingerlings.
Their growth rate ranges from 5 to 6 months and 3 to 4 months respectively with their weight standing at 1 kilogramme and above.
For tilapia, popularly known as “bony fish”, its stages also in fingerlings and juveniles stands at 6 to 8 months and 4 months respectively with weight standing around 1 kilogramme.
The croaker fish or salt water fish as most people know it stages from fingerlings and juvenile 6 and 4 months respectively with weight standing at 1 kilogramme and above.
The question now arises of the possibility of any interested person starting a fish farm business with a minimal amount of money without research knowledge as to how and where to site the farm. However, the important aspect of this discourse is looking into the commercialization of research findings.
The research institutes in this regard have a lot to contribute to the nation’s economic diversification.
In this context, it is expected that entrepreneurs use research findings to invest and make profit while at the same time benefit from the processes.
Unfortunately, due to the fear of the unknown, many business people do not realize the positive aspect of research in the success of any business venture.
Specifically, some experts have segregated research in various fields ranging from agro, fishing and animal husbandry, amongst others.
Unfortunaely entrepreneurs have not come into reality with the fact that their success or failure lies in how they have used research findings to properly commercialise such research findings for profit making.
The crux of the matter is that the entrepreneur should recognise this singular fact.
If a fish farmer rears a specie of fish that cannot grow and at the same time the farmer has invested a lot in feeding, watering and security amongst others with proper research, such venture is bound to fail.
But with proper research guide, a farmer can predict the growth rate up to harvest time and even know the weight and price his or her fish would be sold.
It is interesting to note that consumers have nothing to do with research but the entrepreneurs do.
For any nation to develop, research should not be toyed with as it is the bedrock of production because every idea is being proved at that level.
Another aspect of agricultural development that the nation can harness to its advantage is cassava farming.
The fact remains that Nigeria is the world’s largest cassava producer, and one wonders why it has failed to maximize her comparative advantage and begin to service the increasing world demand for industrial and modified starch, pellet, chips, fortified cassava flour, ethanol fuel, adhesives and other cassava derivatives.
According to the Executive Director, Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Development (CSAD), Agbor Ndoma, there exist huge and untapped opportunities and market in the cassava sub sector in Nigeria which if properly addressed will help catapult economic growth and sustainable development in Nigeria.
Ndoma expressed the belief that cassava can help unlock a diverse range of opportunities which will impact positively on economic activities in the country as well as the standard of living of the citizenry.
“The proposed National Cassava Development and Industrial Agency similar to the Thailand TTDI and the Brazilian EMBRAPA should be government’s major and urgent response towards the development of the sub-sector and a platform for lifting us out of this economic recession or better still, depression,” he said.
Ndoma further opined that the Federal Government should set up a body similar to the Thailand and Brazilian ones, whose mandate should be on the research, development, production, processing, marketing, utilizing and exportation of cassava and cassava derivatives.
It is important to note that through research, Brazil was able to produce ethanol fuel from cassava and today the country is the largest producer of Ethanol fuel, even as it has a long term economic stability and growth.
According to reports, the impact of this in a future Brazilian economy is still difficult to estimate but can be imagined considering the new worlds tilt towards ethanol for powering the automobiles.
Again, Ndoma reminds us that agriculture and indeed cassava remains the sure pillar on which Nigeria vision 2025 can be built and must be built.
According to him, without rapid development of the cassava sub-sector, the country’s dream of being among the 20 leading economies in the world by the date will be a mirage.
A cassava-driven economic development programme with a sustained research is the best possible path to true national wealth creation and economic repositioning on the long term.
It is not out of place for President Mohammadu Buhari to uphold the enthronement of an enabling environment for the development of cassava in the country.
Cassava by every standard is a critical crop for bolstering the economic wellbeing of Nigeria on a sustainable basis.
Believed to be the sector with the highest employment potential, the commercialization of cassava remains the most effective way to generate employment and economic reliability.
No doubt the adequate development of the cassava sub sector will in many ways serve as panacea to the militancy in the Niger Delta, and can reduce poverty, lack and suffering that is associated with the rural dwellers of the region.
This is the time Nigeria should wake up and provide the world with the much needed starch products as the leading producer of cassava, for according to Ndoma, the world is waiting for Nigeria to make the move and save the over 7 billion world population while Nigeria is wasting in the delusion of an oil-rich country which is now faced with reality.