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Documentation, Dissemination Of Organic Agriculture Best Practices Is Key To National Development

Published

6 years ago

October 17, 2019

President, Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria Prof Victor Olowe has revealef that documentation, dissemination and promotion of Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Initiative in Nigeria best practices and success stories will bring about national development.

Olowe said this at the ongoing 2019 National Organic Agriculture Business Summit on Thursday in Lagos with the theme ‘Organic Export Opportunities for National Development’.

He said that the documentation, dissemination and promotion of organic best practices will highlight the values, importance and health benefits of organic produce.

“They will help show how to improve yields, analyse the challenges faced, introduce new discoveries and expose the hazardous health effects associated with the use of synthetic agro-chemicals,’’ he said.

While presenting a paper on `ORGANIC SESAME EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES IN NIGERIA: the don said that as at 2017, Nigeria produced 550,000 tonnes of seed and ranked joint second with Sudan in Africa after Tanzania and fourth in the world behind Tanzania, Myanmar and India.

He also added that about 23 states in Nigeria produce sesame which is an oilseed crop with the appellation `Queen of oilseeds because of its high quality oil.

According to Olowe, major problems facing sesame industry in Nigeria include lack of adequate mechanized farming techniques which lead to five to 10 per cent field loss, very limited functional seed processing plants (Nigeria currently has three).

“Limited access to finances and credit facilities by producers limited access to improved and high yielding varieties of sesame and inputs.

“Predominantly degraded soils with poor fertility status, pests and diseases attack and limited number of National Research Institutes working on sesame

He therefore called on all organic farmers to always ensure proper documentation of all processes involved in farming and as well the outcome.

Lt. Col. Abubakar Maimalari (Rtd), Former Military Administrator of Jigawa State when delivering his keynote address on `Organic Agriculture: Export Opportunities for National Development’ said that the world market for organic food has grown for over 15 years.

He said that Africa, the world’s second largest continent after Asia, with the world’s second largest population – about 1.1 billion people currently has slightly more than 1.2 million hectares of certified organic agricultural land.

“This constitutes about 3 per cent of the world’s organic agricultural land, but only 0.1% of Africa‟s farmland is organically farmed.

“There are more than 574,000 organic producers with Uganda having the largest organic area of 231‟000 hectares and most organic producers.

“Livestock production (meat, dairy and eggs) has also been steadily increasing in recent years’’.

He regretted that despite this huge opportunity of the global organic agriculture market, Nigeria as a country with great potential is yet to make a remarkable achievement in this dimension.

Maimalari said that one of the main reasons producers go organic is to be able to access organic markets with premium price or at least comparative advantages over the conventional trade platforms.

“Organic agriculture trade is based on guarantee systems that ensure organic practices are followed by producers, based on approved organic standards.

“This process often works through certification of organic production systems: it is worthy of note that the use of the word organic by default is no longer acceptable because organic agriculture in the real sense is never by default.

“This is because producers make conscious effort to go organic by following appropriate standard(s)’’.

He said that organic agriculture development in Nigeria is still at the infant stage, despite increasing awareness of opportunities in the sector at the global and national levels.

“Currently, only just a little percentage of farmers in Nigeria is involved in organic farming.

“Although the economy of Nigeria is mostly oil based, but agriculture provides the main source of livelihood for most Nigerians and also contribute to the GDP of the country in term of exported produce.

He said it is estimated that Nigeria lose 10 billion US dollars in annual export opportunity from groundnut, palm oil, cocoa and cotton alone, due to continuous decline in the production of those commodities arising from difficulty in meeting export requirements.

“It is good to know that most of the challenges faced by conventional agriculture in trade are easily addressed with organic agriculture principles and practices.

“Thus, Nigeria could take the advantage of going organic with most agricultural production to access export markets,’’ he concluded.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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