As a way of sustaining the efforts in sanitising the agric-inputs distribution and application in Nigeria, major stakeholders in the agric-inputs sector recently came together to train and certify agro dealers. The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC); Croplife, the umbrella body

of importers of Crop Protection Products (CPPs) and International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), commenced the training of agro-dealers in the six geo-political zones of the country. Seye Adeniyi was there, his report:

TO everything in life, there are some fundamental or basic principles that must be observed, if things are expected to run smoothly.

It has always been said that once an inidvidual stops reading, then such a person may starts stinking because training and learning are some of the secrets of successful leaders.

The above philosophy of life,  probably, must have   prompted the major stakeholders in the agric-inputs  sector of the nation’s agricultural sector to organise a 2-day training programme  for agro-inputs dealers, importers and users in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone comprising Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, as well as Kwara State.

As early as 9:00 am on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, hundreds of agro-inputs dealers from the seven states of the federation  gathered inside the auditorium of the Jubilee Conference Centre, Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Oyo State, to receive intensive lectures on various topics including safe and effective use of crop protection products in order to be able to serve their farmers customers better.

The major stakeholders in the agricultural-inputs sector  that organised  and packaged the training programmes for the input importers and dealers are the International Fertilisers Development Centre (IFDC), Croplife, which is the umbrella  body of importers of crop protection products (CPPS), the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and the National Food Reserve Agency (NAFRA).

In his opening remarks to the participants, the president, Croplife Nigeria, Mr. Sam Kunu,  stated that the training became imperative because NAFDAC had set the National Diploma  (ND) in Agriculture as the minimum requirement for agro-input dealership in Nigeria, hence, the  need to embark on regular training of the handlers and sellers of chemical inputs in the country.

According to him, there was the need for regular empowerment and capacity building of agricultural chemical handlers in the country. “Also,  training is very paramount for  success in life and since the minimum requirement for agro input dealers in Nigeria is now the National Diploma (ND),  courtesy NAFDAC requirement,  we just have to adjust and comply.”

“In view of this mandated requirement, the major stakeholders in the sector put heads together and we felt it was compulsory to embark on this academic empowerment programmes and that is why we were here today.

“The training  covered product knowledge,  weed and pest control,  as well as identification of toxicological bands in order to reduce to the bearest minimum, the misuse and mishandling of agro chemicals”, he explained.

The Croplife boss further explained that there had been incidences of abuse and misuse of agro-chemicals with its attendant effects on the handlers health. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to protect and safeguard the health of both the crop plants and the end users of agricultural produce in the country,” he said.
Sam Kunu also emphasised that the overall safety of those who sell and use agro-chemicals is also important to other major  stakeholders in the sector.

“We are taking responsibility for our profession. We are embarking on this important training in order to pass a message to the government and the entire citizenry that we are aware of what is happening to crop plants, as well as human beings in this profession,” he said.