The National Bamboo Farmers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NBFPMAN) has called on the Federal Government to implement the national bamboo value chain development programme.
The National President of the association, Mr Nkeme Nyah, made the call in Abuja on Saturday at a bamboo awareness rally to commemoration of World Bamboo Day.
The Day is commemorated annually on Sept. 18 to raise awareness about its importance.
The theme for 2024 is “Next Generation Bamboo: Solution, Innovation and Design.”
Nyah said this would transform the economic landscape of the country.
He said bamboo utilisation had the potential to generate wide forward and backward linkages in the economy in such a way that industrialisation based on imported inputs could not match.
He said that its value chain could usefully engage vast number of unskilled and semi-skilled people, including women from propagation, cultivation, harvesting to initial processing.
Nyah suggested that government, through relevant agencies, could establish pilot nurseries and plantations across the country thereby creating direct employment .
According to him, such wide linkages are what the country urgently need for genuine development and economic diversification.
He said“ Unlike other development initiatives, bamboo development can be implemented with immediate effect, visible and measurable results.
”The widespread occurrence of naturally-growing bamboo in Nigeria reduces the gestation period between launch and implementation.
“It is possible, under the right conditions to have bamboo processing facilities of various types up and running all over the country within a year.
“In the area of propagation and cultivation, fast results can be obtained and appropriately sensitised households in the bamboo belt can have homestead bamboo plantations blooming within months.”
The president identified it as well placed to address four major global challenges of food security, shelter, livelihood and ecological security.
Nyah described the implementation of a bamboo-based initiative affordable adding that the resources, tools and equipment tend to be technically, relatively simple and at low cost.
According to him, government can take the lead in the initiation to implementation and collaborate with International and local partners through this the direct impact on the treasury can be minimised or shared.
He listed the international partners as International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), the World Bamboo Organisation (WBO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Other are, United Nation’s Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and FAO among others.
NAN
