In a brief ceremony which was held in the office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Abuja, the key intention of the Memorandum was a commitment by both parties to further develop agriculture in Nigeria through wheat production.
FMAN expressed readiness to purchase all the wheat produced by WFAN at a guaranteed price of N140,000 per metric ton for the 2015/2016 farming season. Members of WFAN in turn expressed their desire to sell all of their wheat to FMAN at the agreed price.
Signing the MOU on behalf of FMAN were, the vice-chairman Mr. Lanre Jaiyeola, and the executive secretary Alhaji Olalekan Saliu.
On behalf of WFAN were Alhaji Farouk R. Mudi, and Mr Batari M. Dauda, representing the executive chairman of WFAN, Malam Saleh Mohammed Salim. Also present at the signing ceremony were Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development; Dr Oluwaseun Olabanji, Executive Director, Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) and other executive members of FMAN in Nigeria and wheat Farmers Association.
Speaking at the occasion, Lanre Jaiyeola, who is also the Managing Director of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc., said: “This event marks a milestone in the development and growth of the Nigerian wheat value chain and aligns with FMAN’s objectives to provide affordable and nutritious flour based foods to Nigerians in addition to developing the wheat value chain and contributing to the growth of agriculture in Nigeria. This initiative seeks to replicate the modest successes achieved in our intervention in the Cassava Value Chain where Nigeria is the number one producer of Cassava in the world”.
Lanre Jaiyeola also expressed gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh; the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and; the officials of the Lake Chad Research Institute for their support.
