…signs MOU to strengthen collaboration

The Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Luscei Investment Limited, an Edo State based private palm producing company, Luscei Investment Limited to host the Institute’s Extension Works Seed (EWS) fields.

By the agreement, the planting materials for the 40 hectares field would be supplied free of charge by NIFOR, while the company would manage the planting, maintenance and harvesting of the field under the supervision of NIFOR technical personnel.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU at NIFOR headquarters near Benin City, Executive Director of the institute, Dr. Celestine Ikuenobe highlighted the decline in the standard of operation at NIFOR due to human activities. He however but disclosed that partnerships with organisations such as Luscei Investment Limited, is necessary to recover best practices of NIFOR’s core mission.

Represented by the Director, Research, Technology and Product Development Department, Dr Isona Gold, Ikuenobe reinforces that NIFOR remains the number one Palm Research Institute in Africa.

“In the past, it was a taboo to be seen around Plant Breeding and Agronomy fields but overtime the scientific culture of the institute has eroded, resulting in the disregard for science. In some cases, staff of the Institute do not have an understanding of our experimental fields and view these fields as places for theft, with little knowledge on the Institute’s cash flow potential, and the negative impact of such activities on the relevance of NIFOR in the global scientific community. The consequence is that many years later, we do not have reliable yield records from our fields to market our products.”

“This is where our competitors have an advantage, as they are able to control such occurrences in their locations. In addressing this challenge, the Institute is seeking collaboration with private organisations and adopting stricter measures to curb sabotage within its system, hence our partnership with Luscei,” he added.

Director, Luscei Investment Limited, Oluseyi Adeleke said the agreement would last for 20 years and that this collaboration with NIFOR has improved the productivity in the farm. “With our collaboration, we had better insight on our land acquisition, as we received expert guidance from NIFOR during the process. Whilst there are challenges, we have been able to overcome them due to the resilience in the quality of materials we receive and how they can survive harsh weather conditions. As a result of this, major oil producers came to check our produce and today they off-take from our farms.

We are going to host their research outpost in our farm, which spans about 40 hectares and in the process, will learn from the researchers and replicate in the investment area of the farm. In the mid to long term, we hope to become more commercially viable, as we anticipate the next 20 years of this partnership.

Luscei Investment Limited has been in operations for over 12 years, leveraging the local understanding and support from Edo state in commercial farming. Luscei farm sits within a buffer interest area that is eight kilometres distance from nearest community. In other places, farmland even that faraway will become a problem however not so in Edo state.

The company has received support from its host community, the elders, and the youths, in addition to the current Governor of the state who has been very supportive to commercial agriculture from his days as special adviser to the comrade governor.