The finest men and women of the Igala nation were gathered on the 31st of March at the Kogi State University Stadium in Anyigba to celebrate the historic Eroli Ane Igala Cultural Carnival held to showcase Igala culture and agriculture and to discuss initiatives on economic growth and sustainable development for the rising Igala nation.
Henry Agbonika took to his facebook page to laud the event and described it as having the capacity to strengthen the cashew value chain, stimulate sustainable and inclusive economic growth for the good of Kogi people, and contribute to the development of Kogi state.
“That the Igala nation needs to reinvent its economy is not in doubt. Neither is the place of the cashew sub sector as a pathway to this reinvention. So what then is in doubt? Before now, I would have opined that our ability to effectively organise this space and value chain is in doubt. But the fact that this event is holding today is indicative of some willingness and commitment. Harnessing the potentials in the cashew value chain therefore requires that we understand its different nodes and the opportunities inherent’
“It is important we realize that it goes beyond supply chain that is currently the hallmark of the sub sector, to linkages generating value for actors, and ultimately for the consumer. It is important that we begin to see the cashew sub sector as strings of businesses driven by value in an effective and efficient manner,” he said.
Henry Anibe Agbonika is a renowned leading consultant and technical analyst for several developmental programmes across Africa. He is also a renowned developer of Agricultural Value Chains and has contributed and lead several projects under National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP), World Bank and chaired the Abuja operations of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group(NESG).
Henry is very passionate about agribusiness and the promises it holds for the transformation of local economies and contributions to economic growth across Africa. He is currently working with several actors to build capacity and strengthen value chains through The Kogi Agribusiness Services and Value Added (KASAVA) initiative.
