Dr Patrick Adebola, the Executive Director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) located in Ibadan, Oyo State, has assured that the institute is working with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu which is to ensure the availability of food for Nigerians.

Adebola said this in an interview with CEOAFRICA at the ongoing 2024 Annual Inhouse Research Review themed “Varietal Development of Cocoa, Kola, Coffee, Cashew and Tea for Sustainable Circular Economic Growth in Nigeria” holding at the institute.

He explained that despite the mandate crops of the institute being perennial crops, they contribute a lot to food security in the country.

The Director also explained that the institute’s annual research review “is an annual ritual preceding the start of our research activities on the field” adding that, “it’s a forum where researchers, scientists give account of the proposals they have in the coffin, what they intend to do and its relevance to the small-scale farmers and country.”

“It’s a forum where we gather our scientists in the institute, stakeholders, including the farmers, and farmers association, relevant government agencies to our mandate crops. It is time we come together to look at what we intend to do during the year.”

He added that they receive constructive criticisms from the partners of the institute at the research review before they go to the field.

When asked about the challenge of disease attacks on farms, the CRIN boss said, “despite certain problems associated with what we do like pests and diseases, we are up to the task, we are doing all we within the limit that we can to make sure that we get ready for whatever disease and pest that we envisage that could be coming.”

He noted that “Several varieties of our mandate crops have been developed and these varieties are disease resistant, and we are ready to roll those materials out for our farmers for them to be able to plant.”

On his advice to farmers, he charged them to make the institute the one stop shop for all the issues and solutions for problems on cocoa, cashew, kola, and tea.

“We are waiting to assist you. The government is assisting us to assist you to get better aid. Not only yields, we are also trying to see that you have products that have good quality that meets international standards. We are waiting for our farmers to submit their requests,” he said.

Earlier during the opening session, Adebola revealed the challenges faced by the institute on funding, telling farmers and stakeholders Nigeria will do better like Ghana in the areas of cocoa if CRIN is well funded.