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The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, has said the federal government has partnered Atlanta, capital city of Georgia, United States, on exports of sunflower and jatropha seeds.
In a statement yesterday, she said the deal would empower women, alleviate poverty, and create jobs.
She stated that the ministry had secured land space in various dams across the country to facilitate the cultivation of these valuable plants.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said that profits realised from the project would be shared among participating women entrepreneurs, noting that the initiative is expected to have a transformative impact on the lives of Nigerian women and the nation's economy.
The minister urged Nigerians to utilise the opportunity, adding that sunflower and jatropha curcas are highly sought after in the European and American markets.
She said, “While it takes over seven months to cultivate sunflowers in Europe, they mature in just 10 to 13 weeks in our country.
”Similarly, the jatropha curcas plant, traditionally associated with arid regions, can be harvested in eight months in Nigeria, compared to eighteen months in Europe and America.”
