An environmentalist and Consultant,Dr Wilson Osigwe has called on the federal government to provide multivational incentives such as loans and grants to Mushroom Growers, Possessors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NAM-GP-MAN) to enhance the productivity and marketing of the products.
Dr Osigwe disclosed this while presenting a paper on the essentialities of mushroom consumption during the opening ceremony of the maiden national mushroom week,2021, held at the exhibition pavilion in Abuja.According to him the nutritional and medicinal value of mushroom cannot be overemphasised in the promotion of human health.
He said the association if properly funded would provide job opportunities to the teaming unemployed youth in the country and also help in improving Nigeria’s foreign exchange and the economic diversification efforts of the federal government.
He further stressed that mushroom production in Nigeria was very low compare to other countries like China whose contribution was about eighty per cent of total mushroom production in the world,saying if encouraged, Nigeria’s could do more in the sub sector.
The environmentalist also called on the federal government to provide funds directly to the association to boost its productivity.