Nigerian scholar, Dr Abdulrazak Ibrahim, invented an insect control
technology that is protecting farmers' crops in Brazil. The genetic engineer
co-led an African-Brazil project that is responsible for the creation of the
first-ever biolistic facility to be in Northern Nigeria.
Ibrahim said he got the inspiration to delve into science, technology and
innovation pathways fields of knowledge from Obafemi Awolowo
University's Professor Funso Sonaiya. His invention, which he patented
with deposits at the Brazilian Industrial Property Organization, has
consequently saved farmers from crop wastage. It has helped the South
American country from losing a large chunk of her potential food produce to
the insects.
Ibrahim is an agricultural biotechnologist and Agricultural Research for
Development (AR4D) expert with over 20 years of experience within
Africa's National Agricultural Research and Innovation System (NARIS),
South America and the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) framework.
He obtained a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology at the Universidade de Brasilia
(UnB), Brazil; a master's degree in Biochemistry from Universidade Federal
do Ceara (UFC), Fortaleza, Brazil, and a BSc degree in Biochemistry from
Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria.
He is experienced in capacity development, agricultural Innovation systems
(AIS), food systems approach, plant biotechnology stewardship,
stakeholder engagement, and development of transgenic crops, laboratory
and field management of GMCrops, biosafety and foresight.
the processes of removing harmful substances from garri and noted with dismay
that some people cook and eat their local ‘abacha’ delicacy the same day it was
processed without allowing the necessary fermentation.
She advised participants to spread the knowledge gained from the programme to
local farmers in the village to improve the life expectancy among rural dwellers.
Dr. Mathew Nwike, the Dean, School of Agriculture and Home Economics, in the
College said that the programme was meant to educate rural farmers on modern
ways of food processing in order to enhance farm production and healthy living of
the final consumers. He said the programme targeted farmers residing in and
around the host community of Umunze and its environs, to combat some of the
cancerous diseases caused by eating unprocessed and non-fermented cassava.