The Federal Government has set aside the Ikorodu Terminal for the facilitation of yam exports. Revealing this in Abuja, the Chairman of the Technical Committee on Nigeria’s Yam Export, Programme Prof Simon Irtwange said that the nation has concluded plans to export yams this quarter. Hence, government would take possession of the Ikorodu terminal to facilitate the yam exports. According to him, the terminal has been officially designated as a base for the exportation of yam and other agricultural produce.
“This means that all vehicles and trucks carrying yams for export will head towards the Ikorodu terminal, instead of the Apapa Ports. “At least, it will go a long way in helping the vehicles to avoid the Apapa gridlocks, save the time the produce gets to the ships and reduce the number of wastages through spoilage; the News Agency of Nigeria, quoted him as saying on Thursday. He added, “With reduced time and spoilage, farmers will be encouraged to bring in more produce for export.”
The importance of quality control and efficient port system cannot be over emphasised. There must perfect logistics at the port to make export seamless, while there must be quality assurance. The transit period of the yams is also important. Yam has been found to generate a lot of revenue for Ghana which currently accounts for 94 per cent of the total yam exports in West Africa, covering markets in the USA, Canada, UK and Europe. Between 2005 and 2010, yam production in Ghana contributed about 16 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. The Director-General, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Mr Osita Aboloma, said due to the global acceptance of yams from Ghana, Nigerian yams are usually relabelled Ghana yams and exported to the US from Ghana.
