How Commodity Exchange Can Develop Critical Sectors – Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna

Kano State Government says commodities exchanges can serve as key catalyst for development of critical sectors because it offers credible platform for trading and facilitating export of commodities.

Kano State Deputy, Dr.Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna disclosed this on Thursday while declaring open a stakeholders sensitization workshop on commodity standards organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission in collaboration with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) at Grand Central Hotel, Kano.

"To achieve this our commodities must conform with internationally accepted standard ".

The Deputy Governor added that Kano State is seeking to  enhance agricultural productivity of small and medium scale farmers as well as improved value addition along three priority value chains of rice,wheat and tomato through Agro-Processing,Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Improvement Support Project (APPEALS).

"This objective will be achieved through support for increased productivity of farmers and their linkage to markets...in this regard the commodity exchanges can play a critical role by ensuring commodities price stability and providing market access to farmers", he explained.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Hassan Musa Fagge quoted Dr. Gawuna as saying the workshop signals strong collaboration among institutions, regulators and stakeholders.

In his remarks, the Director General of Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Farouk Salim said his agency is as ready as Nigeria to ensure global sustainable commodity market is achieved.

While imploring the traders and other stakeholders along the commodity value chain to ensure compliance to standard with evidence of certification, he reiterated that SON is committed to ensuring that the primary objective of the commodity exchange to offer fair pricing to the producers and genuine commodities to the consumers is achieved through quality production based on conformity to relevant national commodity standard.

Speaking earlier, the Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission, Lamido Yuguda said this is the second in the series of workshops organised to enhanced commodity standards and part of the result of their partnership with Standards Organisation of Nigeria.