Imo State University of Agriculture has launched a project on pollinator biodiversity protection

During the event dedicated to assessing the needs of farmers and agricultural extension workers, the university Vice-Chancellor, Professor Christopher Eze, emphasized the need to implement advanced farming methods. According to him, modern approaches to biodiversity management and climate change adaptation will allow farmers to significantly increase production efficiency.

The Agripollinex project, implemented with the support of the Global Center on Biodiversity for Climate, focuses on the study and conservation of insect pollinators. As noted by the project's lead researcher, Francis Madu, these organisms are critical for the fertilization processes of crops, and their absence jeopardizes harvest volumes, as well as the quality of fruits and seed.

The authors of the initiative state that the population of pollinators is declining on a global scale due to the destruction of natural habitats, climate change, the transformation of agricultural practices, and the uncontrolled application of pesticides and insecticides. The worsening situation directly reduces the income of farms and the level of food security.

The practical part of the project will cover 60 farms in three states: Imo, Ogun, and Nasarawa. In each region, 20 farms will be involved, divided into experimental plots with the implementation of measures to support biodiversity, as well as control and pilot sites for a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the proposed methods.