This Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Kano, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar, representing the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, officially inaugurated the  Grain  processing innovation center GPIC.

Note the presence of the Swiss Ambassador based in Lagos, on behalf of the Republic of Niger, Chad, Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E Nicolas Lang, several members of the diplomatic corps, the Managing Director of BUHLER in Nigeria , Mr. Thomas Ogundiran, John Coumantaros, the chairman of the board of directors of Nigeria Flour Mills, the director of the Kano Grain processing innovation center, Ali Hmayed accompanied by his administrative and technical staff, Mr. Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains & Food segment of Bühler, and several distinguished guests.

It is therefore thanks to the collaboration between BUHLER GROUP and the Flour Mills food chain from Nigeria FMN that this center was created for the processing of local grains.

This sustainable and transformative commitment was made based on the need to address food insecurity, not only in Nigeria, but progressively across the African continent.

Today, around 2.3 billion people worldwide live in food insecure conditions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Thanks to their specific advantages, local cereals such as sorghum and millet can play an essential role in improving food security, particularly in Africa. The use of these raw materials is currently low and processing is not developed.

To address this challenge, Bühler is opening a dedicated applications and training center with research and development capabilities in Kano, Nigeria, together with its founding partner, Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN), and its collaborating partners , such as Olam Agri.

The main objective is to take the industrial processing of these cereals to the next level and thus contribute to affordable food. “Sustainable food value chains using local grains are the number one priority for developing Africa,” says Johannes Wick, CEO of Bühler’s Grains & Food segment.

“In addition to improving the food value chain, we see excellent business opportunities with a new category of processed foods,” says John Coumantaros, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Flour Mills of Nigeria.

While highlighting the foreseeable impact of the Application and Training Centre, Coumantaros said: “Flour Mills of Nigeria FMN has always been at the forefront of promoting food self-sufficiency in Nigeria and progressively across the continent.

This means that the center is well placed to sustainably develop local cereals, create commercial opportunities and offer viable alternatives to certain raw materials imported and used in production.

Therefore, this partnership once again demonstrates our consistency in the development of local content and our commitment to nourishing and enriching lives, every day, he added.

Local grains and crops offer many benefits and are therefore a key tool for improving food security. They have a high nutrient density with valuable vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats, are climate tolerant and able to withstand high temperatures and arid conditions, and require less fertilizer and pesticides than others cereals.  “Thanks to these characteristics, local cereals are ideal plants to be cultivated in Africa, especially under conditions of accelerated climate change,” says Ali Hmayed, director of the new Grain Processing Innovation Center (GPIC) Buhler of Kano.

The main reasons why these local grains and crops have not yet been integrated into industrial solutions are complex, ranging from low cultivated volumes and short shelf life to lack of process and equipment knowledge. Together with its partners, Bühler is now taking an important step to overcome this blockage and is open to new collaborations.

Also, before the inauguration ceremony of the center, a press conference was hosted by Bühler managers in the presence of journalists from African countries.

This press conference allowed the various managers of the company to explain in detail the objectives assigned to the Kano Grain processing innovation center, the various opportunities available to farmers, agri-food processing companies but also and above all they answered questions from journalists.

The inauguration ceremony took place a few minutes later, marked by important speeches, including that of the Swiss Ambassador in Lagos and the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nigeria who delivered the launch speech.

Then follows the cutting of the ribbon and the guided tour of the officials to the technical and infrastructural installations of the center.

However, it should be noted that as of today the Kano Grain Processing Innovation Center is operational in terms of human resources, material resources and availability of experts.

It was opened in Kano, Nigeria, of course, but it is interested in the entire African continent.

The GPIC will enable customers, researchers and partners to jointly explore cost-effective food processing solutions for local cereals such as sorghum, millet, corn, soybeans and other local crops such as cassava, different types of beans, nuts and seeds.

Issa Moussa

Special Envoy to Kano (Nigeria)