Sunflower Farmers to Reduce N7bn Annual Imports
…elects new leaders
The National Association of Sunflower Growers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NASGMAN) has vowed to embark on massive production of Sunflower with the view to eliminating the importation of Sunflower oil worth N7 billion annually.
The Association also elected new executives to run its affairs for the next four years at a conference attended by delegates from across the country at the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in Abuja.
Alhaji Jibrin Bukar from Borno state, who was re- elected as President of the Association for a second term of four years, said that Sunflower farming is becoming widespread in the country, with over 3,000 registered farmers in the country.

Elected along with the National President were six Vice Presidents, representing the six geo-political zones of the country. Th Vice Presidents are Mr. Oluitan Adekanni from Lagos for the South-West, Mr. Michael Ebele from Abia State for the South-East and Mr. Daniel Manneseh from Adamawa State for the North East.
Others elected Vice Presidents are Salisu Na’inna Dambatta from Kano State for the North-West, Mrs. Safere-Obi Clara from Bayelsa state for the South-South and Mr. Joseph Yilkes from Nasarawa State, for the North-Central.
Mr. Ohaeri Uchechukwu of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment was appointed Secretary-General of the Association.
President of the Association, Alhaji Jibrin Bukar said in a speech after his re-election that Sunflower has many applications such as cooking oil, bio-diesel, in cosmetics and animal feeds manufacture. It also has many proven medicinal uses, including the prevention of cancer.
Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Zamfara, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory are the major producers of the commodity, but it is gaining ground in all parts of the country.