By Mimi O.

A Not-for Profit Organisation, Gist AGRICA in partnership with Medical Honey Bees Farm Nigeria has orgainse a 3 day workshop on honey bee keeping to create jobs for unemployed and awareness of the importance of pollinators.

Princess Ekwi Ajide, the founder of Gist AGRICA said that the workshop ogainsed in Awka on Thursday was to commemorate 2021 World Bee Day with theme “Bee engaged – Build Back Better for Bees”.

Ajide said that world bee day started in 2016 by the United Nation as a crucial model to cultivating the world's favorite fruit and vegetables.

She said that the workshop targets to create awareness of the importance of the pollinators with interest of its contributions to sustainable development and of human living

Ajide said that the workshop will also handle the threats pollinators face as a results of human activities and proffer ways to ensure that that pollinators are protected .

“ These pollinators contributes immensely to the development and sustainability of the system which would ensure support for the role of pollinators, it grantees food security to chase hunger away.” She said

Ajide said that pollinators is a very fundamental to the survival of the ecosystem and is a reason UN designated May 20 annually as world bee day.

She said that the importance of bee keeping its economic values demands for all hands to be on deck to counter the threats by COVID-19 Pandemic to food security and agricultural livelihoods.

Ajide said that it is expected that after the training participants would be exposed to importance of bee keeping, other uses of honey and bee products.

She said it also improve their standard of living and make them to contribute to over all economic development of the state and Nigeria at large.

Earlier , Mr Emeka Okafor , Chief Executive Officer Majestic Honey Farm who thought the participant on benefit and cost of commercial bee keeping urged individual and government to invest in bee keeping.

Okafor said that bee keeping would solve the problem of unemployment and wealth creation and if when harnessed will boost both financial level of the people and IGR of the state.

He said that the need to protect bee and other pollinators such as butterflies, bat,and humming birds against human activities

Okafor said many bee species are under threat due to pesticides, climate change, intensive agriculture, and changes in land use.

Mrs Ijeoma Uche a participant commended the convener and described the work shop as an eye opener as she never knew that bee has such poentials.

Mr Chibuzo Okoye a participant collaborated Uche’s claim and promised to try out the business .as he is aware that pollinators are good for survival of the ecosystem.

The workshop will end on May 22 and it is hoped that the participant would utilize the gains of the workshop to better the society.

Instead dem go train dem on cattle rearing...las las e go be.