Dr. Corsby's Visit to Nigeria July 31st - August 4th, 2007

Published September 10, 2007 @ 11:34AM PT

Dr. George Crosby's Visit to Nigeria
July 31 – August 4, 2007
Courtesy of State University of New York, Cobleskill in partnership with Children of Rural Africa
by George Crosby, Ph.D.Tuesday
 
July 31, 2007
My trip to Nigeria was at the invitation of Children of Rural Africa (CORAfrica) and the State University of New York (SUNY), Cobleskill campus. I was asked to represent the SUNY system as an agriculturist and to explore ways in which SUNY might partner with Nigerian universities, ultimately with the goal of assisting Children of Rural Africa. I departed Entebbe International Airport after two weeks in Uganda and traveled to Abuja, Nigeria via Nairobe, Kenya and Lagos, Nigeria.  I arrived at Abuja International Airport at 9:15 p.m. and was greeted by Fr. Dr. Peter Abue and Mr. Larry Abuo of CORAfrica. We stayed at the Sharon Hotel and spent some time getting acquainted and discussed plans for the next several days.Meeting Father Peter at the airport

Wednesday, August 1, 2007
 Fr. Dr. Abue and I returned to the airport and flew to Calabar, Cross River State. Upon arriving, we were greeted by Dr. Tom Ojikpong, an agronomy faculty member at Cross River State University Faculty of Agriculture, Obubra as well as other members of the CORAfrica team. We traveled the short distance to Cross River State University of Technology where I gave a presentation to Dr. Eka Braide, Vice Chancellor of Cross River State University of Technology, Calabar and 24 faculty and administrators, including Dean Prof. A. E. Akachukwu from the Faculty of Agriculture, Obubra campus. My presentation included information on the State University of New York system as well as the campus at Cobleskill, where I have served as a member of the faculty for twenty years and teach courses in irrigation, hydroponics, and vegetable crop production. We discussed numerous opportunities for collaboration, including faculty and student exchange, internships, and joint research projects.Meeting with the faculty and adminitrators at CRUTECH I also presented information on my research with Moringa oleifera, a multipurpose tree having promising potential for its nutritional benefits.  Reaching a height of 7 to 12 meters, moringa is considered a “vegetable tree” because almost every part of the plant has food value. Moringa is known commonly as drumstick tree (for the seed pods), ben oil tree (for the seed oil) and horseradish tree (for the flavor of the roots). Roots are used as a substitute for horseradish, although the bark must be removed from the roots before they are used because it is toxic. The leaves are eaten as greens, used as an ingredient in vegetable curries, as well as a seasoning in other dishes. Ounce for ounce, moringa leaves contain more beta-carotene than carrots, more iron than spinach, more potassium than bananas, more vitamin C than oranges, and more protein than peas. Moringa leaf powder has been identified as a dietary supplement in developing regions of the world, where leaves are dried and crushed to make a powder that can be added to other food. Giving the presentation The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute has identified moringa as a priority species of underutilized crops for food security in sub-Saharan Africa. Moringa also has been promoted by non-governmental agencies such as the Church World Service (CWS) and Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization (ECHO) to combat malnutrition among nursing mothers and infants. While there are references to health-related moringa studies in Nigeria in the literature, it remains relatively unknown, underutilized, and few of my hosts are familiar with it. I suspect that we will see moringa in our travels; chances are moringa has been introduced in some villages and is being used. I also shared my experiences with gravity-feed bucket irrigation systems that I have used in Uganda and the West Indies. This particular system is in use in over 100 different countries and is especially helpful to farmers during the dry season.  We enjoyed a great discussion period following the presentation, and visited more about moringa and irrigation. There also seemed to be a great deal of interest in hydroponic crop culture. Dr. Braide addressed the group and provided a strong commitment to collaborative ventures between Cross River State University of Technology and the State University of New York. All were appreciative of the efforts of Fr. Dr. Abue and CORAfrica in providing the leadership to cause these discussions to occur. We took time for some photos before leaving for our next meeting with nine CORAfrica members at the CORAfrica headquarters in Calabar. I enjoyed a wonderful dinner hosted by Dr. Braide with 24 faculty and administrators at the Channel View restaurant in Calabar and was presented with a gift of a table covering and ceramic bowl from Cross River State University of Technology. We spent the night in neatly furnished rooms at the CORAfrica office complex.Meeting with Dr. Braide.

Thursday, August 2, 2007
We traveled to Cross River State University of Agriculture, Obubra where I had an opportunity to speak to Sub-Dean Dr. E. Ayuk and approximately 80 agriculture faculty and students. I again presented information on SUNY as well as my Moringa oleifera research and work with gravity-feed irrigation systems. Following a question and answer period, photos and some informal discussion, we departed for Ipong-Obudu Community, site for the proposed Community Education center by CORAfrica and, on the way, met briefly with Bishop of Ogoja Diocese, Rev. Dr. John E. Ayah. We had a chance to meet informally this evening with many who had remained to greet us and stayed at Fr. Dr. Abue’s home.

Friday, August 3, 2007
I attended 6 a.m. Mass with Fr. Dr. Peter, following which I gave a  presentation to 150 local residents and farmers on irrigation and Moringa oleifera. After seeing moringa photographs, Mr. Chrysanthus Akan, a local farmer, left briefly during the presentation and returned with a branch, leaves and seed pods, wanting to know if they were moringa. I identified them as indeed samples of Moringa oleifera and we later visited a home to see two moringa trees. Several hours later we stopped in Igoli town to visit with a boy from the Hausa tribe carrying a bundle of moringa branches to take to his mother to make soup. Later, while stopping for fuel, I spotted another moringa tree in Abakpa town in Ogoja.  The fact that moringa is here and being used by a few is incredibly encouraging. Since moringa trees are prolific seed producers and also propagate readily from hardwood cuttings, it should be relatively easy to begin to establish a nursery bed for seedling production. It is also much more desirable to periodically coppice, or cut back to about 15 cm above the ground, young trees so that new, vigorous shoots sprout from the base of the trunk. Moringa trees tend to produce relatively few leaves as the trees mature and these young shoots will be far more productive. Young leaves are also much more nutritious and taste better compared to older leaves.We had a great practical session and demonstration on gravity feed irrigations systems, although it was becoming apparent that wherever we seemed to go to irrigate, it rained! I brought thirty systems with me that will be used in the two CORAfrica demonstration farms. Should these seem to work well, we will need to come up with a plan to obtain more of these and make them available to farmers. I also brought 1800 packages of vegetable seeds, including tomato, pepper, beets, and cucumber, compliments of Mike Mueller and Hope Seeds. Again, these are available for use in the demonstration farms as well as for distribution.  Demonstrating the gravity feed irrigation system I was treated to a ceremony in recognition of my visit, including music, dance, skits, and the presentation of a gift by Chief Joseph Ugbe, representing Kakum village in Obudu. This framed piece of artwork depicts a farmer working in his field and now hangs prominently in my office for all who enter to see. It was clear from the start that everyone involved with this trip had a goal of making my brief stay in Nigeria memorable in every way. You were successful; please accept my sincere thanks!We traveled to Idum village via Igoli-Abakpa to St. Joseph’s Orphanage, Idum-Mbube, where I had a chance to again visit about agriculture, irrigation, and Moringa oleifera to 70 students and 45 faculty and staff. Our hectic schedule had caused us to again run behind schedule so the children had been waiting a very long time. They were extremely attentive and seemed to particularly enjoy the practical session and demonstration on gravity feed irrigation systems we did outside. The evening was spent at Joseph Abue’s home.Visitin St. Joseph's Orphanage.

Saturday, August 4, 2007
This was a travel day as we made our way back towards Abuja – about nine hours total in the car – so I could make my 9:15 p.m. flight home. 

Appreciation
Special thanks to Dr. Tom Ojikpong for his help throughout the trip. I especially appreciate your willingness to share agricultural information as we traveled! We hope to be able to welcome you and some of your Faculty and students to the State University of New York at Cobleskill in the near future. I also look forward to returning to Nigeria with some of my students.Sincere appreciation to Vice Chancellor Dr. Eka Braide. As a graduate of Cornell University in upstate New York, she was already well aware of the SUNY system. Dr. Braide expressed strong support for partnerships between Cross River State University and the State University of New York, and I left encouraged that this trip marked the beginning of what hopefully will be a long-standing relationship between our institutions. To the CORAfrica team in Calabar, my sincere thanks for your hospitality and for the important work that you are doing. The partnerships that you foster will bring benefits to the children of rural Africa. Special thanks to Prince Joseph Abue for your kindness.Recognition and special thanks to Sylvester Eneji, photographer and chauffer, as well as Owen Daniel, interpreter at St. Joseph’s. Special thanks to Bob Abue for his expert driving skills navigating the heavy Abuja traffic to get be there on time. And to Chief Joseph Ugbe and the members of Kakum village, I’ll always appreciate how welcoming you were to me.Finally, to Fr. Dr. Peter Abue, I extend my utmost appreciation for being a wonderful host and for the work that you are doing with CORAfrica to bring those together who can work cooperatively for the benefit of children of rural Africa. While I made many new contacts for the State University of New York on this trip, I also made new friends.Special thanks to the CORAfrica team!

Final thoughts…It is 2007. Worldwide, approximately 840 million people lack adequate amounts of food each day, and over 2 billion suffer from malnutrition, including protein-calorie and micronutrient deficiencies. Vitamin A deficiency alone affects 7 million pregnant women and 100 million children in more than 100 countries. More than 250,000 children lose their sight each year, half of who die within a year. Vegetables are the primary source of micronutrients for human consumption and provide the most practical and sustainable method for alleviating micronutrient deficiencies.  It is 2007. We can do better than this.

Additional Information
For a great article by Beth Doerr of ECHO on Moringa Leaf Powder, go to: http://www.echotech.org/mambo/images/DocMan/MorLeafPowder.pdf

For an excellent website on moringa, go to:http://www.moringanews.org/
For additional resources on moringa, go to:http://treesforlife.org/treesforlife.asp
For information on bucket irrigation systems, go to:http://www.chapinlivingwaters.org/