By Mulengera Reporters
On Friday, the President (represented by Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda) launched the AU/EU-funded regional gene bank (RGB) for animal genetic resources in Entebbe. Meant to conserve indigenous animal genetic resources (facing extinction as farmers prefer fast-yielding crossbred varieties), the Regional Gene Bank (RGB) is under management and control of National Animal Genetic Resources Center & Data Bank (NAGRIC & RB). Headed by Dr. Charles Lagul, NAGRIC is one of the 7 government agencies that fall under Ministry of Agriculture, Animal husbandry ands Fisheries (MAAIF).
The RNB project will be about collecting, processing, storing and conserving genes aimed at preserving the indigenous livestock varieties including the Ankole cow that is widely popular among livestock farmers in the whole of East Africa. The project (whose unveiling promotes realization of the UN-championed SDGs) will serve 13 EAC and IGAD countries including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, the two Sudans, Ethiopia, Eritrea and others.
It will be a center of excellence with state of art labs and other animal breeding equipment to which all member countries will deliver their respective indigenous animal genes for processing, storage and conservation. It will be like back up for those that already have NAGRIC-like institutions and gene storage facilities so that in case what is kept at home gets a problem, they get from this regional bank. Rugunda and Agriculture Minister Vincent Sempijja assured the countries during the launch their samples would be very safe.
Working closely with EU funders, the African Union has set up four other similar centers of (livestock farming) excellence in Botswana, Cameroon, Tunisia and Burkina Faso for West Africa. This is part of the Global Action Plan championed by Food Agricultural Organization (FAO) with a view to ensure the livestock/animal resources are used sustainably across the globe to serve current and future generations. The ultimate goal is food security and improved nutrition which are key component of the UN-championed Social Development Goals (SDGs).
In the case of Eastern Africa, the AU (having vetted all the proposals and offers from different countries) chose Uganda whose NAGRIC is way ahead of the rest in terms of best practices and availability of experienced scientists. From the NAGRIC-run center of excellence in Entebbe, other countries are expected to learn best practices and effect knowledge transfer to improve livestock practices in their respective areas of jurisdiction. Countries which don’t have such facilities and lack efficient breeding programs will be supported via knowledge transfers to also build local capabilities.
At the site where the center is located and the project is headquartered (just next to Entebbe Airport), NAGRIC has over 20 acres of prime land on which is a government demonstration farm. It’s now a fully-fledged facility from which Uganda, being the host, will reap big benefits. That is the focus of this article.
THE BENEFITS
Firstly, its prestigious that out of the 13 countries that were equally eligible, Uganda was chosen and considered the most appropriate by the AU-IBAR teams. Indeed, AU official Dr. Mary Mbole-Kariuki in her speech at the launch said the continental body is very confident Uganda can’t let EAC and IGAD livestock farmers down. She said there is certainty that, levering on the big-name scientists available at both NAGRIC and Mak vet college, all will go well and the overall project objectives will be exceedingly realized.
That prestige is also good for President Museveni as one of the few surviving older statesmen on the continent. It fortifies his self-esteem among his peers and politically strengthens him.
This self-esteem reality is something even the area LC1 Chairperson hinted on as she made her speech during the Friday launching ceremony. “As chairperson of this village, I have always considered myself powerful because of the key government projects I have in my area of jurisdiction. And now with the coming of this project, I think I’m on my way to becoming the most powerful LC1 Chairperson in Uganda,” she casually bragged something one talkative journalist present agreed with concluding her pride was justified and well founded.
Yet it also comes with lots of money-making opportunities, the very reason other regional powers equally bided to host the regional program. From time to time, scientists from the 12 other countries will regularly be flocking in to deliver or take samples and to also learn best practices on generally how things are done.
Livestock farmers, desirous to boost their livestock farming businesses, will equally be frequenting the place for knowledge transfer and to also learn best livestock farming practices. The resultant increased traffic through Entebbe airport is good for our aviation statistics on top of the dollars such guests spend while in Uganda. Their stay means increased business opportunities for accommodation and recreation facilities in Entebbe and its neighborhood. By implication, this grows our tourism industry.
When it comes to human capital development (over which NPA is undertaking consultations to enrich NDP III), Ugandan scientists are already cashing in on the center. There is already a good number of scientists, researchers and lab technologists from NAGRIC, Makerere and other Universities who are already gainfully employed under the project that could be turned into a permanent regional livestock program serving over 100m livestock farmers scattered into the 13 project countries.
Dr. Mbole already says there will be continuous capacity building for the project staff who are 100% Ugandans with no foreigners in their midst. Many young scientists working on the project are already looking forward to being sponsored to do masters and PhDs all as part of the broader capacity-building component. Whatever the AU/EU will do for the program staff at the other four RGBs will equally be done for those manning the Ugandan center.
The 13 countries send representatives to constitute the supreme organ called the General Assembly above which is a council of ministers which our own Vincent Sempijja now chairs. The relevant GA meetings will be taking place in Uganda where the center is housed and all this is ordinarily good publicity for our country.
It’s also true locating such a prestigious center of scientific excellence in Uganda raises the profile of youthful Charles Lagul who, as head NAGRIC, has professionally already accomplished a lot for his age. He has a PhD in veterinary medicine from Makerere University whose vet professors are very proud of him for being such a good ambassador for the CoVAB college.
Rugunda says AU’s decision to locate the center in Uganda compliments the efforts of President Museveni, a big-name cattle breeder, who has always been personally very supportive of the need to preserve indigenous cattle breeds to boost food security and nutrition for present and future generations.
The AU recognition will also make it easier for line Ministers Joy Kabatsi and Vincent Sempijja to lobby their cabinet and parliament colleagues to vote for NAGRIC’ increased budget allocation in the subsequent FYs. As Lagul put it in his Friday speech, being a celebrated Pan-Africanist, President Museveni will naturally lender all the political support to ensure the high hopes the other 12 countries have in Uganda doing a good job don’t turn into dismay. (For comments, call, text or whatsapp us on 0703164755 or email us at mulengera2040@gmail.com).
