A team of experts from within and outside West Africa will meet next week (November 20-22) in Nigeria to enhance South-South cooperation, exchange of knowledge on best practices and lessons learned on appropriate technologies and techniques for utilisation of Neem in the production of biopesticides and other products.

The three-day meeting organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing and Urban Development and the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT) is expected to lead to action oriented programme and strategies for the cultivation, processing and conservation of Neem tree in West Africa.

According to the IGCC spokeperson, Herbert Owusu, some of the international experts are expected from India, China, Thailand, Mynamar and Germany while participating countries include Benin, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea, Niger, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, represented by officials from NARICT, RMRDC, IITA, Universities of Bauchi, Calabar.

The Neem tree appears to possess desirable characteristics while numerous scientific studies show, that extracts of Neem fruits, seeds, seed kernels, twigs, stem bark, root bark and leaves possess insect antifeedant, insecticidal, insect growth disrupting, nematicidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, anti-flammatory, antitumor and immuno stimulating activities.

The Neem tree (Azadirachta indica), for example, is a source of chemicals that have been used successfully in pest management. It is endemic in Asia and some West African countries and has been used traditionally by small farmers and the landless poor for multiple purposes like preparation of organic manure and organic pesticides and was classified in 1989 by the US National Research Council as a tree for solving global problems.

Neem materials are easy to process by village-level industries and easy to use; thus, they may offer a potential for crop protection and off-farm income generation. Its multipurpose usage is particularly amenable for income generation and employment opportunities at the community level. Production and promotion of Neem-based pesticides would support environmentally sustainable economic development in the West African region.