Comprehensive Value Chain Development of Natural Resources for Economic Diversification: The Apiculture Approach

The present economic challenges in Nigeria call for a serious sustainable environment-friendly agricultural enterprise with a great potential that improves export earnings. It is our fervent believe that the contribution of the apiculture sector to its sustainable human development and specifically increases the income of beekeepers and traders of bee products through improved commercialization of quality bee products in Nigeria which will in turn lead to a drastic increase in the GDP of the nation. The overall goal of the Nigeria Apiculture Value Chain (AVC) Development Program is to contribute to an increase income of beekeepers and other actors on the AVC through increase in production capacity, stimulate the efficiency and competitiveness of the AVC products by improving standards, processing capacity so as to access higher value niche markets through Fairtrade International (FLO) certification or organic certifications and to achieve a total sales value of over $5 million by 2035 (Sustainable Development Goal SDG) target on Food Security. Apiculture provides highly desirable products such as honey, comb/wax, pollen, propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, apilarnil and apilanil prop, value added products and pollination services. It is of note to stress the need to urgently embrace the use of modern techniques in keeping honeybees for industrial development of Nigeria and also to enhance exportation of the products to earn growth in the Nigeria’s GDP by diversifying the monolithic economy that is presently based on crude oil exportation.

Initiative and Visions:Synergy between Development Strategies of China and the Arab States

The economic development of Arab states faces long-time impediments,including the paradox between security and development,de-industrialisation,and market fragmentation.Reflecting on the above-mentioned problems,the Arab states have put forward development strategies for themselves in the first two decades of the 21st century.There are different focuses in the three categories of these strategies,namely labour-intensive industrialisation and urbanisation plans adopted typically by Egypt,Morocco,and Tunisia,economic diversification plans adopted mainly by the Gulf Cooperation Council(GCC)countries,as well as post-conflict reconstruction and development plans of Iraq and Syria.This paper argues that,in terms of trade and investment,capacity relocation and technology transfer,as well as infrastructure construction and market integration,these development plans have considerable potential to be strategically synergized with China’s Belt and Road Initiative,and the various featured paths of synergy of development strategies(SDS)have emerged accordingly.To better implement the Sino-Arab SDS,both sides have created various major“interfaces,”including multilateral and bilateral governmental dialogue mechanisms,the participation of China’s state-owned enterprises in the landmark projects of Arab states,and the market-oriented cooperation between their private sectors.