Foremost Development Services Limited in partnership with Agrinexus Group of Companies is set to launch the Incorporated Society of Partners (ISP) for stakeholders in the agricultural sector to grow and develop their capacities.

The partnership is also to support Nigeria’s quest to fast-track economic diversification through the agricultural sector as it aims to reduce the recruitment of foreign professionals across the value chains.

“We have over been disturbed by the lack of capacity of some Nigerian professionals, especially in the plantation industry,” Fatai Afolabi, managing director of Foremost Development Services said at a recent media briefing.

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“It has been a serious concern for us that in some agricultural value chains, Nigeria still has to look beyond our shores to recruit foreign experts, and professionals to help us develop our plantations and farming projects,” Afolabi said.

According to him, the country must develop its agriculture in the way countries with highly productive agriculture have developed theirs, noting that it prompted the introduction of an ISP chapter in the country’s agricultural landscape.

He said the ISP is an establishment that has been established to grow and develop capacities of agricultural graduates all over the world, adding it can impact the country’s agricultural development by adding values and making it as productive as it should be.

“Before now, ISP has been in Malaysia and some other Asian countries but today through the efforts of Agrinexus International and Foremost Development Services to launch the ISP in Nigeria,” he said.

He noted that the establishment of ISP in Nigeria will help create an African hub as it will act as a regional organisation.

Speaking also, Shermal Perera, group managing director and founder, Agrinexus Group said ISP has been in Malaysia for over 100 and during its early development, it was established for planters to join as members to enable them to take up courses that enable them to establish productive plantations.

“As a member you can go through training courses and proper education for you to establish yourself in the plantation industry,” Perera said.

“It is important because it allows you to extend your knowledge in agriculture and allow your career to develop and move up the ladder from a humble beginning to a high position,” he explained.

“So, we have had people in the agriculture space from a supervisory level achieve high positions such as manager and in some cases general manager.” “The ISP is a methodology that allows you to climb in your profession.”

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According to him, the membership body offers courses from certification to bachelor’s degree to master’s level certification. He stated that the ISP Nigeria chapter will allow other countries on the content to subscribe to ISP.

Claudine Weerasena, group finance director at Agrinexus International speaking on the profile of ISP said it is a membership organisation for people directly or indirectly involved in the agricultural space.

She said ISP provides journals and magazines on the latest technologies that are shared with members and it cuts across all spectrums of agricultural production.

Weerasena added that there are also immediate relief funds for members, scholarships for the children of members, and yearly seminars as well as advisory and consultancy services.