The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Sahara Power Group trains 38 engineers

    Thirty-eight young engineers comprising 29 males and nine females have graduated from the 2019 Sahara Graduate Engineering Programme (GEP).

    The GEP is an annual capacity building initiative of Sahara Power Group through its arms – Egbin Power Plc and First Independent Power Limited (FIPL) in collaboration with the National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN), to close the manpower gap in the power sector.

    The new graduates, who were offered certificates during the graduation ceremony held in Lagos. According to the Group Managing Director of Sahara Power  Group, Mr. Kola Adesina, with the graduation of the 2019 batch, the total number of young engineers that have undergone the programme since its commencement in 2014 is 198.

    Read Also: Sahara Group eyes investment in Angola’s downstream

    Kola Adesina said the trainees were selected out of over 8,500 applicants after a very rigorous process, adding that they were chosen from various fields of engineering professions including electrical, chemical, electronic and mechanical.

    He said: “Over the past 12 months, they have embarked on intensive classroom training and hands-on activities across power generation, operations, distribution, transmission, electricity and commercial awareness.

    “These rigorous sessions were conducted by seasoned power experts, so I am confident that this foundation will empower our future power experts to transform the sector as they progress in their careers.”

    The Director-General of NAPTIN, Mr. Ahmed Nagode, said the GEP was a very important and fundamental programme in the career of a professional engineer in the power sector. “It is a programme that bridges the gap between academic qualification of BSC/HND in Electrical and Mechanical engineering and the skills required to operate on the power networks,” Nagode said.

  • NEITI, EFCC partner against oil industry corruption

    To plug the holes in the oil and gas industry, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and  Economic  and Financial Crimes Commission   have agreed  to collaborate to enhance  efficiency and achieve results, writes AMBROSE NNAJI.

     

    The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that would strengthen the partnership and cooperation between the two agencies in the fight against corruption.

    The MoU would focus more on identified financial crimes disclosed by the NEITI reports in the oil, gas and mining industries. It will also specify how NEITI and the EFCC would deal with such crimes expeditiously through information and intelligence sharing as well as human capacity mobilisation.

    These resolutions were part of the highlights of decisions reached at a meeting between the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Waziri Adio and the Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu with top management teams of the two agencies.

    Speaking at the meeting, Adio, said implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) in Nigeria would require the attention and support of the EFCC to implement effectively in the best interest of the Nigerian economy. He listed the emerging issues to include, beneficial ownership disclosure, contract transparency, commodity trading and oil theft.

    He said Beneficial Ownership disclosure seeks to provide information to the public on the real owners of businesses in Nigeria’s oil, gas and mining industries and requires the support of the EFCC towards its implementation. This, he explained, was in view of the strong connection between disclosure of the beneficial owners of companies and financial crimes such as money laundering, tax evasion and terrorism financing.

    Read Also: EFCC not tool for witch-hunt, says Magu

     

    Adio called on the EFCC Chairman to work with NEITI as the agency’s legitimate interest in deepening transparency in these areas was as a result of the strong linkages between corruption in the nation’s extractive sector and sabotage of the economy. He, however, praised the EFCC Chairman and his team for their hard work, courage and a commitment, adding the result is the visible achievements so far recorded by the commission in the discharge of its assignments.

    Magu described NEITI and the EFCC as key partners in progress. He said the time to strengthen the partnership between the two agencies had become very urgent.

    The EFCC Chairman described the extractive industries as not only the main source of revenues to the economy but also source of corruption and financial crimes.

    He explained the EFCC had established a special unit to advise the commission on financial crimes arising from the NEITI reports in the oil, gas and mining sectors for immediate action.

    He noted  that the MoU between the two agencies would be quite useful to define clearly the rules of engagement. He said that this would be followed by the establishment of a joint operations committee to ensure effective implementation of the MoU.

    He praised NEITI on what he described as useful and well researched information and data which, according to him, the agency has consistently placed in the public domain on process lapses and corruption in the nation’s extractive industry.

  • Seplat, Eland Oil stakeholders resolve acquisition issues

    Stakeholders of Seplat and Eland Oil & Gas have resolved the misunderstanding in the acquisition of the Eland by Nigeria’s independent – Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, reports MUYIWA LUCAS

     

    Stakeholders in the Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc and some aggrieved stakeholders in Eland Oil & Gas Plc, which was recently acquired by Seplat, have amicably resolved the misunderstanding making the transaction acceptable to all stakeholders.

    On October 15, 2019, Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc’s planned acquisition of Eland Oil & Gas, an independent exploration company, hit the news space.

    According to the terms of the agreement, Seplat will pay 166 pence a share for Eland in a purchase valuing the London-traded company at about $484 million. Eland’s directors recommended that shareholders vote in favour of the deal, which represents a premium of 33 per cent to the six-month average share price.

    It was also stated that any shareholder of Eland Oil & Gas whose name appeared on the register as at close of business on Friday, October 18, would stand a chance of receiving and retaining the interim dividend, which the company had planned to pay on October 31, 2019.

    It was understood that Eland’s board of directors signed an undertaking, which makes it almost a done deal. In effect, Seplat Petroleum received an irrevocable undertaking. But Starcrest Nigeria Energy Limited, one of the stakeholders, issued caution on the proposed acquisition of Eland Oil and Gas Plc by Seplat Petroleum Development Company.

    According to Starcrest, the caution was issued on many grounds but mainly because of fundamental misrepresentations, or material omissions in representation, which have been made to the market in general and to the respective shareholders. However, it was reliably gathered that Emeka Offor, the Chairman of Starcrest Nigeria Energy Limited, George Maxwell, CEO of Eland and Bryant Orjiako, Chairman of Seplat met in London to settle the impasse resulting in a favourable outcome for all parties while the acquisition process continues.

    The meeting may have prompted Eland Oil & Gas shareholders to give overwhelming backing to the takeover of the Aberdeen-based firm. Also, the Boards of Eland and Seplat announced that at the Court Meeting and the General Meeting held on November 20, 2019 by Eland and convened in relation to the proposed scheme, all the proposed resolutions for the take-over were duly passed by the requisite majorities.

    Read Also: ‘Poor regulation stifling growth in oil and gas sector’

     

    Commenting on the deal, the Chief Executive Officer of Eland, George Maxwell, said: “We are glad to have contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian oil and gas industry. Eland has, in a period which has seen a significant cyclical downturn in our industry, outperformed most of its peers on the AIM Oil & Gas Index.”

    Seplat’s Company Secretary, Edith Onwuchekwa, in a statement issued to the Nigerian Stock Exchange, stated that “the Boards of Seplat and Eland are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash acquisition of the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Eland by Seplat.”

    The upsides

    Eland, whose main asset is the oil mining lease (OML) 40 in the Niger Delta, was founded in 2009 and “listed on AIM          w, the London Stock Exchange’s growth market. The acquisition will boost Seplat’s production to 64,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day and this will propel Seplat to become Nigeria’s biggest oil exploration and production company.

    So far, Seplat has remained profitable this year, with half-year 2019 profit increasing 152.6 per cent to N37.5 billion. The deal represents a big boost to the Nigerian Local Content Act, which stipulates that Nigerian operators and indigenous service companies shall be given first consideration in award of oil blocks, licences and works in the sector.

    “Eland has contributed greatly to helping the Federal Government achieve its mission of growing local participation in the sector. This is reflected in our choice of Seplat to acquire Eland,” says Maxwell.

     

  • Electricity problems are beyond generator importation

    The Senate has opposed ban on importation of generators. This development has helped in diffusing the notion that generator importers are behind the problems in the power sector. Also, the development has brought to the fore the need to fix the sector to boost the economy, writes AKINOLA AJIBADE.

     

    Penultimate week, the Senate rejected a motion which sought to ban the importation of generators. The rejection, which was announced by the leadership of the Senate, has helped in disabusing the minds of many who thought that importers of generators were fuelling the crisis in the power sector.

    Raised by Senator Chukwuka Utazi of Enugu North Senatorial District, and supported by Senator Francis Fadahunsi from Osun State, the motion was turned down by the Senate for lacking credibility, more so that the accusation that generator importers were stifling initiatives in the power sector was not true.

    The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan,  called for a vote voice on the issue and, thereafter, asked the House to set up a committee on the matter and report their findings in the next four weeks.

    Prior to this, there were complaints from various quarters regarding importation of generators into Nigeria. While many had accused importers of generators of conniving with power sector operators to frustrate attempts at resuscitating the power sector, others did not, as they see importation of generators as a business, which Nigerians can venture into, provided the importer meets the requirements as laid down by the Federal Government.

    While this lasted, controversy has continued to trail the importation of generators in the country with accusing fingers being pointed at stakeholders especially business operators and government officials.

    To downplay the issue and further redirect attention to the sector, the Senate opposed the motion that sought to ban importation of generators into the country but called on the government to fix the power sector, which has not been able to provide stable power for six years after it was privatised.

    Industry observers were of the view that  the sector lacked enough infrastructural facilities, urging stakeholders including the Federal Government to help in providing facilities in the key areas of the sector – generation, distribution and transmission.

     

    Improvement in transmission

     

    The Federal Government is wholly in control of the transmission segment of the sector, a development, which has informed the decision of many Nigerians to advise government on the issue. A senator from Cross River State, Mr. Gershon Bassey, urged the government to replace the old transmission facilities with the new ones, adding that the measure would help to fast-track the growth of the sector.

    According to him, the issue of developing transmission infrastructure is key to the growth of the nation’s power sector, adding that when the Federal Government improves on the electricity transmission mechanism, the sector would be better for it.

    Read Also: Bhojsons unveils remote technology in generators

     

    Nigeria’s electricity transmission facilities are not strong enough to take large volume of energy to the 11 power distribution companies (DisCos) operating in the country. When this happens, DisCos would not be able to distribute power to the offices and homes, a development, which has hindered many Nigerians from accessing power for use.

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Bassey said, does not have the capacity to transmit huge volume of electricity that is being produced by the power generation companies (GenCos).

    Presently, the industry boasts of installed capacity of 12,522 megawatts (Mw) of electricity. Out of this, TCN can only wheel 7,500Mw, a figure, which is too small to promote efficiency in the sector. It is on this basis that Bassey advised the Federal Government to build on the existing infrastructural framework inherited from past administrations in order to record growth in the power sector.

    Also, the Founder, Change Partners International, Mr Arachukwu Okafor, advised the government to invigorate the transmission segment of the industry, stressing that the development would help in promoting efficiency in TCN.  “Issues such as low capacity of transmission equipment would become a thing of the past when government focuses more on purchasing new equipment for TCN,” he said.

    Federal Government, he said, would not even think of imposing ban on the importation of generators once it is able to fix the sector. Generator importers, Akachukwu said, would naturally leave the business once they realise that they do not have people to sell generators to any longer.

     

    Manufacturers’ reactions

     

    The President, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Mr. Mansur Ahmed, urged the Federal Government to put in place measures that would help in accelerating growth of the sector. He said the issue of returning the sector to productivity is inevitable in order to achieve the growth of the economy.

    According to him, the government through the Senate can ban importation of generators and leave those manufactured in-country unbanned, arguing that it is important to fix the sector in order to grow the economy.

    Ahmed said: “The ban on importation of generators as contemplated by the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly should not be made to affect a range of generators that are being assembled or produced in Nigeria. By so doing, the government is helping to develop local content policy in Nigeria.  Invariably, the government is boosting production activities in the country. Larger generators used in powering industries should not be affected by the ban if the Federal Government intends to grow the economy.”

     

    Gas to power initiative

     

    This scheme must be run in such a way that its goals of providing gas to thermal plants unhindered would be realised, Akachukwu said, adding that Nigeria has gas in abundance as it is one of the largest producers of natural gas in the world.

    He said the country’s problem lies in the area of transporting gas to thermal plants for generation of electricity. According to him, the government alongside other stakeholders need to ease the process of transporting gas to plants in need of it.

    He advised stakeholders in the value chain to attach more importance to what is known as Collocation, in industry parlance. He said through this means, gas plants would be located around the power plants, with a view to ensuring accessibility of gas.

    Similarly, a source who does not want to be mentioned, said shortage of gas is the main problem of the power sector. He said the power plants in the country are not without gas problem. He said the scarcity of gas in the sector has resulted in lack of activities in many of the plants

  • Mining: Robust geosciences information offer promises

    The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, appears to be leaving no stone unturned in its quest to position mining to drive economic diversification. The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Russian Ministry of Trade and Investment on scientific and technical cooperation in geosciences and the commissioning of a Geology & Mineral Museum attest to its resolve to improve the nation’s geological and mineral information systems. These strategic moves hold promises of encouraging investments across the entire mineral value chain and ultimately, transforming the mining sector. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

     

    Despite holding an abundant amount of mineral resources to drive her on-going economic diversification, Nigeria so far has not been able to reap the full potential benefits on offer.  Africa’s largest and most populous economy has not been able to optimise the exploitation of her nature-endowed mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development, due partly to inaccurate and unreliable geo-scientific input upon which most mining ventures are supposed to thrive.

    However, concerted efforts to leverage on improved geological and mineral information systems to change this narrative and hopefully, position mining as Nigeria’s next oil have taken centre stage.  And the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), which is the nation’s custodian of all geosciences information, is the focus of the latest push by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development to force the country’s optimal mineral resources exploration and exploitation for industrialisation and job creation.

    The NGSA is a parastatal under the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development. The Agency, established by an Act of the National Assembly on May 22, 2006, has the statutory role of providing relevant and up-to-date geosciences information necessary for economic development of Nigeria.

    This is accomplished through a systematic process of gathering, collating, assessment and dissemination of all information related to rocks, minerals and groundwater resources of the country.

    Apparently aware that effective mining is based largely on good quality geological and mineral information systems, the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, has since turned his attention to strengthening the NGSA to deliver on his promises of turning around the fortunes of the mining sector.

    Already, on his behest, two major strategic interventions targeted at the agency have raised fresh hopes of not only encouraging investment across the entire mineral value chain, but also quicken investment decisions.

    These include the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Russian Ministry of Trade and Investment on scientific and technical cooperation in geosciences and the commissioning of a Geology & Mineral Museum.

    While the MoU is expected to boost geoscience information for reliability and investors’ attraction to the mining sector, the Museum, which harbours Nigeria’s diverse historic geological information and data, will, among others, serve as a contact between the investing public and the diverse mineral types in the country.

    Adegbite, who signed the game-changing MoU on behalf of the NGSA, in Sochi, Russia, during the Russia-Africa Summit, explained that its purpose was to express the commitment of the parties to conduct activities in the fields of geosciences on the basis of equality, reciprocity and mutual benefit. “The MoU spelt out the forms of cooperation expected, which include exchanges of scientific and technical information; exchange of study visits and scientists,” he said.

    Other contents of the MoU that has put various stakeholders in the mining sector in an expectant mood included collaboration on research activities, joint organisation of symposia, conferences, workshops, training programmes and other forms of cooperation as may be mutually agreed between the parties.

    Other areas of cooperation include research and development on basic geology, geological maps compilation and regional mineralisation correlation, methodology and technology, among others.

    The MoU seen as a shot in NGSA’s arm also included aero-geophysical survey, geo-database construction and geo-information sharing, marine geology, research and monitoring of geo-hazards etc.

    And with the MoU’s broad contents, an excited Adegbite acknowledged the passion and efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to change the mining sector’s narrative by putting in place mechanisms that would fast-track development and achievements.

    “President Buhari has given us so much support in the mining sector and it is now bearing fruits,’’ he said, in a statement made available to The Nation. He stated that the African Export-Import Bank was party to the MOU.

    While Mr. Gerald Chilhota represented the bank’s President, Prof. Benedict Oramah, the CEO and Chairman of Russian State Geological Holding (ROSGEO), Sergey Gorkov, represented the Russian Ministry of Trade and Investment, during the signing of the MoU.

    The MOU, which aimed at boosting Nigeria’s industrial minerals base to support local industries, create jobs and conserve foreign exchange, also described the deal as a win-win for the ministry, the NGSA and the mining sector.

    The minister sure stated the obvious. For instance, the NGSA, as the custodian of all geosciences information, stands to leverage on the cooperation tap from the Russian experience in the areas of mineral exploration and exploitation.

    The agency will also benefit from the exchange of expertise and capacity building, as well as technology transfer in the areas of mining, geological data gathering, dissemination and geo-database development.

    The MoU’s capacity to scale up research is no less heart-warming. It was envisaged that research projects on critical minerals for national development and improved research methodology will enhance accuracy and credibility of results. This will, by extension, reduce investment risks in the sector and also lead to quick investment decisions.

    Indeed, Russia is acknowledged as one of the richest countries in natural resources such as gold, iron ore, chromium, manganese, copper, lead zinc, titanium, nickel, platinum, tungsten, phosphate, tin and diamond. Incidentally, Nigeria also has evidence of huge resources in most of these mineral commodities, which have remained largely untapped.

    A scientific and technical cooperation between both countries in geosciences will therefore, help in properly evaluating these mineral commodities and enable accurate estimate of reserves. The agency will also benefit with best international methodology for documentation and presentation of needed investment geo-information through exchange of information, scientific and technical personnel.

    Read Also: FG, Russia sign MOU on geoscience data

     

    The ministry also

    Nigeria’s collaboration with Russia in geological maps compilation and regional mineralisation correlation will also assist the ministry in exploring for iron and steel raw materials to support the evolving revitalisation of the Nigerian steel industry.

    The cooperation will provide the ministry with skills in the effective enforcement of standard mining regulation and monitoring framework in a manner that mining is carried out in strict adherence to environmental regulations.

    Also, the ministry will benefit with skills in mines reclamation/utilisation for agriculture and tourism. Besides, the cooperation with Russia on airborne geophysical surveys will help optimise the usage of the nationwide geophysical surveys conducted with World Bank facilities and also add value to the results to enhance full utilisation of the survey across the mineral sector.

    According to experts, Nigeria has a vast coastal surface area of about 46, 300 (853 km facing the Atlantic Ocean and 28,000 km terrestrial portion). Cooperation in marine geology will, therefore, further expand the frontiers and base of Nigeria’s mineral resources.

    A marine geological mapping will in addition help to map out heavy metals that found their way to the nation’s ecosystem and become harmful to plants, animals and humans.

    On geo-hazard monitoring, research will benefit the entire sector with skills in prediction, detection and management of geo-hazard. This will upscale the level of safety to life and infrastructures and ensure investor confidence.

    Cooperation in the area of hydro and environmental studies will improve the management of climate change as well as remediate air and mines pollution on groundwater crops and ecosystem in the two countries.

    On the strength of these envisaged benefits, NGSA Director-General Dr. Abdulrazaq Garba said the signing of the MoU was another “dimension to the ministry‘s success and its efforts towards achieving international collaborations. He commended the minister for being pragmatic, prompt and responsive by signing the landmark MoU.

     

    Mineral Museum to the rescue

    The icing on the cake of the renewed push to leverage on a more robust NGSA to transform the mining sector was perhaps, the recent commissioning of the agency’s Geology & Mineral Museum.

    The facility, which was commissioned on November 12, 2019, harbours diverse historic geological information and data purposely for geological research, education and public outreach/enlightenment.

    Adegbite explained that with the museum, previous geological and temporal geo-scientific information can be accessed, analysed and correlated with present findings to further understand existing geological models typical to a target area of interest.

    He added that the facility could also be used for model re-establishment or upgrading. “First hand geo-information can be accessed through the museum as a reference point alongside temporal variations. This will aid in mineralisation model building,” he said.

    The minster added that “The museum will serve as a contact between the investing public and the diverse mineral types we have in the country.”

    Interestingly, the ministry’s current focus on the agency in an attempt to re-energise the nation’s mineral value chain is coming at a time it stepped up its mineral assessment programmes in an effort to develop metallic and industrial minerals, in line with the Federal Government’s objective to diversify the economy.

    For instance, the NGSA represented the ministry in a recent collaboration with the Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria (CTI) in a project aimed at the inventorisation and assessment of all carbonate rock resources (limestone, marble, magnetite, and dolomite) of Nigeria. The project identified and characterised the resources of the various carbonate rock types in terms of their location, size, chemistry and suitability of the commodity for cement manufacture.

    The end-users of the data generated include Cement Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, local and international investors (agro millers and manufacturers of polished/dimension stones.

    Others are Federal and State governments.

  • Akeredolu’s score card

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has received accolades from unexpected quarters for his giant strides in infrastructural development in the last three years. DAMISI OJO reports.

    IT was yet another feather to the already decorated cap of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu when the Ondo State chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) conferred on him the prestigious award of the Best Governor in Infrastructural Development last week.

    Akeredolu was selected, the NUJ said, for the award for his outstanding accomplishments in various sectors, despite the paucity of funds. Members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm could not have put the situation in the state more succinctly. On assumption of office, a little less than three years ago, Akeredolu met Ondo in a very troubling state.

    On assumption of office in February 2017, Akeredolu met a disturbing state of affairs. The workers were being owed a backlog of seven months salaries. Children were sent out of school because their parents could not pay their fees, and families separated because the man could not perform his responsibility of catering to the needs of his family. The civil service was on the brink.

    Today, despite having cleared six of the seven months backlog of salaries, the Akeredolu administration has ensured prompt payment of salaries in the last 32 months. Workers are promoted, leave allowances are paid and various capacity-building pieces of training have been organised for public servants. This is in addition to the appointment of 44 permanent secretaries, righting the wrongs that have been done to many top civil servants by past administrations.

    Expectedly, workers are happy. They have moved on from a season when they looked to the future with little hope and their children were sent out of school because their parents could not pay their fees, to a new season of abundance and hope.

    The education sector is up and running again. Despite the huge amount purportedly spent on education by the former administration, many public schools were in shambles, with roofs blown off and dilapidated buildings. Expectedly, the state, which once stood as the pride of the Southwest region, dropped in ratings of many examinations bodies.

    The abysmal performance of students from the state in national examinations captured the picture painted by Governor Akeredolu of the education sector, while addressing the people of the state. The governor had lamented that failure of the curricula to address the challenges encountered by the society had reduced education to what it is in most societies.

    With proper planning and strategic execution of policies, the administration has constructed or renovated more than 800 public primary schools. Aside from wearing new looks, the schools now boast of modern facilities to make studying attractive to the young minds.

    The most significant testimony from a private person of the impact of the new education policy was from the Chief Imam of Akure, Alhaji Yayi Akorede, when he spoke on the newly-reconstructed Muslim Primary School in Akure, the state capital.

    Akorede said: “The school was abandoned for several years by successive administrations. Most of the parents have taken their children away to other schools and most of us thought the school would die. But, despite being a Christian, the governor ensured that the school was reconstructed with new and modern facilities, when he came on board. Today, enrolment has improved and the Muslim community is happy.”

     

     Without doubt, the state has never had it this good in infrastructural development. For the number of roads this administration has constructed since coming on board, the people now call the governor Mr. Road.

    The new name may not be out of place. Since he took oath of office on February 24, 2017, Akeredolu has embarked on serious infrastructural development. The governor had promised, prior to his election, to correct the infrastructure imbalance in the three senatorial districts. In keeping to that promise, more than 100 roads spread across the state have either been constructed or renovated.

    In Ikare Akoko, Governor Akeredolu did what many thought was impossible with the construction of a dual-lane where the mythical Oke Alabojuto hill once stood with its deadly toll on human lives. The hill, which has claimed a countless number of lives in the past, finally gave way to the bulldozers deployed by Akeredolu, leaving the people marvelling.

    Other major constructions include the opening up of Owo with dual carriage ways. Akure, the state capital, is wearing a new look, with the dualization of major roads in the city. It is the same story in Oke Ogba, Iwalewa, Abusoro, Isarun, Idanre, Igbara-Oke and many other towns across.

    Perhaps the icing on the cake in the infrastructural development of the state so far is the construction of the Ore interchange bridge along the Ore-Benin expressway.

    The determination of Governor Akeredolu has also given room for a fresh of hope for the people of Ondo State. Aside from raising the state’s internally generated revenue to enviable heights, the Sunshine State has equally joined the elite club of industrialized states in the nation.

    The efforts of Akeredolu for the creation of a deep sea port in Ondo State have finally become a reality, with the recent approval of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA). It will be recalled that Akeredolu, while pitching for the port, said: “The port will offer between 7000 to 10,000 job opportunities, while the Free Trade Zone will offer between 9,500 to 10,000 employment opportunities.

    Already, five companies — a paper mill, an ethanol plant, medium density fibre board, high-density fibre board, ply wood and a textile company have sprouted from the mustard seed that was planted when the state signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Linyi municipal government of the Shandong province of the Peoples Republic of China.

    Read Also: Group lauds Akeredolu over public service transformation

     

    The industrial revolution in the state has taken a very strong foothold with the ethanol plant in Ore. A special specie of cassava is being planted in-between the Gmelina which will be used to feed the ethanol plant.

    More than 1,000 people have been employed for the ethanol factory for direct jobs. The plant is also expected to provide jobs for more than 10,000 people, particularly cassava farmers and traders. Local farmers are excited about a ready and lucrative market for their goods. Shehu Oladapo, a cassava farmer in Odigbo Local Government Area was full of praise for the governor.

    The WinWin Textile factory located inside the park commenced production of textile thread a few months ago. With 300 workers already employed, WinWin Textile has helped to ease the problem of unemployment on the people, especially the locals, who for the first time have found a worthwhile venture outside the civil service.

    The Weewood Plywood/HDF factory is already bubbling with life. Young men and women, who would have been roaming the streets, are busy with one task or the other. The company’s products, high-quality fibre board plywood are already in high demand in local markets across the state, while the state is being positioned to earn foreign currency through the export of the product.

    A short distance away, the expatriates are screwing the nuts and putting finishing touches to the giant paper mill factory. Jack Sun, Business Development Manager for Weewood, said the factory is now about 80 per cent completed.

    On completion, the paper mill is expected to employ more than 3000 direct staff, while many more are expected to benefit from jobs created down the value chain.

    The paper mill, like other factories in the Ore Park, is structured to create more indirect jobs for the locals. For example, long before the machines for the mill began to arrive the shores of the country, Weewood commenced preparations by planting the trees the will form the primary raw materials for the mill.

    Today, the almost 10,000 hectares of land allocated for the Weewood afforestation project by Governor Akeredolu is beginning to yield the expected result, as the trees continue to grow into maturity.

    The story is a win-win situation for Ondo State and its people. The company will employ residents on the farm to plant the trees. It will go on to employ people in the factory and other auxiliary jobs that would be created.

     

  • APC and challenge of reconciliation

    The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is setting up a reconciliation committee to resolve the conflicts in the party. Assistant Editor LEKE SALAUDEEN highlights the crisis in some state chapters and suggests the way forward.

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is trying to put its house in order.

    The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), at its last week’s meeting asked President Muhammadu Buhari to set up a national reconciliation committee that would resolve the grievances and conflicts among the APC members nationwide.

    Professor Albert Okunade said in a peace process, the first requirement is that a peace maker do not have credibility problem. A reconciliation committee that is not neutral or not acceptable to warring factions can not achieve anything, he said.

    Okunade, a Professor of African History, Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Ibadan said: “You can’t have problems in your state and say you want to be a peace maker in another state. President Buhari should look for members of the party that do not have credibility problem. But, how many party members do we have in each state that can be trusted as sincere peace makers. People surrounding the President have credibility problem. That is why the assignment is very difficult.

    “When you look at the APC primaries for 2019 general elections, most of the candidates emerged in controversial manner. No effort has been made to address the crisis. I don’t know how President Buhari is going to restore peace in APC. But, I wish him all the best”.

    Former National Vice President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA),  Monday Ubani said for President Buhari to succeed in the arduous task of reconciliation, he should look for those that are genuinely committed to finding lasting solutions.

    Ubani said the problem of APC started when the national secretariat didn’t allow free and fair primaries to hold in choosing candidates for elective offices. When you don’t allow the people’s mandate to prevail, then there would be internal squabbles. They should not allow party’s chairman to intervene in the internal affairs of the state chapters, especially in choosing candidates. It was imposition and god fatherism that stalled PDP that APC has now embraced.

    “There are some people that aggrieved party members are not ready to listen to because they are biased . If you appoint such people as members of reconciliation committee, nothing will come out of the peace process. President Buhari should look for neutral and credible people to serve in the committee”, Ubani stated.

    A highly placed official of the party said the decision to assign the president with the responsibility of constituting a reconciliation committee was informed by the previous attempts made by various peace committees to no avail. He regretted that nine months after the general elections  won by the APC, the NWC has failed to address the conflicts that led to the loss of strategic states to the opposition. He recalled that as a result of the unresolved intra-party crisis, the ruling party lost Oyo, Imo, Bauchi, Zamfara and Adamawa states.

    He said the party’s decision to allow President Buhari to constitute a national reconciliation committee would restore peace in the party because aggrieved party members would have confidence in the president’s committee in resolving the crisis.

    Analysts blame the NWC for failing to take the initiative to address the grievances that shrunk the party’s fortune in the last general elections. The crisis was so deep that aggrieved APC chieftains worked against the party and paved way for the victory of the opposition.

     

    According to them, the primary responsibility of the NWC is to address grievances of party members and resolve conflicts, with a view to fostering unity and oneness.

     

    Adamawa

    There are two factions of APC in Adamawa. A group belongs to former Adamawa State Governor, Muhammadu Jubrilla Bindow, while the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), David Lawal Babachir, is the arrow head of the opposition group. In Babachir’s camp are the aggrieved governorship aspirants, Alhaji Mahmoud Halilu Ahmed, younger brother to President Buhari’s wife and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu.

    The Babachir group alleged that the former governor pushed them into primaries, which he knew would not take place, and connived with the national leadership to waste aspirants’ money after they purchased forms and incurred campaign expenses.

    Before the governorship election, Babachir had insisted that Bindow’s days in Adamawa Government House were numbered and that there was no political magic that could change the minds of the pople to re-elect him. He said: “The Adamawa APC crisis started when Bindow came into power, when majority of the legacy party members in APC did not get reasonable appointments. Majority of the appointments were given to members of nPDP  where he came from.

    But, the Director-General of Bindow Campaign Organisation, Chief Felix Tangwami, countered Babachir’s group. He  said that “primaries were conducted and Bindow’s team won landslide and others lost. I want to tell you that if the governorship primary was conducted 20 times, Bindow would have won 20 times because he has political structures more than those who contested against him.

    After the primary, Bindow made attempts to reconcile with aggrieved aspirants, but he was snubbed. Some of them said they would remain in APC to ensure that Bindow did not return. They accused him of betrayal and vowed to pay him back in his coin.

     

    Read Also: APC Crisis: Yobe, Kogi chairmen deny calling for Oshiomhole’s sack 

     

    Zamfara

    The wrangling within the APC paved way for the PDP to take over Government House on a platter of gold. The face- off between former Governor Abdulaziz Yari and former Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Senator Kabiru Marafa, began as a little disagreement over the governorship and legislative candidates for the elections. Following the controversial primaries organised by Yari’s faction, which were supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Alhaji Muktar Idris was declared winner. He also won the election held on February 16, 2019.

    But, Marafa, who had lost his governorship aspiration during the controversial primary, formed a faction. While the faction loyal to former Yari claimed it held congresses and had candidates, the Marafa group insisted no primary held.

    Although the party headquarters said no primaries were held, consensus candidates were adopted within the stipulated time. Marafa and his supporters filed a suit against the APC. A High Court sitting in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, ruled that APC actually conducted primaries in the state and should be allowed to present candidates for the contest. But, Abuja High Court ruled otherwise. The Court f Appeal, Abuja Division, set aside the judgment of the Abuja High Court in favour of Yari’s group.

    However Marafa headed for the Supreme Court seek justice. The apex court ruled against the elections of all the candidates of APC in Zamfara State. The court ruled that the party did not conduct valid primaries in the build-up to the elections. The court also ordered that the candidate with the second highest number of votes be declared winner of the election. Thus, INEC confirmed Bello Matawalle of the PDP as the governor. It also confirmed other PDP candidates for the national and state Assembly seats.

    Majority of Marafa’s supports have defected to PDP. Marafa himself had pledged support for the PDP administration in the state. During a courtesy visit to Governor Matawalle in Government House, Marafa said what he was after is good governance in Zamfara irrespective of the party in power in the state.

     

    Bauchi

    The battle of supremacy between former Governor Mohammed Abubakar and the ‘Abuja politicians’, led by the former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, destroyed APC in Bauchhi State. There was disconnect between the former governor and elite in the state, especially in Bauchi Local Government. The local government alone constitute almost one quarter of the total votes of Bauchi State. It has 417, 404 votes. Once a candidate has problem with Bauchi Local Government, he can not win in the state.

    Former Senior Special Assistant on Media to the former governor, Comrade Sabo Muhammed said  APC lost because the former administration did not perform well in Bauchi Local Government. “So, once you have problem with Bauchi Local Government certainly you have to lose elections. APC performed wonderfully well in the last general elections in the state. The governor won 15 out of 20 local governments of the state, and we have all the three senators , we have 22 members of the State House of Assembly and nine out of 12 members. The party lost because it didn’t perform well in Bauchi Local Government. That is what contributed to my failure as candidate of the APC to represent the people of Bauchi and Tafawa Balewa Local Government Areas. I lost to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) which is very amazing.”

    Besides, there were many party stakeholders, who were still embittered over the process that threw up the former governor as APC governorship candidate in 2019. Former ministers Dr. Ali Pate and Dr. Ibrahim Lame, who contested governorship primary with the ex-governor, passed a vote of no confidence on the Election Committee from the party’s headquarters. They also alleged that the former governor, in connivance with the state executive, compromised the process and that security agencies were used to intimidate members of the partywith opposing views.

    The aggrieved aspirants, who alleged that they were shorchanged, also indulged in anti-party activities because they held the view that the former governor failed to reconcile with them.

     

    Edo

    The APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki are engaged in a bitter battle of supremacy for the soul of the party. What started like a minor dispute has escalated beyond perception. The crisis has split the party into Oshiomhole group and Obaseki camp. The warring groups have suspended notable figures in the party, including the governor and his predecessor.

    The inauguration of the State House of Assembly exposed the running battle between the two gladiators. Only nine of 22 members showed up for the inauguration. The other 13 that are loyal to Oshiomhole stayed away. They argued that the inauguration was held in the night. All entreaties that the governor should issue a new proclamation for a new inauguration were rebuffed by the governor.

    Analysts observed that there was deep seated animosity between the gladiators. They said Oshiomhole was against the governor’s quest for a second term. The national chairman had repeatedly advised the governor to concentrate on delivering on his mandate in the belief that his work would speak for him during the electioneering. An APC chieftain confided that at the point when Oshimhole insisted on supporting Obaseki against all odds, it was agreed that the governor would focus on governance, while Oshiomhole will grapple with politics.

    However, Obaseki has denied the claim that Oshiomhole single handedly installed him as governor. Rather, he said that he assisted the APC national chairman to raise funds for his governorship campaign in 2006. He denied allegations of ingratitude towards Oshimhole, saying that only God can claim responsibility for his emergence as governor when he said “I became governor by God’s grace, with the support of many other people.

    It is hoped that peace would be restored in Edo APC very soon, given the personal concern of President Buhari over the ugly development.

     

    Imo

    The crisis in Imo State chapter was ignited by the leadership style of the former Governor Rochas Okorocha, who ran the party as a personal estate. He took unilateral decisions without consulting party leaders.

    Okoracha’s cup was full when he boasted that his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu would succeed him. Other leaders of the party kicked. The party was factionalised. The national secretariat dissolved the state executive of the party headed by Mr Daniel Nwafor and appointed Marcellinus Nlemigbo as chairman.

    When it dawned on Okorocha that his son-in-law would not get the ticket, he asked his supporters to join the Action Alliance (AA) that offered Uche automatic ticket. But, Okorocha stayed put in APC to contest senatorial election, which he won. However, he was suspended by the NWC for anti-party activities.  When President Buhari went to Owerri to present the APC flag to the party’s candidate, Senator Hope Uzodinma,  Okorocha, who was in attendance made it clear that his faction would only support President Buhari’s re-election, saying that others who want to snatch the party from him cannot succeed.

    The APC went into the election divided and lost the contest. Okorocha’s son also lost. Analysts said if Okorocha and his supporters had remained in APC, the party would have retained power in Imo. Reconciliation with Okorocha, who undermined the electoral victory of the party, would be intractable.

     

    Ogun

    The case of Ogun is similar to Imo. Former Governor Ibikunle Amosun was bent on installing his protégée, Adekunle Akinlade, as his successor. There was a running battle over the soul of APC in the state between Amosu and former Governor Olusegun Osoba. Amosun did not recognise Osoba group.

    In the build-up to the elections, Amosun had allocated elective offices to his supporters . He forwarded the list to the national secretariat, which was rejected. With the party executive in his pocket, he conducted primaries that produced another set of candidates. But, the NWC overruled him and sent electoral committee to conduct fresh primary, which were boycotted by Amosun group.

    The primaries conducted by the Abuja Election committee produced Prince Dapo Abiodun as governorship candidate. Amosun resorted to Plan B. He asked his supporters to join Allied Peoples Movement (APM) that gave Akinlade the ticket. Like Okorocha, Amosun contested for the Senate on the platform of APC. He won.

    Amosun campaigned for APM in Ogun State. Though he was suspended by the NWC, his divided loyalty still persists.

     

    Oyo

    The Oyo APC lost both the presidential and governorship elections. The party went into election divided. There was a group loyal to former Governor Abiola jimobi and a rival group under the aegis of Oyo APC Unity Forum headed by former Communication Minister Adebayo Shittu.

    The Unity Forum accused Ajimobi of high-handedness and dictatorial tendencies. They gave conditions that would make them work and vote for APC. The party had parallel congresses and two state executives. But, the NWC recognised the executive that emerged from the Ajimobi’s group. Members of the Unity Forum cried foul and dumped APC for the newly registered African Democratic Congress (ADC). There was little or no effort by the Ajimobi group to reconcile with the aggrieved members. Shittu had wanted to succeed Ajimobi in office as governor. But, he was disqualified by the APC for failing to participate in one year mandatory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC). He did not follow his supporters to ADC. But, he campaigned against the APC candidate.

     

     There were more than 20 governorship aspirants in the Ajimobi camp. Though some of them were persuaded to step down, those that insisted on the primaries were forced to throw in the towel to pave way for Adebayo Adelabu as ‘consensus candidate’.

     

     

    The APC crisis provided an opportunity for the opposition parties in the state to form an alliance to take power from the APC.

    Nine months after, Ajimobi and Shittu are still embroiled in hostilities. Shittu has vowed not to take part in reconciliation initiated by Ajimobi.

     

    Ondo

    All is not well with the Ondo State chapter of APC. The dust over the governorship primary that produced Rotimi Akeredolu is yet to settle. Aspirants like Dr Olusegun Abraham, Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Chief Olusola Oke (SAN) are not in speaking terms with the governor. Party elders in the state have distanced themselves from Akeredolu’s administration.

    They accused Akeredolu of anti-paty activities during the last general election. The governor was accused of sponsoring candidates of Action Alliance (AA). The intra-party crisis affected the performance of APC in the general elections. The APC lost presidential election, two senatorial seats and many House of Representatives in the state.

    A member of APC Board of Trustees (BoT) and former deputy governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, insists that, for peace to prevail, the APC executive council in the state should be dissolved.

    The APC national headquarters should intervene in the Ondo crisis, if the party must retain power in the Sun Shine State next year.

     

  • ‘Border closure choking small businesses’

    The National President, Association of Micro-Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (AMEN), Prince Saviour Iche, has made a plea to the government to review some aspects of the border closure in the interest of businesses exporting their products to other parts of West Africa.

    He told The Nation that the border closure was affecting revenue opportunities of cross-border businesses which cannot move goods to other parts of the West Coast without encumberances.

    He said local manufacturers, who serve markets in the West African sub-region and access these markets by land, have been further traumatised as their losses and logistics challenges continue to mount.

    The huge losses recorded by manufacturers are estimated to be in billions of naira, and this has been very devastating to the traders, most of whom are Nigerians.

    Read Also: Border Closure: Benin must mend its ways with Nigeria, says Obasanjo

     

    He said the border closure has affected local manufacturers who export their products to the (ECOWAS), and that continued closure has grave consequences on investments and jobs.

    As suppliers of traded goods along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, he said the closure has affected even big manufacturers that supply processed and manufactured products  accross-border markets in Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. The merits of the closure notwithstanding, Iche said it has adversely affected Federal Government’s trade commitment to West African countries, as well as threatened the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) protocol on free movement.

    As the border remains closed, the longest closure in about 40 years, Iche noted that it has blocked the trade of all goods.

    He said exporters are the most affected group in the border closure, saying that some of the goods made for  exports  were still laying down at the  border.

    He explained that total land border closure may serve to defeat its main objective of supporting the exports industry and employment

    His fears also were that if Nigeria’s land borders are not re-opened soon, its neighbouring countries may look to alternative suppliers to fill the gaps created by the closure.

    He said exporters are creating jobs in Nigeria, and some of them have inventories sitting in their warehouse.

  • Making a living as a barber

    The hair cut industry is continuing on its growth trajectory with more and more barbershops coming up. For young people, it is an exciting industry to be involved in. They are making a living from it,  VICTOR ODIASE and OBETO CLINTON report

    Hair cut business was an occupation  for the old but today young people have chosen it because the career presents many opportunities and perks that one may not have even considered.

    Some of these include flexible hours and rewarding work in a creative industry. Few trades like barbing offer as many opportunities to open ones own successful business.

    For this reason, new gentlemen’s barber shops have taken over Lagos .They are established by young people, most of them graduates of other disciplines. They provide haircut services including shampooing, cut and styling. They also specialise in the executive contour style.

    One of those happy with barbing as a business is Mr. Babatunde Fadejo. He operates from Ilaje area of Bariga, Lagos State.

    He started the business in 1999 and up till now he has no regrets. He said: “I am a graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU) .I studied English and Literature and graduated in 2003. After my youth service, I searched for a job to no avail. The ones I saw were not rewarding jobs. Meanwhile, before gaining admission to the university, I was a learning barbing .In 1999, I opened my own saloon.”

    For him, the business is profitable.

    In his late forties, Babatunde uses the money he gets from barbing to feed his family. He said: “I started with charging people N70 then for haircut, but now I charge as much as N500.” He makes efforts to ensure the customer receives his personal service from the moment they set foot in his barbershop.

    He discovered that excellent communication skills are a big part of the barbing culture.

    For one customer, he spends approximately 40 to 50 minutes. He always encourages his customers to try something new. His barbering abilities included skin fades, beard shaping, and scissor and clipper over comb. He also offers styling advice to those who wanted direction on their personal look.

    He considers himself lucky to have a base of regular customers who would occasionally drop by.

    A young man in his early 20s, Oghenetega Ebiuwe, owns a barbing saloon in Bariga market. The business has offered him the opportunity to meet and interact with people from all walks of life. In return, he is happy to play a big part in making people look their best.

    Read Also: Justin Bieber debuts ‘cotton candy’ pink hair cut

     

    Ebiuwe has been able to build a range of clients who come every week asking for different hairstyles. This makes the job less repetitive and exciting.  One of the challenges he has encountered is dealing with clients demanding a haircut that is not suitable for their face,  shape. Some come in without making up their mind about what haircut style they want and may struggle to express what haircut they want. Using his experience, he unleashes his creative side to try out a cut which his client adopts for a permanent style.

    For him what makes a good barber is the ability to create sharp and modern barber haircuts, along with providing an outstanding service for clients. This helps him to get more   tips.

    Because of the state of the economy, sales have not been going smoothly.

    His words:  “Before, I used to make between N7, 000 to N8, 000 a day but now I make between 3,000 to N5, 000.”

    Having done the business for some time, Ebiuwe sees a perfect haircut as a combination of facial structure and hair type.

    Another barber, Johnson Chibueze owns a saloon at Olowu Street around Bariga axis. He sees the business as lucrative. He said: “I am able to feed from the little money I have been making through this business. In a day I can make as much asN5, 000. This is what I use in of feeding my wife and a one -year old daughter. My education ended at O Level because my parents were not financially able to help me further my education.

    Mr. John Alibi is another barber doing well.  A family man, Alibi started the business in 2011.

    A graduate of Agriculture Education, College of Education, Oro, Kwara State in 2005, Alibi taught in many schools but wasn’t satisfied with the pay. He had to quit. He learnt barbing for almost a year before going into it. He said: “I taught in schools but I saw the pay was not good enough .For this I went into barbing.

    He   earns at least N1000 Naira during working days but more during the weekends. He believes keeping the community-centric to everything he does really sets his businesses apart from others.

    A haircut at the salon typically takes an hour, which a growing number of men have grown to appreciate. Most customers are men in their 30s and 40s.

    Most of the barbers keep TV sets to provide entertainment for their customers. One  experience common to all of them  are situations were some customers come to the barbershop every day in the afternoon and sat there late , reading newspapers, listening to the radio and watching the world go by.

     

  • LAKE Rice: Lagos to crash price

    There is no better time to flood the market with Lake Rice, Lagos State’s flagship local rice brand. Lagos State is providing incentives for local food production, writes DANIEL ESSIET

    Since its incursion into Nigerians culinary menu list in the 60s, rice has become the most popular staple food.

    An average resident of Lagos State consumes rice at least once a day.

    With population hitting 26 million, the state government is looking for ways to boost rice production.

    Governor Sanwo-Olu revealed that the government is in the process of acquiring an estimated 32,000 hectares of farmland for rice cultivation in seven states.

    Sanwo-Olu, who spoke in Lagos during the World Food Day celebration in Lagos, listed the states as Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Ondo and Kebbi as well as Lagos.

    He said as a key component in its food security programme, the State government intends to accelerate the completion of the 32 metric tons per hour capacity Integrated Rice Mill in Imota in the next seven months.

    The governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folasade Jaji, said when completed, the mill would ensure sustainable supply of wholesome rice at an affordable price to the people.

    The governor said the only way to effectively fight poverty and hunger in the country was to boost agricultural production and prevent post-harvest losses and wastages.

    According to the governor, Lagos State was one of the participating states in the World Bank -ssisted APPEALS Project which was aimed at enhancing the agricultural productivity of small and medium-scale farmers and improve value addition along priority value chains.

    He added that the project was also collaborating with Africa Rice for the development of Pure Ofada Rice Strain; capacity building for seed out growers and rice-based products and as such no fewer than 35 farmers and officers had been trained while the Institute is expected to supply 200kg of foundation Ofada seed by February, 2020 for cultivation.

     

    Lake Rice

    The rice value chain project is very important to Lagos State. To be implemented through the value chain by the private sector  Lagos  include supporting  to construct storage facilities, rice conditioning facilities, rice processing plants, rice drying areas and parboiling processing facilities.

    But the flag ship project is the LAKE Rice that began in 2016. The bilateral initiative, which is projected to capture 70 per cent of Nigeria’s rice market share, was premised on harnessing the economies of scale of Kebbi State in rice production and the readily-available market in Lagos State.

    Lagos State Government is taking delivery of LAKE Rice, in preparation for Christmas celebration, the Public Relations Officer Ministry of Agriculture, Jide Lawal told The Nation.

    The rice will be available at sale centres across the state, including Agricultural Development Authority Complex, Oko-Oba, Lagos State Agriculture Inputs Supply Authority (LAISA), Ojo and the Blue Roof at Lagos Television (LTV) complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja.  Other centres are Temu Farm Service Centre, Epe; Odogunyan Farm Service Centre, Ikorodu; Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere; Ministry of Agriculture Area Office, Ajah and Mobolaji Johnson Sports Centre, Rowe Park, Yaba.

    Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu said the partnership between his state and Lagos on rice value chain that produced the Lake rice had solved the challenge of glut by providing ready made market for farmers.

    The Kebbi State Government’s key focus is on rice crop production to meet the country’s demand.

    Rice production in the state has increased. Last year, total production was 2.5 million metric tons (MT). The rise, according to analysts is associated with several government and donor programmes in the state.

     

    Distribution of LAKE RICE

    To increase the availability of Lake Rice beyond the 10 sales points, the state government sought the participation of major rice distributors by signing a partnership with them for the transportation, distribution and marketing of Lake Rice.

    One of the distributors is the Iyaloja of Daleko Rice Market, Mrs. Ibilola Sholaja  who assured that distributors would abide by the terms of the agreement.

     

     Scarcity of LAKE Rice

    In June, farmers in Kebbi State had called on government to intervene and save them over the fall in price of paddy occasioned by the large volume of rice produced in the state during this year’s dry rice harvest.

    The Chairman, Kebbi State Rice Farmers’ Association (KSRFA) Alhaji Muhammad Sahabi Augie said the rice harvested in the state this year was unprecedented compared with what was produced between 2016 and 2018.

    He said: “We are very lucky in Kebbi the weather was friendly. This and other factors had helped our farmers to record good yield in rice production. The harvest was so high that it forced down the price of paddy at the market. The market is currently flooded with large volumes of bags of paddy. If you see the bags of paddy in the markets you will wonder if they are falling from heaven. Our farmers have never had it this good in their harvest.”

    He added that despite the fall in price of rice, harvesting is still ongoing in different farm locations in the state.  ”In 2017, we produced about 2 million metric tons. I can assure you that with this bumper harvest we will achieve over 3million metric tons of rice this year,” he said. In Bagudo, Suru, Bunza, Yauri, Shanga and Ngaski, where farmers were said to have harvested their rice almost two months earlier, the farmers said they had never had it so good in the last three years.

     

    Despite this, scarcity of `LAKE Rice’, has hit the Lagos markets.

    Local rice traders, especially in Lagos and its environs, are lamenting the non-availability of local rice as demand and price for the product increases due to the shutting down of land borders in order to curtail the influx of smuggled rice, which was already threatening the survival of the budding Nigerian rice industry.

    Besides this, the prices of local rice has risen in some markets in Lagos.

    At the Ile Epo Market, Daleko, Mile 12, Isheri and Ogba, local variants of 50kg bag had risen from N14, 000 to N18, 000.

    Speaking with The Nation, Augie attributed the rise in rice prices to the fact that paddy is being harvested now.

    At the time of the border closure, he explained that the price of rice was high because it was not harvest time. After last quarter, many farmers have gone back to farms and millers have also gone back to their business due to the demand for local rice.

    Now that rice is being harvested, he said the price of paddy is sold for around N9, 000.

    He said prices of rice and paddy are interrelated and when the prices of paddy fall, rice prices follow suit.

    Rice takes three months before it grows to harvest stage. According to him, the harvest will bring down the price of locally-produced rice to curtail smuggling of foreign rice into the country and make it affordable for the common man.

    Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), President Aminu Goronyo told The Nation, that there was an unprecedented harvest of rice that should crash prices across the country.

    Goronyo stated that the target is to ensure dealers don’t sell a N50kg bag for more than N16, 000.

    He said any dealer who sells a bag of rice for more than N16, 000 during the Yuletide should be prosecuted.

    He said there was an agreement to sell 75 kg of paddy at N8, 000 and N8, 500 to millers for processing to rice.

    The millers will spend between N2, 500 and N3,000 to process the paddy to rice and sell to dealers for N14, 000.

    With their mark up, he said a 50 kg bag should sell for N15, 000 to N16, 000.

    Goronyo said: “There are enemies of this country who buy and store this commodity just because they want to create artificial scarcity.

    “No matter who is trying to hoard or create artificial scarcity as seen in certain locations, such persons will be disappointed.”

    For him, the closure of the borders was meant to promote the growth of the Nigerian economy and the association wants to work with the government to ensure that the country attained food self-sufficiency in the rice value chain.

     

    Sustainable rice production

    In Lagos, the price of rice changes frequently over the year because of several reasons including strong syndicates, creating an artificial crisis, high-profit tendency, the high price of seeds and fertiliser, etc. In most of the cases, consumers enjoy low price in January, February and March.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Gbolahan Lawal said the state was  determined to improve rice production and productivity in a safe and sustainable manner and enhance the value of rice products to meet consumer standards and market demands, based on research and development.

    To this end, the government is working with public and private partners to transfer agricultural technologies to farmers to boost rice production.

    The project aims to promote sustainable rice production, strengthen value chains, raise incomes of rice farmers, develop capacity, and contribute to improved nutrition. Participating rice farmers are expected to apply sustainable farming practices to increase yields, quality and incomes. Rice farmers should also be better linked to local markets.

     

    Challenges

    Rice is facing a challenging time with increasing competition for dwindling resources such as land and water, unpredictable climate, farm labour shortages and lack of technical expertise.

    Experts agree that to unlock the full potential of rice production and overcome the threats, all stakeholders must collaborate to find innovative solutions toward a sustainable sector that will transform lives for the better.

    They said Nigeria cannot build a brand for its rice with its current small-scale production. Once the large-scale rice field model is successful, they want operators supported to re-organise the production process. In the value chain, major enterprises should play a greater role.

    Read Also: Nigeria saves $800m from rice production

     

    Citing Asian countries and their success in adding value to their rice industries, National President of the Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association of Nigeria (FACAN), Dr. Victor Iyama   believes Nigeria has the resources to grow rice but major problems are hindering the success of the industry.

     

    The future of rice

    One of the measures for the country to move forward is modernising the agrifood sector via the adoption of technologies based on the Industry 4.0.

    In the next five years, paddy field in Nigeria can reach between 10 and 14 tons per hectare (ha) of yield as farmers are going to use new technologies. They are going to learn about soil profiling, fertiliser utilisation, implementation of drones for land mapping and the use of artificial intelligence technology. Many emerging agropreneurs will be carrying out both upstream and downstream activities to provide a sustainable production for raw and value-added agricultural products.

    Lawal said businesses to have invested in high-quality products from design and appearance to good quality of rice as well as maintain high quality of rice during storage and trading. However, the number of producers doing that is not many compared to the large rice volume.

    Therefore, the application of advanced technology in preservation and processing is very important in the rice value chain to increase to meet the strict requirements of major rice export markets, he said.

    He said the state is restructuring production and focusing on links, processing, and market organisation.