Category: Special Report

Have electricity Distribution Companies quietly increased electricity tariffs? Yes, said some consumers; no, others said. Government sources however insist it has put measures in place to ensure the cost of electricity remains stable over the next two years, reiterating that instead of an increase in electricity tariff, there has indeed been a reduction, Muyiwa Lucas, John Ofikhenua, Onimisi Alao, Damian Duruiheoma, Kolade Adeyemi, AbdulGafar Alabelewe and Yinka Adeniran reports.

He was obviously seething with anger and this could be well understood. Tayo Olatoye, an electricity consumer on Ikeja Electric (IE) platform, had sent his son to purchase N3, 000 worth of electricity units from an IE vendor last Wednesday. However, upon loading the token, he was shocked at the number of units he got.

“On January 16, I bought 66.6 units of electricity for N3, 000, but to my surprise, last Wednesday, the same N3, 000 worth of electricity gave me 62.4 units of electricity. Previously it used to be N45 per unit but on Wednesday I noticed that it now goes for N48 per unit. This is shocking because no announcement has been made about an increase in the cost of the tariff,” a bitter Olatoye said, brandishing the purchase receipt issued to him.

Explaining a trajectory of tariff increase he has experienced, Olatoye lamented the almost 100 percent increase in tariff experienced in just about one year. For instance, he noted that last year, IE charged N29 per unit, increasing gradually over time to N45 per unit last month and now N48 last week.

“Last year, at N29 per unit, I got 103.4 units of electricity for N3, 000, but now the same N3, 000 gives 62.4 units. This is almost half of what it used to be in just one year,” Olatoye lamented.

Similarly, Timi Michael, another customer of IE in Akute, was taken aback last Friday when he realised a reduction in the number of units he got on his N10, 000 electricity purchase. Michael, who couldn’t comprehend the shortfall, explained: “Last January, I bought N10, 000 worth of electricity from IE vendor and got 221.8 units of electricity for it. But last Friday, I was surprised to notice that the same N10, 000 worth of electricity I bought fetched me 208 units. This is shocking. It means IE has increased electricity tariff without notifying us (customers).”

An IE sales agent who pleaded for anonymity also confirmed the tariff increase. According to her, an electricity consumer a fortnight ago purchased N100, 000 worth of electricity units from her in anticipation of the increase.

If the consumers of IE are in shock over the reduction in units, then the customers of Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) may not be faulted for expressing their angst over the hike in their electricity bill. Residents of the state capital, Yola, led the protest against a rise in the electricity bills, with many considering alternative sources of power.

According to sources, the issues started towards the end of last month when new management in YEDC sent out bills that consumers said had been jacked up by between 150 and 200 percent.  Many communities around the three metropolitan local government areas of Yola North, Yola South and Girei had reacted by advocating the return of the bills to YEDC with a resolve that the electricity distributor could remove their supply cables if they wished.

However, while IE and YEDC consumers are lamenting tariff hikes, it is a different kettle of fish for electricity consumers on the platform of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC). According to them, the tariff by the DisCo has rather been reduced in the Enugu DisCo coverage area.

Some of the customers who responded to questions from our correspondent said they were not interested in the tariff hike but how regular the electricity is. One of the customers, who identified himself as Jude Egbo, said: “I don’t know how to calculate that thing. What I do is to pay whenever my light finishes so that they will give me light. I don’t count those things.”

In Jos, residents interviewed told The Nation that, they were yet to see or experience an increase in their electricity tariff. A cross-section of residents in the state told The Nation that no disco staff has told them of any increase yet.

In Kaduna State, metered electricity consumers said they have not noticed any increase in the electricity tariff. However, consumers on the estimated complain of what they called ‘crazy billing’ in spite of the epileptic service they get.

Some of the consumers who spoke to The Nation complain that Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company (KEDC), has deliberately refused to meter the majority of the consumers.

A consumer, Tijani Umar Sallau said, that they are paying high as customers on estimated billing and the solution of for the distribution company to provide meters for the consumers, but “they will not provide us with prepaid meters because they are not tired of manufacturing figures.”

At the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC), no it was gathered that no tariff increase has been announced or communicated to the distribution company by the government electricity regulatory agency in recent time.

According to a source who craved anonymity, explained that although the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) as established by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) allows for small and sort of insignificant review of tariff periodically, nothing major had happened since the last review by the Commission last year.

According to the source, IBEDC just like any other Disco does not have the power to unilaterally increase tariffs outside of the NERC established methodology for regulating electricity prices called MYTO.

The source added that the MYTO provides a 15-year tariff path for the Nigerian electricity industry with limited minor reviews each year but that no review has been communicated to the distribution company lately.

“It’s usually like N1 or 2k or even less just like it was done in the last tariff regime. MYTO allows for little and minor reviews but nothing major but I have not even heard of any minor reviews. We are still on the review approved for the year by the regulatory agency.

“They do it and when they approve it, and it allows for that in every six months there is always little review that could be a small as 50k, N1, 30k and figures like that until they Dona major review which consumers would now feel more that there is a hike,” the source explained.

 

Concerns

 

There appears not to be a universal tariff increase, the reduction in electricity units, consumers contend, is an indication of a secretive increase being carried out by the DisCos affected.

Recall that last August the NERC had directed the DisCos to commence the collection of Service Based Tariff (SBT) from the following month. This was targeted at increasing the cost of electricity by over 50 percent, in order to enable the government to end subsidy in the electricity sector. But shortly after the statement went public, a top government official stated that the statement was issued in error and there was a stoppage on the directive.

Although the DisCos have not officially announced a hike in their tariffs, customers’ complaints that the energy distributors have devised a way of reducing the units for the same amount is tantamount to increasing the tariff since it has reduced the units they used to purchase for the same amount.

Yet, stakeholders in the sector maintained that the increase in some quarters may have confirmed the suspicion that the SBT may be implemented in phases without drawing the attention of the end-users.

 

Response

 

A code of silence seems to pervade the IE, the Eko Electricity Distribution Company (DisCos) and even the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The Nation’s effort to get IE’s reaction to the development proved abortive as calls made to IE’s Head, Corporate Communications, Felix Ofolue, was not answered, neither was a text message sent to him replied to since last Thursday till the time of going to press.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), Godwin Idemudia, did not respond to calls made to his line. However, his deputy, Babatunde Lasaki, assured him to revert on the subject once he confirms from the firm’s regulatory department. But five days after, Lasaki was yet to fulfill his promise.

Also, Abdulaziz Abdullahi, spokesman for KEDC, did not respond to several calls put across to him.

Similarly, attempts to get the reaction of NERC proved abortive as calls made and text messages sent to the General Manager, Public Affairs, NERC, Dr. Usman Baba-Arabi, were unanswered.

However, the spokesman of the EEDC, Emeka Eze, said the tariff on its platform has been considerably reduced. He told The Nation: “We operate the Multi-Year Tariff Order (MYTO) 2020, as approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and in February – December 2022 portion of this Order, which became effective on January 1, 2022, the approved End-User tariff for EEDC dropped across the Service Bands. That means that the tariff reduced”.

Still, the spokesman of Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC), Dr. Friday Elijah told The Nation that there has not been any increase in tariff by the firm. “You may wish to check our website. Our tariff is there.”

 

Government effort

 

Sources in the Presidency told The Nation that determined to ensure stability in electricity tariff the Federal Government has stopped returns on its investments in the electricity sector. The government owns the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), which wheels energy from the generation companies to the distributors 100 percent. It also owns 40 percent shares in the 11 Electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos).

Besides, the source informed that the Federal Government has decided to freeze its own profit in the next one to two years. This, according to the source, is to avoid hiking tariffs in the next two years. He added that the essence is to retain the subsidy in order to contain rising electricity rates.

 

Denial

 

But the government has also denied any recent increase on electricity tariff as the moratorium on her investment is to serve as a buffer against any increase on the side of the consumers. This initiative was implemented in the third quarter of 2021 in addition to the government reducing the price of gas in the fourth quarter of 2021 to Generating Companies (GENCOs). The results of these efforts led to a reduction in tariff as witnessed in Enugu DisCO where there is a substantial decrease in most bands.

Sources in the industry contend that the government is executing a balancing act between economic factors and electricity prices.

“The N3 claim is not true. Tariff orders are every six months not in February (December and June). The government has frozen returns on investment in TCN and DisCos in Q4 to prevent tariffs from going up, in addition to reducing gas prices in Q3. There is no universal increase and in DisCos such as Enugu there was a substantial decrease in most bands,” the source said.

 

Labour warns

 

Meanwhile, the Labour Congress said it was committed to the implementation of September 28, 2020, which recommended that electricity tariff be frozen until the seven-man committee concluded its work and its report was submitted and adopted by the principals in the broad FG – Labour platform led by SGF, and the President of NLC and TUC, respectively.

The NLC said: “This pact to freeze electricity tariff increase entered into by the Principals last year September remains sacrosanct to Congress and would not admit flouting by any form of subterfuge.”

The seven-man Technical Committee is made up of Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, (Chairman); Minister of State Power, Mr Godwin Jedy-Agba – member; Chairman National Electricity Regulatory Commission as a member and the Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Infrastructure, Ahmad Rufai Zakari as Secretary.

To achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking by 2030, countries need an integrated approach to the right use of energy that takes full advantage of all available solutions. Recently, the Federal Government, in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), launched the Nigeria Integrated Energy Planning Tool, with support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and funding from the Rockefeller Foundation. CHINAKA OKORO reports

Nigeria has had uncountable targets for the attainments of one goal or the other. Whether the goals were accomplished remains a conjecture.

Currently, it has keyed into the global plan to achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking by 2030.

Mindful that 2030 is just eight years away, and committed to the realisation of this goal, the country recently launched the Nigeria Integrated Energy Planning Tool (IEP) on February 3, 2022. The tool, as an exemplar of a world-class IEP, encompasses electrification, clean cooking, and productive use.

It identifies the least-cost mix of solutions to meet the demand for a variety of energy services.

The tool, which was launched by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo alongside global leaders in the energy sector, is the first wholly- integrated energy planner for Nigeria.

While traditional energy plans focus primarily on electrification, the Nigeria IEP includes electrification, clean cooking, and productive uses for the entire country.

The Nigeria IEP is developed by the Federal Government in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) with support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and funding from the Rockefeller Foundation.

Through this online geospatial visualisation platform, energy access data, analysis, and results are publicly available, benefitting a broad range of users, including the public and private sectors.

Osinbajo, at the global launch of the Energy Planning Tool, which was held virtually, noted that sustainable energy access was crucial for the country’s development.

He said: “Establishing clean, sustainable, and reliable energy access is intertwined with so many of Nigeria’s development goals. We have proven that transforming our energy system is a national priority through our Economic Sustainability Plan, and most recently, with our announcement at COP26 in Glasgow to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060.

Emphasising the importance of the initiative, Osinbajo noted that the Tool would be essential for the government to achieve its universal access and clean cooking targets. He urged that all arms of government would promote it and use it broadly.  He also urged the international community to support Nigeria’s transition efforts with more realistic climate finance support.

Enumerating the benefits of this initiative to Nigeria, experts said the IEP for Nigeria stipulates that the least-cost plan for providing universal electrification through grid, mini-grid and solar home systems amounts to $25.8 billion.

For Nigeria to achieve universal access by 2030, the tool estimates that 19.3 million additional connections will be required across the country. This is exclusive of the expected 11.3 million additional connections in places that already have access to electricity due to population growth.

Research findings gleaned from the IEP platform indicate that “a mini-grid represents the least-cost technology for the bulk of these connections (8.9 million connections), with grid (5.4 million) and solar home system (5.0 million) sharing a similar number of connections among them.

“When agricultural activities such as maize and rice milling are added to the analysis, this increases the number of mini-grid least-cost communities by around 200, 000.”

It is agreed that the project is capital-intensive as the total cost to deliver these connections is estimated at $22.9 billion, of which $20 billion needs to be invested as up-front capital. Again, the main technologies being used (i.e., solar) do not consume any fuel and therefore have a limited operating cost.

It is estimated that around 53 per cent of households in mini-grid settlements and 92 per cent of households in solar-home system settlements will require public support to afford the total cost of ownership of the electrification solution.

Another aspect of energy sustainability that the country pursues with the tool is the potential for clean cooking solutions which is 3.7 million for the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), 3.5 million for e-cooking, and 4.3 million for biogas.

The Nigeria Integrated Energy Planning estimates that under a business-as-usual scenario, the country would have over 40 million households cooking with emissions-intensive and polluting cooking methods by 2030.

To address this, there is an overall opportunity to expand clean cooking solutions to 3.7 million households with LPG cooking solutions; 3.5 million households with e-cooking solutions; or 4.3 million households with biogas cooking solutions.

The overall cost of implementing these solutions would be $478 million for LPG, $83 million for e-cooking, and $847 million for biogas. The cost of rolling out these technologies is split among stoves, accessories, and the infrastructure required to deliver fuel or electricity.

On its impact and based on the technology that has gone into the tool, it will be vital for the private sector. This is so because it will help solution providers to identify promising markets and provide useful market intelligence as they roll out electrification and clean cooking.

Another high point of the tool is its ability to identify risks associated with technology choice and strategies to promote productive-use demand to unlock the economic viability of mini-grids.

At the launch, Prof. Osinbajo disclosed that the administration is determined to transform the energy sector in Nigeria, even as he noted that “President Muhammadu Buhari is still committed to lifting 100 million people out of poverty and driving economic growth.

“The government is also keen on managing long-term job losses in the oil sector that will result from global decarbonisation.” He called on the international community to support Nigeria’s energy access and energy transition efforts through the much-needed climate finance commitments.

Continuing, Prof. Osinbajo said: “The tool promotes a holistic approach to achieving SDG7 and energy development while also supporting local manufacturing, expanding local solar technology value chains, and potentially creating 250,000 new jobs in Nigeria’s energy sector.”

The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed commended the Federal Government for its bold vision in closing its energy access gaps and for its ambitious Energy Transition Plan that outlines a pathway to net-zero by 2060.

She said: “Without prioritising universal energy access, including clean cooking, we will not achieve our global net-zero targets. Energy is also critical to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including improved health care, better jobs and livelihoods, and greater gender equality.”

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), Damilola Ogunbiyi said: “Nigeria is leading the charge with their ambitious commitment to achieve net-zero by 2060.”

The SEforALL boss said: “I believe access to accurate and transparent data is critical to decision-making. I hope this demonstrates to other countries an invaluable tool for achieving their own energy access goals.”

Ogunbiyi is on a four-day trip to Nigeria for high-level meetings to harness the potential of the Nigeria IEP in the implementation of Nigeria’s Energy Transition Plan.

President of the Rockefeller Foundation, Dr Rajiv J. Shah said as the world strives to turn the commitments from COP26 into action, the foundation was proud to partner with Nigeria and SEforALL to help communities to connect and transit to quality renewable energy.

“The Nigeria Integrated Energy Planning Tool is transformative in its approach to integrated electrification. Not only will it advance our efforts to empower millions of people in Nigeria, it will also provide a model for clean electrification programmes, showing the world how to change energy for good,” Dr Shah said.

Nigeria is a country being bogged down by several challenges. In her collection of poetry, ‘October Blues’, Obiageli Iloakasia captures the trouble with Nigeria, writes OYEBOLA OWOLABI.

Obiageli Iloakasia is angry, and she has a right to be. She is sad, and she has a right to be. She is bitter, and she has a right to be. She is frustrated, and she has a right to be. She is agitated, and she has a right to be. She is afraid, and she has a right to be. However, in all, she is still hopeful, and she has a right to be.

Her book of poetry, ‘October Blues’ captures everything wrong with Nigeria; it relates the sad, ugly, gory, chaotic, irresponsible, bitter, bloody, desolate, evil, and what of have you, which has become the experiences of Nigerians in Nigeria.

‘October Blues’ is particularly instructive to understanding events of October 2020 when the world woke to a new awakening in Nigeria. Divided into four sections, ‘October Blues’ relates the pain every Nigerian experiences, and how much ‘the leaders we elected keep adding salt to our sores’. The first section, ‘October 2020’, is a lament of what our independence has become. It’s an irony that October which should normally symbolize our month of freedom, life and everything good, became a month of death and agony, especially following the EndSARS protests. The opening poem in the section – ‘Independence Day – Anniversary’ – captures the meaningless independence that holds no value to the people. To her, 60 years is just a number with no corresponding value. She however hopes of a brighter and better life if the opportunity comes.

 ‘today,

 we are 60 years old

 still, we wander thoughtlessly in the cold…

 we want to know what it means to dream

 and how it feels to have the Nigerian dream redeemed…

 we did not choose this life

 if we ever get another chance

 may it feel like an emerald of paradise’

Some other titles in the section – Bloodshed, Disorder, Chronicles, Shadows – somehow represent a continuous thought flow. After the initial killings which led to ‘bloodshed’ comes ‘disorder’, a confusing state as to whether to join the fight or not –

‘mother’s sister has said I should mind my business,

 please teach me how to mind

  a business that has never paid off’

This then leads to a ‘chronicles’, an explanation or lamentation of sort, detailing the pain,

‘every single day,

 these savage inbreeds ripped life out of us;

‘even a single goodbye,

 we never had the change to tell

 our brothers before they passed.

 ‘You see this pain, we feel it everyday

 When will this be over…?

 ‘the sun has turned its back on us,

 And now we move in circles

 While hoping for change to come

This land is full of grief

And death consumes the young and old’.

The ‘chronicles’ gives way to ‘shadows’, a full lament of the agony of bloodshed, a mourning for the loved ones lost, and then a cry for vengeance.

‘the good book teachers forgiveness,

it says all vengeance

 should be left for the almighty

 now take us to another world

 away from this world

 to where forgiveness is not preached

 give us a chance to make these men

feel half of that we have felt’.

‘Black Tuesday’, another title in the section, particularly laments the needless death which characterized the EndsSARS protest after the government’s interference. In it, Iloakasia laments that those who died in the struggle are not heroes, but victims of a failed system. She further laments that majority of deaths in Nigeria are consequences of the brutality we each face daily, whether in the health, finance, politics, education, social, and every other sectors. Majority of Nigerians do not die heroic deaths, we are victims of a system which fails us daily.

 ‘my brothers did not die because they chose to

 my sisters did not die because they wanted to

 Please do not ask me how I know this:

I watched them struggle to live

 ‘if you dare call my brothers heroes,

 I will curse you

 if you call my sisters women of honour,

May the same fate befall you tenfold

 ‘if I die tomorrow,

 remember not to make a martyr of me

For I did not choose this fight

 our leaders forced on me a pilgrim’s journey…

 please tell my children I did not die a hero,

 rather I died a victim

 of the brutality that roams

 the place I once called home’.

The poet expresses the fears that coming generations might not inherit anything meaningful if things continue as they are. As a matter of fact, the present generation lacks everything, so what hope for those coming behind? As ‘Records of Death’ captures it

 ‘more people are dying

 this wasn’t the plan we put forth…

 ‘if our lands and properties are no more

 What will our children inherit from us?’

Iloakasia however expresses the hope of restoration if the people can decide on what they want and be committed to working to achieve it. This she recounts in ‘United As One’ and ‘Hopeless Struggle’. The cry and call to unity remains the bedrock on which true and total liberation can be gotten, especially once the ‘Chances’ present themselves.

‘…since we failed,

 give us the chance to correct our wrongs.

this time, we will not only end the atrocities,

but we will point at the authorities

 And say you failed us’.

In ‘Hopeless Struggle’, she puts a universal call to youths to fight on despite the seemingly impossibility.

‘…sing songs of freedom o’youth

Make merry even in distress

One is only dead but once

When there is a call,

We will answer one by one’.

Section two of the book, aptly titled ‘Intimations’, captures the historical evidences inherent in Nigeria as espoused by the old and new national anthems, and the national pledge. The poet tries to paint a picture of what life looked/looks like through the wordings of the anthem, perhaps to juxtapose the former with the latter. This section also resonates with the many ills which ail our dear Nigeria and we its people, it questions why the situation negates the positive lyrics of the national anthems. Like ‘Brotherhood’, where the author says:

“in brotherhood we stand,

 Even when unknown men asked us to abandon our cause

 Why do you not stand with us in brotherhood?

 Shouldn’t we all be brothers born of one mother called Nigeria?”

  Or in ‘Truth and Justice’, where she says:

‘that truth and justice may reign,

 Yet you say there were no casualties

How will grieving families heal

 When they have no bodies

 To help them find closure

 ‘in this land,

Truth died with our forefathers,

Because all we now hear are lies

That sound more true than truth

 “we want truth and justice to reign

 The first step is not to silence the voice of equity and reason”

 However, she expresses optimism of a new and glorious Nigeria in ‘A New Nation’ and ‘Affirmations’, when she said:

 ‘help us build a nation

 A nation where equity and equality are in a loved up relationship

 From our toils,

 We will harvest good fruits

 And from peace

 We will live in unity

 A good home is a blessing

 And this blessing we will have’

 And in ‘Affirmations’, she says:

 “where no man is oppressed,

 is the land Nigeria will have

 This is a new story

and this story will be ours

 the sand on this land

 may have crumbled

 but mother earth will restore it again

before night passes

 we will sing a new song!”

Iloakasia, in section three of the book titled ‘Tributes’, laments the needless deaths of many a youths due to a failed system. The mention of the names of the deceased gives the laments a sound footing and gives readers a visual and physical sense of events that led to the deaths, and of course give a sort of closure for the pain. It is impossible to pick one’s manner or type of death, but, still, everyone deserves honour, even in death, one deserves to die a victim.

The last section, titled ‘Ruminations’, is probably a culmination of the poet’s thought after a critical appraisal of the kind of life our leaders have pushed upon us, and forcing us to live. She said “the typical Nigerian’s life is full of intricate realities, complex ideas, unanswered questions and in-between feeling’. Coming to life should be about living, but in Nigeria, we all cruise through life surviving each day as it comes. And just like a joke making round on social media in recent times, ‘no one make plans in Nigeria, the country plans your life and you just flow with the flow’.

In ‘Teacher Do-Good’, Iloakasia cries about our irrelevant and poor educational system which has rendered many hopeless and useless rather than uplift or better them. ‘Chibok 2014’ is a reminder of the failed Nigerian security architecture and how we may never get it right.

‘…the last time I checked, they were in school;

and from school ancient walls swallowed them

one after the other, we searched for them

Leah, Kemi, Hassana

 we called out

 but their voices were never heard.

 now we are hunting shadows

 for Chibok City has lost its substance

 We do not know where to go

 we do not know where to find my sisters

 please bring back our girls”

Lamenting the woes of Nigerians in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised, and this is what Obiageli Iloakasia has done in ‘October Blues’. Hopefully, with a consistent reminder of the many wrongs and hurts served the people, those in authority would have a reset of priorities and do right by the people.

Iloakasia has been able to add her voice to the many ahead, crying and calling for equity and justice, a quick one at that, for the ordinary Nigerian. She has been able to scream and shout that it is not a herculean task for the government to provide the basics, which make life meaningful, for its people.

 

 

Cocoa remains one of the fastest selling and most desirable agricultural commodities in both local and international markets. JULIANA AGBO writes on the need to get the industry working again.

Cocoa was a major agricultural export crop and a top foreign exchange earner in the 1950s and 60s.

The Nigerian cocoa market was a situation where one buyer, through a marketing board, controlled a large proportion of the market.

However, the industry has significant potential but is still underutilised.

Today, thousands of acres of fertile lands suitable for cocoa cultivation are  idle and wasting away in the South West and South South region.

According to a report by Proshare.com, average cocoa production declined from 420,000 tons in the ‘60s to 170,000 tons in 1999. Production climbed to 389,272 tons between 2000 and 2010, but fell back to 192,000 tons in 2015 and 2016. After dropping to fourth place, Nigeria is now the sixth largest producer.

Currently, the country is contributing only five percent of global output as cocoa farmers are aging.

Against the backdrop of declining production, Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria (CFAN), has been advocating for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training for smallholder farmers in order to push the country’s production from the current 250,000 metric tons to 500,000 metric tons in the next two years with the best and finest cocoa.

Also, the House of Representatives has sought for the review of all existing cocoa/commodity laws to develop a national cocoa policy and reposition the country as the largest producer in Africa.

This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Ademorin Kuye (APC-Lagos) on the floor of the House recently in Abuja.

The House also mandated the Committee on Agricultural Production and Services to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to ensure the repositioning.

In his motion, Kuye noted that Nigeria was once a major player in cocoa production, being the second-largest producer in the world with 450,000 tons.

 

Top cocoa growing states

 

Of the 36 states of the country,  12 states are majorly into cocoa production. The top growing states which include, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Oyo and Ekiti account for about 60 percent of the cocoa production and make up at least 30 percent of the total cocoa export in Nigeria.

Ondo is rated the largest cocoa producing state with an output capacity of about 77,000 tons per annum.

Other producing states include Cross River, Kwara, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Abia, Rivers, and Adamawa.

 

Reason for decline

 

A stakeholder, who is also a cocoa farmer, John Achia said cocoa farming in Nigeria is predominantly carried out by smallholder farmers who have outdated skills and limited access to finance and technology.

Achia said the average age of the medium scale cocoa farmer is 51, with only three percent under the age of 35.

According to him, only 18 percent of medium scale cocoa farmers had access to public sector extension services that could have helped to enhance the production of quality cocoa beans.

However, he added that low yields and productivity, aging trees and farms, pests and disease attacks, inconsistency in production patterns and little agricultural mechanisation also stall the output capacity.

He said if no steps are taken, the unrelenting challenges of a weak infrastructure, access to financing and weak implementation capacity will continue to negatively affect the industry’s potential.

Also, National President of CFAN, Comrade Adeola Adegoke expressed concern that the country is exporting about 90 per cent of cocoa beans due to the low level of processing that is contributing to the decline of the industry.

By this, Adegoke said cocoa farmers are getting less than six per cent total value profit in cocoa value trade.

 

Annual Loss

 

Adegoke, said cocoa farmers are losing $400 per ton when compared with its West African counterparts due to the unregulated cocoa industry.

The $400 per ton, which he described as Living Income Differential (LID), represented N55 billion losses annually.

This, he said, is due to the unregulated cocoa economy in Nigeria.

He said: “There is no measure put in place to be able to collect this $400 aside from the floor price that we sell our beans.

“This $400 is an addition that is meant to support the livelihood of the cocoa farmers in all cocoa-producing nations.

“In Ghana and Ivory Coast today, they are collecting it. But today, Nigeria has been denied $400 per tonne, multiply it by 265,000 metric tonnes, and it would be running into about N55 billion”.

He, however, said Nigeria is losing millions of dollars, which goes into servicing other economies.

 

How reviving the industry will contribute to economy

 

Cocoa, which can be processed into a variety of products such as chocolate liquor, cocoa butter and cocoa powder contribute greatly to the country’s gross domestic product.

These products are now increasingly used in pharmaceuticals, bakery, food and beverages, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and toiletries industries.

According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the global cocoa market garnered $12.87 billion in 2019 and is estimated to generate $15.50 billion by 2027.

To this end, an exporter, Adelana Abiola said, reviving the cocoa industry would place Nigeria in a position to benefit from the global market.

Also, the National President of CFAN, while commending the House of Representatives for moving a motion for the review of all existing cocoa/commodity laws to develop a national cocoa policy, said the commodity has a great potential especially in the country’s drive to earn more foreign exchange for the country and provide employment opportunities for youths.

He said the country would earn N665 billion annually from the $400 dollar per ton.

He said the country would also get about 2.5 million metric tons in the next five years, if the industry is repositioned.

According to him, the National Assembly has discovered that Nigeria can become number one in the next five years, and that is why our target is to achieve 500,000 metric tons in the next two years.

“If we reposition the industry, our target is to be able to get about 2.5 million metric tons in the next five years.

“It is now important for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to see to this and get this money for the country because we are envisaging a total of about 665 billion naira annually that we are likely to get from this 400 dollar per tonne.

“That is why we have to acknowledge the giant contributions of the House of Representative that the entire smallholder farmers are ever grateful for rising up to defend the interest of our country in making sure that we regain the lost glory of cocoa.”

He, however, said reviving the cocoa industry would attract young farmers.

“Our target is to get 1.5 million smallholder farmers across the country every year,” he said.

 

Recommendation

In a communiqué at the end of the Nigerian cocoa summit recently, stakeholders urged the Federal government to set up a development fund for cocoa production especially as it affects smallholder farmers.

The communiqué was jointly signed by the CFAN National President, Adeola Adekoge, Director, Tree Crops and Rural Development Services, Ministry of Agriculture, Ogun State, Mr. James Oyesola, the Managing Director, Harvest Filed Limited, Prince, Martins Awofisayo and Professor Adebayo Aromolaran of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State.

It reiterated the need for State governments to establish cocoa farm settlements equipped with adequate infrastructure to attract youth farmers.

The communiqué also stated the need for an organisation to represent stakeholders in the cocoa industry for advocacy purposes.

It reads: “Government should consider participating in the arrangement between cocoa producing countries and international cocoa buyers for the payment of Living Income Differential (LDI) of S400 per ton above the floor price to cocoa farmers.

“Government should strengthen extension services. State governments of cocoa producing states should collaborate with the Cocoa Research Institute for the establishment of cocoa seed gardens.

“The produce departments should be strengthened to carry out their responsibilities adequately.”

It urged the government to strengthen farmers’ cooperatives, while a Cocoa Trust Fund should be established.

Furthermore, it said training on Climate change adaptation strategies should be given to farmers

“There should be increased promotion of cocoa products consumption nationally,” the communiqué stated.

 

A new report on the EKOEXCEL initiative indicates that it is improving learning compared to what existed before the beginning of the educational intervention to improve teaching and learning in public schools using technology. CHINAKA OKORO reports

Years before he became Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu was well aware that the youth must be invested in them through quality education.

Failing to invest in children and youth triggers substantial economic, social, and political costs resulting in adverse outcomes such as early school drop-out, poor labour market entry, risky sexual behaviours, substance abuse, and crime and violence.

Through words and actions before and after assuming office, Sanwo-Olu has demonstrated commitment to quality and transformational education.

He made education and technology the critical third pillar of his THEMES development agenda, with the others being Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; making Lagos a 21st Century Economy; Entertainment and Tourism and Security and Governance.

Despite the massive construction and renovation of existing educational infrastructures-completion of more than 1,097 school projects, upgrade and rehabilitation of 322 dilapidated public schools and furnishing primary schools with 87,000 dual composite units of chairs and desks-the governor’s trump card in the education revolution of his administration is the EKOEXCEL (Excellence in Child Education and Learning) initiative.

The innovative intervention was launched in the latter part of 2019 to provide quality education to the rich and the poor and upskill teachers leveraging technology. It is managed by the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) with New Globe as the technical partner. Since its launch in January 2020, the intervention has achieved great results, including accelerating pupils’ learning, better classroom culture and more robust curriculum management.

 

Evaluating the EKOEXCEL initiative

 

While some observers might assume the intervention has just been mouthing off about its achievements, the recently released EKOEXCEL 2020-2021 End line Fluency and Numeracy Evaluation has put the achievements in better perspective.

The intervention is making a significant impact with pupils, teachers and the state’s educational system as beneficiaries. Specifically, the evaluation showed that EKOEXCEL pupils are making strong progress in oral reading fluency and foundational numeracy compared to their performance before the commencement of the initiative.

It further showed that an average primary three EKOEXCEL pupil is now reading at nearly the same fluency level as an average primary five pupil before the launch of the EKOEXCEL programme and that averagely, EKOEXCEL primaries two to three pupils are outperforming 13 other country contexts on the International Common Assessment of Numeracy (ICAN) while primaries four to six rank third out of 14 country contexts on the same numeracy assessment.

Crucially, the evaluation affirms that EKOEXCEL is improving learning over what existed before, and is itself continuing to improve learning with the programme, over time. The study, which was conducted in July 2021, involved researchers administering two assessments to primaries one to six pupils.

 

Levels of evaluation

 

The tests were an oral reading fluency assessment (using a primary two passage and a grade-level passage) and a foundational numeracy assessment (using the International Common Assessment of Numeracy, or ICAN). Four research questions guided the evaluation, with interesting findings.

The first was: “The global pandemic led to learning loss nearly everywhere. How did it affect EKOEXCEL pupils’ performance in literacy? The assessment discovered that since a baseline oral reading fluency evaluation in Lagos State public schools in 2019 (before the launch of EKOEXCEL), pupils have made outstanding progress across all grade levels. 2021 pupils are reading an average of 311 per cent more correct words per minute compared with their 2019 pre-EKOEXCEL counterparts, with the largest gains among primary one pupils.

“These gains are significant, especially when we consider that average learning loss due to COVID-19 closures during this time is estimated to be between 0.5 and one full year of schooling in reading across five countries in Africa.

Even in the United Kingdom, where remote learning opportunities were more accessible, learning losses amounted to 2.2 months in reading for primary school pupils.

The EKOEXCEL programme not only mitigated learning loss; it actually accelerated learning amid a global learning crisis.”

The study also sought to know how the pandemic affected EKOEXCEL pupils’ performance in numeracy, finding that “EKOEXCEL primary two pupils are significantly outperforming their pre-EKOEXCEL counterparts on simple addition, simple subtraction, and addition/subtraction with borrowing.

In fact, primary one EKOEXCEL pupils are performing better than their pre-EKOEXCEL peers on foundational numeracy skills. It also emerged that as schools spend more time in the programme, and their school leaders and teachers receive continuous professional development and positive habits strengthen, their pupils benefit on both fluency and numeracy assessments. Pupils at more ‘mature’ EKOEXCEL schools outperform peers at newer EKOEXCEL schools. “The third research question was if there were better learning outcomes among pupils who (a) consistently attend lessons and (b) learn from teachers who consistently deliver lessons?”

The report showed that pupils who consistently receive the ‘full’ EKOEXCEL programme perform far better than pupils in the general sample. But to further interrogate the differences, the study compared two different samples: intention to treat (ITT): includes all pupils tested in the 2021 sample, regardless of their attendance or their teacher’s lesson completion rate and treatment on treated (ToT) that includes only pupils who (1) were in attendance for more than 50 per cent of instructional days and (2) attended a classroom where the teacher delivered more than 50 per cent of lessons.

On grade-level oral reading fluency, ToT pupils read an average of five correct words per minute more than their ITT counterparts. ToT pupils are also significantly less likely to be non-readers by three per cent across all grade levels.

There was a similar pattern on numeracy outcomes. ToT pupils outperformed ITT pupils on the ICAN numeracy assessment by roughly two per cent across all grade levels.

The last question was locating the primary areas of growth in fluency and numeracy for the future of EKOEXCEL and the findings were equally heartwarming. “Pupils are achieving impressive gains compared with pre-EKOEXCEL evaluations.

In addition, EKOEXCEL pupils are performing well when compared with other international contexts. On the International Common Assessment of Numeracy (ICAN), EKOEXCEL ranks first out of 14 contexts for classes two to three and third out of 14 contexts for classes four to six,” it read.

Despite the impressive outcomes, the study holds that there is room for improvement compared with international fluency norms and also on some foundational numeracy outcomes. Pupils are still behind international fluency benchmarks while pupils struggled with some foundational numeracy skills compared with 13 other countries (specifically more complex skills such as multiplication and division).

 

Despite the achievements what next?

 

Going forward, therefore, EXOEXCEL would focus on ensuring that the average pupil is meeting or exceeding international fluency benchmarks, and also that EKOEXCEL pupils outperform other comparable contexts on more complex foundational numeracy competencies.

 

LASUBEB’s Chairman’s reaction to findings

 

On the report’s findings, LASUBEB’s Executive Chairman, Wahab Alawiye-King, expressed delight, promising that it’s only the beginning of EKOEXCEL’s positive impacts.

“I am delighted that the study showed the meaningful impacts of EKOEXCEL on our pupils and things will only get better, going forward.

“We have taken key learning from the report and will address areas of concern. The governor’s wish and desire is that pupils of public primary schools receive quality instructions that would be beneficial to them and also the state, in the long run.

“So, we are happy that EKOEXCEL is on the right track, according to these findings” he said.

Permanent Board member of LASUBEB and oversight chair of the EKOEXCEL programme, Adebayo Adefuye also expressed the same view, even as he noted that there would be further improvements by the time the next evaluation is done.

“We are happy with the report’s findings and we take it as further motivation to work harder and achieve more milestones. We are not going to rest on our oars until our public school system becomes significantly better, with parents and pupils themselves attesting to the positive changes,” Adefuye said.

With the positive impacts of the transformational intervention, Sanwo-Olu’s desire for a public school educational system that benefits pupils and also helps in the sustainable development of the state is well underway.

It’s now a knowledge economy and only the rightly equipped people will survive and excel.

Fake news is a menace that Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka argued could cause a war if unchecked. Nigeria has lost so much to it. In the last few weeks, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has had to battle fake news merchants, especially on the zoning of national offices ahead of the February 26 national convention announced by the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), writes IBRAHIM ADAM.

It looked genuine. The authors attributed it to the Mai Mala Buni-led All Progressives Congress (APC), Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) with details of which zone each of the party’s national offices have been allocated.

The offices up for grab are National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman South, Deputy National Chairman North, National Secretary, Deputy National Secretary, Vice Chairman South-West, Vice Chairman North West, Vice Chairman North Central, Deputy National Organizing Secretary, National Treasurer, National Financial Secretary, National Welfare Secretary, Deputy National Welfare Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, National Legal Adviser, National Woman Leader, Deputy National Auditor and National Youth Leader. Also available are Zonal Youth Leader North Central, Zonal Youth Leader North West, Zonal Youth Leader North East, Zonal Youth Leader South West, Zonal Woman Leader South East, Zonal Woman Leader North East,  Zonal Woman Leader North West, Zonal Woman Leader South-South, Zonal Woman Leader North Central, Zonal Woman Leader South West -Kemi Nelson, Ex-Officio Members South East, Ex-Officio North East, Ex-Officio North West, Ex-Officio South West, Ex-Officio Member North Central, National Auditor, National Vice Chairman South East and National Vice Chairman South-South.

Also available are the positions of National Vice Chairman, North-East, National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Woman Leader and Zonal Youth Leader South East.

The list attached each of these offices to a region. On Wednesday, Buni denied the purported zoning arrangement list in circulation ahead of the party’s February 26 national convention.

He said the list, which was attributed to him on social media since Monday, was baseless. In a statement by his spokesman, Mamaan Mohammed, the APC chairman said the list was false and has nothing to do with him. Buni urged the media to always verify all issues relating to the party before going to press.

“The attention of His Excellency the Executive Governor of Yobe State and Chairman APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, has been drawn to media publications with purported zoning of offices allegedly announced by him.

“His Excellency has in clear and unambiguous terms denied the said list, saying, it is false, baseless, unfounded, misleading and has nothing to do with him.

“The Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee said the party has not taken any decision at any fora on anything relating to the zoning of offices.

“The publication is just a figment of the author’s imagination that has nothing to do with the Chairman and the party. The public is hereby urged to disregard the purported list as it is misleading and completely false.”

This was not the first time the zoning issue would generate fake news. Shortly after the date of the national convention was announced, Akpanudoedehe had to address reporters that zoning had not been concluded.

He said: “I’m here to debunk the fake news going around on the social media that we have zoned offices. We are yet to meet on the issue of zoning. The news and rumour making rounds are fake. We never discussed the issue during our deliberations. People should disregard the story because it is fake news. It is not true.”

Speaking at a lecture, Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the advent of the internet as well as the introduction of smartphones democratised access to and dissemination of information in a very profound way.

“Anybody with a smart phone and data can access the Internet and disseminate whatever he or she feels like from his or her comfort zones,’’ he said.

To tackle the menace of fake news, the minister called for a national policy on the use of the social media, to curb excesses and misuse.

“The need to act fast is made more urgent by the fact that the extremism being promoted by anti-state groups remains one of the biggest challenges to Nigeria’s national security.

“Let me quickly state that the veritable tools of choice for extremists to propagate their dangerous and subversive ideas include unrestrained propaganda, fake news and hate speech.

“These are very potent tools in the hands of extremists, whether they are secessionists, ultra-nationalists, religious extremists or even insurgents.

“Of course, social media is the platform of choice for these malcontents.”

At a point, a group led by Prince Mustapha Audu claimed to be a parallel CECPC. The self-appointed leader of the group told reporters: “February 26 is our own (PYM) convention, we are going ahead with it. We don’t see any reason why we should stop.

“There have been meetings between ourselves, the DSS, between the leadership of some of the party, and it is clear that what we did has affected their plans. They didn’t plan to hold any convention till July or August.

“And the convention, they intend to do it with the party primaries for the presidency at the same time. So, a lot of illegalities are going on, and by our declaration, we truncated that. We brought the date for the convention, it has affected some of the leaders that didn’t intend to go forward. But we don’t care.

“We don’t want more fractures within the party. But sometimes, to make an omelette, you must break eggs. All the time, to make some omelettes, you must break eggs. We are trying to break some eggs to make beautiful omelettes to eat very well.”

It has since fizzled out after the real CECPC announced the date for the national convention and released the timetable.

 

Zoning

 

According to a political analyst, Mr. Ebuka Eze, “The party must be categorical on the zoning of national party offices. Zoning can guarantee a fair and equitable distribution of elective positions. The six geo-political zones must be given a sense of belonging. It must show that it is a platform with structures built on integrity. No abuse of its rules and the law must be tolerated at this moment so as not to give room to more disgruntled members. If the law is followed and everyone is carried along in the zoning and other arrangements being made in compliance with party rules and regulations and the electoral law, the party will emerge stronger. With a relatively successful ward, local government and state congresses across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it must build on these outcomes to get a stronger membership base and less internal rancour and litigations.”

He added: “The party will not contravene any law if it decides to use consensus candidacy. It can help present a united front and reduce rancour if majority feel carried along.”

 

Aspirants

 

As the party battles fake news, aspirants have intensified their campaigns. The media team of one of the aspirants, Senator George Akume, said: “If elected APC National Chairman, Senator George Akume will be committed to upholding the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Constitution of our great Party the All Progressives Congress. To this end, he will respect the powers and responsibilities of all organs and officers of the Party, which is necessary to entrench internal democracy and party discipline.

“All the party organs, officers and stakeholders need to work in harmony to consolidate our position as the dominant and ruling party in Nigeria. Senator George Akume’s vision is an APC that will be a model in political party administration in Nigeria and beyond.

“To bolster confidence in APC, Senator George Akume will hold periodic Town Hall Interactive Sessions around the country and convey feedback to the APC Governments at all levels. Also, he will promote and participate in a robust social media communication scheme to feel the pulse of Nigerians, especially the youths and encourage the respective APC Governments to appropriately act on key issues raised. Senator George Akume will passionately see to the faithful implementation of APC’s Manifesto.”

Aside Akume, others who have shown interest in leading the party are Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Senator Tanko Almakura, Senator Sani Musa, Senator Danjuma Goje, Saliu Mustapha, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Sunny Monidafe.

 

Arrangements

 

The CECPC is fine-tuning details of the zoning arrangement. It is also working on the possibility of avoiding an elective national convention. A consensus arrangement, analysts believe, will reduce post-national convention rancour and litigation.

While zoning and others are still being worked out, the committee will receive the interim report of the National Reconciliation Committee on January 31. The CECPC will consider and adopt reports of state congresses on February 2. The inauguration of the state executives will take place on February 3. The sale of forms to aspirants for national offices will begin on February 14 at the party National Secretariat while submission of completed forms will take place on or before February 19. The publication of sub-committees will be done on February 19 and screening of aspirants will take place between February 20 and 22. The Screening Appeal Committee will hear and resolve complaints on February 23 and the accreditation of statutory and elected delegates to the National Convention will be done between February 24 and 25. The hearing of complaints arising from the National Convention will be conducted on February 28.