The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agric

  • Fed Govt advised to channel recovered funds into agric

    The Federal Government has been urged to channel recovered funds into agriculture to achieve food security as well as increase the sector’s contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    Founder, Uplifting Women through Farming (UWTF), an agro-based not-for-profit organisation, Mrs Afoma Adigwe, said channelling the recovered funds into agriculture would benefit Nigerians. She warned that food security should not treated with levity.

    The agriculturist, who participated in THAIFEX – World of Food Festival in Thailand, told our reporter that Nigeria is lagging behind in food security.

    She said directing the looted funds into agriculture would enable farmers to feed the nation.

    “We have lands in the country; we have what it takes to feed the nation, but farmers need support from government. We have what it takes to grow enough rice for the entire nation and even for export. Investors in Thailand are willing to come and invest in our agricultural sector in Nigeria, but we need government support to grow the sector,” she said.

    She urged the Federal Government to channel the recovered looted to the agric sector through Agriculture banks, Microfinance banks and agriculture-based co-operative societies.

  • ‘Investment in agric can create jobs for youths’

    An octogenarian, Pa Emmanuel Osunwo Remi-Williams, has urged the government to tackle youth unemployment by investing in agriculture.

    In an interview, he said the perennial problem of the country is unemployment and  this could be solved through a recourse to farming

    Pa Remi-Williams said the federal and state governments should study the blueprints adopted by the late premier of the Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

    He said Awo, as the late sage was popularly known, solved youth unemployment then by acquiring vast areas of land in Apoje on the outskirts of Ijebu Igbo, which were devoted to palm tree plantation.

    To encourage young school leavers to work on the farms, he said Awo gave the youth good welfare packages, including salaries. “People were enticed with bicycles, the most senior ones with motocycle. Other areas were earmarked for cocoa and cassava planting. Salary scale was good and very encouraging. Education was one of the cardinal points of the government. Free education was introduced in 1955. It was a six-year programme, after secondary modern school. Most of these youth took to agriculture instead of white collar jobs,’’ he said.  According to him, the government used the money it made from agriculture to build its education programme and build skycrappers, such as the Cocoa House in Ibadan.

    Also, Pa Remi-Willaims said during the Second Republic, the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) also used agriculture as  cardinal programme.

    He cited former Lagos State governor Alhaji Lateef Jakande who acquired land in Epe for rice plantation to buttress his point. He said many Nigerians were willing to return to the farms if given the right incentives.

    He said his call became imperative as the country’s economic earnings from its mono-product declines daily, warning that there might be more problems ahead if an alternative was not sought, especially for the youth.

    Since the idle mind is the devil’s workshop, he said the youth should be engaged.

    He however, did not support the idea of giving tools to the young to stand on their own, saying they lack the experience and that not everyone could be an entrepreneur.

  • Agric, human capital development are priorities, says Obaseki

    Agric, human capital development are priorities, says Obaseki

    Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has promised to invest in agriculture as to foster economic stability.

    He said the human resources in the state remains are untapped and underdeveloped, promising to formulate policies and implement programmes that will lead to self-reliance.

    Obaseki, who is Chairman, Edo Economic and Strategy Team, noted that investment in agriculture would not only tackle unemployment and provide food security, it will also secure the economic future of the state.

    He said: “Developing and investing in the agricultural sector is a sure shot way to economic sustainability. It will provide jobs and create associated support businesses.

    “It is also one of the most effective and important strategies for economic growth, poverty reduction and more job opportunities in a state.

    “Our abundance of intelligent human capital means Edo can become a vibrant technology hub, we must look inward to develop this resource,” he added.

    Obaseki, said that an Edo State under his watch would be a government of consolidation and progressive governance, building on the success of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    On his plan for the economy, he said: “Businesses are the life blood of every state’s economy. The state must create an environment that attracts and support businesses.

    “The economy of a state requires a vibrant business community, large-scale to small,” he added.

  • N1b agric loan coming for youths

    A group known as Abia State Youths for Agriculture (YFA) has something big to look out for: a N1.340 billion loan from the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF).

    This was made known in a letter dated April 8 signed by Dr M. A. Olaitan of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the Managing Director, Stateman Microfinance Bank Ltd, Uzuakoli, where the apex bank is asking them to provide collateral for the above sum.

    Speaking with The Nation, in Umuahia, the state Public Relations Officer (PRO) of YFA, Friday Chinedum said that the delay in accessing the fund is because they are yet to complete the provisions for the 30% required before the fund is released.

    “We are at the verge of doing that, which will not be long,” he said.

    Chinedum said that all hope is not lost in accessing the funds for the genuine farmers in the state and urged members of the YFA not to be dismayed as efforts are in top gear to ensure that they improve their farm yields this season with the loan.

    He said that members of YFA who have registered for the scheme will have nothing to regret, stressing that they should stop listening to those who intend to destroy the association through damaging and false statements.

    Chinedum said, “Our members should not listen to those who have the mindset to destabilise the association, as it is wrong for people to destroy the house they have helped to build, we need to be together to achieve our aim.”

    “It is expected that when the loan is accessed, we are going to train our members and youths in all areas of farming after which they will be given take-off loan which will be monitored to avoid misuse.”

     

  • Expert seeks functional agric research system

    An expert on economic development, Dr. Utiang Ugbe, has said eradication of hunger will require a functonal  agricultural research coordination system.

    Calling  for a unified bureau, Ugbe  stressed that making researches work for improved food security and nutrition requires coordination and implementation of appropriate policy interventions and getting researchers to work together to achieve given  objectives.

    He said: “There should be a unified bureau for the governance, coordination, management, and direction agricultural science, technology and innovations (STI) for the country.  The functions of the bureau will include hosting of partner-funded pilot projects on various aspects of agriculture, by aligning each project with the suited agricultural research campus, and the relevant private sector parties. This is how you ensure institutional learning and the effective digestion and diffusion of innovations from pilot projects into national priorities, policies and processes in agriculture.  The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) hosted a small DFID (Department for International Development)-funded pilot project for about 30 months, and was able to adapt key elements of the technical template of the project into a major World Bank funded project which rolled out nationwide.”

    Currently, he said the ARCN has coordination and oversight functions of the national agricultural research system consisting of 15 or so national agricultural research institutes, and federal colleges of agriculture nationwide.

    He noted: “Each of the research institutes was created by an enabling law at a given point in time, and each has its own governing board. The current system does not appear to have a mechanism that would allow effective technical oversight and quality assurance in the development of market-oriented science, technology and innovation (STI) research by the agricultural research institutes. As a result, we now have a non-existent interface between agricultural STI and the private sector in the country.

    “But if you look at the structure in some countries, especially Brazil, India and Ghana, our system is not streamlined, and therefore does not have a workable technical quality assurance and oversight mechanisms. The boards of the research institutes are typically political appointees who are there just for the largesse, and not because they know a thing about agricultural research, science and technology. Rarely do you hear that a governing board of a national agricultural research institute has ever successfully fundraised from the private sector or from development donors for the institute, apart from occasional project support coming through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Yet, the key function of a board in the business world is to serve as resource to the organisation, not unproductive cost centres that politically appointed boards typically have been.”

    He said the recommended system will have only a single governance structure or board for agricultural research in Nigeria, adding that since Nigeria is a federal political structure, any state may also establish its own agricultural research institute, just as we now have some state colleges of agriculture.

  • Govt plans N750b agric funds

    The Federal Government is discussing with some multilateral international financial institutions to create a financing pool of some N750 billion for the Nigerian agricultural sector.

    Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri, said the government is in discussions with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to create a N750 billion agricultural fund that could provide amenable finance to operators in the Nigerian agricultural sector.

    According to him, access to finance has been one of the major challenges of the agricultural sector and government is working to address this and other challenges.

    He said the funds would through the Bank of Agriculture and other commercial banks lend money to farmers at a single-digit interest rate in order to boost the development of the sector.

    He said the Islamic Development Bank has indicated that it could provide $2.5 billion, about N498 billion, while AfDB has also shown interest in financing the sector. Nigeria’s former Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, is now AfDB president.

    Lokpobiri, who spoke at the annual poultry summit of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Lagos, indicated that the new funds might come at below nine per cent, noting that though there are existing funds from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that farmers can access at interest rate of nine per cent, the contention is that nine per cent is still high for agricultural businesses.

    He added that part of government’s social investment of about N93 billion in 2016 would be given to the association to boost the country’s poultry industry.

    He stressed the importance of developing the agriculture sector, noting that Nigeria is losing on both fronts by expending scarce foreign exchange on food imports and exposing itself to smuggled products with health hazards.

    In his address, President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, said the poultry sub-sector deserves better attention from the government as it contributes more than 25 per cent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (AGDP) with an annual turnover  in excess of N800 billion.

    He lamented that the past 16 months have been the most challenging period for the Nigerian poultry industry with the outbreak of Avian Influenza, which occurred in January 2015 and have been ravaging the industry since then.

    “We have had over 3.5 million birds officially depopulated and the farms quarantined without payment of compensation to about 80 per cent of the farmers.

  • Turning LAKAJI rail route into viable agric hub

    The Lagos-Kano-Jibiya (LAKAJI) corridor is a 1,225-kilometre route that runs from Lagos through Kano,  ending in Jibiya at the border with Niger Republic. It is a major conduit for food supply from the North to the South. But farmers are finding it difficult to transport food across the region. It has become imperative to tackle the problem as Nigeria is set to play a major role in addressing Africa’s food security issues.  DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    The Lagos-Kano-JIbiya (LAKAJI) corridor is a 1,225-kilometre transport route.  It is a broad swathe of territory beginning from the Lagos port and terminating at the Republic of Niger border of Jibiya in Katsina State.

    The area  covers Jigawa,Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Kwara, Niger, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Kogi, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina states as well as the Jibiya route. It has  arable land, special economic zones designed to promote agribusiness, major water retention and irrigation schemes and large grain storage facilities.

    Offering rice, sugar cane, maize, cassava, poultry, fish, cattle and dairy, cocoa, cashews, sustainable seafood, sesame seed and  shea and shea butter and lots more, the region is one of those untapped agricultural destinations. Production and processing centres along the corridor also benefit from proximity to dense urban population centers that provide end markets for domestic goods.

    So far, the corridor is said to be Nigeria’s busiest transport corridor facilitating the movement of 30 million tonnes of goods per year valued at more than $6 billion and accounting for 36 per cent of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP).This is because  it is  a major conduit for food supplies from the North to the South. It is also a vital channel for food supplies to neighbouring countries in Niger, Chad, Cameroon ,Benin.  Experts agreed the area has the potential to stimulate investment in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, linking the largest consumer market in West Africa (Lagos) with some of the highest potential agricultural zones in the region. Leveraging on the potential of the region, according to them,  offers untold benefits for the nation and, ultimately, the continent.  Interestingly, the fundamentals are all in place for the area to act as an agriculture hub.

    Speaking on this, the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu urged the Federal Government to pay more attention to the LAKAJI corridor to ease trade. This, he said would be possible through the provision of basic infrastructure that will ease production and transportation of agricultural produce. Tinubu, who spoke at the just  concluded  Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, said LAKAJI is an acronym for Lagos–Kano-Jibia corridor.

    Represented by a former Lagos State Commissioner of Finance and Executive Director at First Bank, Mr. Tokunbo Abiru, Tinubu said a strategic approach must be adopted where the upper north has the capacity for agricultural production that should be based on strength.

    He maintained that the LAKAJI corridor, with 10 states on its routes, needs concerted efforts based on individual strength, where those who have the capacity to produce can complement storage capacity to add value to the system, especially in the case of the movement of goods to Lagos where consumption is high.

    The former governor expressed concern over challenges confronting the LAKAJI corridor, saying storage and other production processes to the end consumers calls for improvement.

    To stakeholders, the  corridor ’s huge agricultural potential holds the promise, but is hampered by lack of infrastructure. Among the factors limiting the realisation of the corridor’s potential are major infrastructure deficiencies, particularly the poor condition of secondary roads. This has led to  congestion and delays at ports and checkpoints. A   study  conducted by the  United States  Agency for International Development’s Nigeria Expanded Trade and Transport (NEXTT) project, CARANA Corporation and its implementing partners on movement of  goods along the LAKAJI Corridor confirmed  the  situation.

    The CARANA team found that the main drivers of the inflated time and cost of transport along the corridor were delays and inefficiencies.  Their concern was also  lack of a clear vision of corridor development and a range of enabling environmental constraints, such as limited access to finance, they said have stifled both private and public investment.

    Confirming this also, the Chairman, Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Kebbi , Alhaji Sahabi Augie said the state of the roads along the axis is challenging.

    He    complained that   poor transportation infrastructure has led to increased food waste and higher prices for consumers.

    He noted that improvement of the corridor would greatly boost transportation of farm produce, adding  that the government needed to improve roads in selected areas across the country in order to boost agricultural marketing and household incomes.

    This, according to him, would open up commercial opportunities and services that make farming a more profitable livelihood for rural inhabitants and an important means of addressing food insecurity.

    As the Corridor winds its way north, it crosses eight States – Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Niger, Kaduna, Kano and Katsina, and road conditions vary in each section. This reflects systemic issues in the national logistics system that need to be resolved by long-term investment in new infrastructure.

    Attempts to overcome these myriad of obstacles, the Agriculture Team Lead, Feed Nigeria Live, Mr Dayo Ogundijo, noted ,requires focus on the creation of local transportation and distribution corridor across the region.

    With the construction of rural feeder roads, Ogundijo said farmers would be able to access markets to sell their produce hence improved livelihoods and incomes.

    While feeder roads are critical factors to raising agriculture production, Ogundijo wants the government to expand railways connection across the corridor to enhance all season connectivity to agricultural market centres.

    Several stakeholders within the region have tried to raise agricultural productivity and attract investments to create an efficient and well-functioning agricultural chain.

    For  instance, to  start new agribusiness investment, CARANA Corporation and its implementing partners conducted an initial assessment of the corridor designed to review the agricultural logistics services, infrastructure inefficiencies, and investment needs along the corridor, as well as develop an investment blueprint, or profiles of high-priority, investable opportunities that are commercially viable along the corridor to improve the flow of goods.

    The LAKAJI Agricultural Growth Corridor Assessment identified a set of promising opportunities for investment in improved infrastructure and services for agriculture along the corridor.

    Particular attention was paid to the location of complementary initiatives, including those financed by donors and by state and Federal Ministries of Agriculture, such as the Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZs).

    The report identified an initial set of 33 commercially viable and relevant agribusiness investment opportunities throughout the eight states visited, separated by state and the following investment categories: inputs, production, processing, manufacturing, warehousing and infrastructure, and information communication technologies (ICT).

    Value chains identified in the investments include: cotton, sesame, soybean, maize, rice, sorghum, inputs (seeds and fertilizer), transport and logistics (cold storage facilities, trucks and tractor manufacturing), vegetable oil, vegetables (tomato, cucumber, peppers, onions), shea, cashew, honey, spices, fruits (TBD), cassava, cocoa, fish, poultry, and ICT infrastructure.

    To promote investment across the region, the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) has revealed plans to set up a special development fund called the Investment Facilitation Funds (IFF). The proposed fund, when launched, will be accessible for preparatory stages of investment for business expansion or green field projects across the entire nation.    The Coordinator of Invest in LAKAJI Corridor with the NIPC, Mallam Aminu Takuma made this known at Investment Facilitation Workshop for Northern LAKAJI Corridor States which was organised by NIPC and United States Agency for International Development (USAID/Nigeria), in Kaduna State.

  • Ooni preaches agric modernisation

    Ooni preaches agric modernisation

    Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye  Ogunwusi  has  underscored the importance of rural reform in developing modern agriculture.

    The monarch spoke on the importance of agriculture  in fostering  prosperity in rural areas after  his investiture as the National Grand Patron of Agriculture Graduates Association of Nigeria (AGAN) in his  palace in Ile Ife, Osun State. He called for improved production  to ensure food security and supply, adding that everything be done to narrow the urban-rural income gap.

    The Ooni congratulated the association’s national president for being visionary and thanked the entire trustees, patrons and nationwide membership for choosing him to be the national grand patron of the association.

    The monarch  promised to work with the association to move its activities forward.

    Earlier, its  National President , Dr. Michael Egbuta  said the  association  has achieved rice yield of 5.5 tonnes from 0.8 per hectare among small holder rice farmers using its  strategic plan – Private Sector Driven Extension Programme (PSDEP) .

    In Niger State, he said the association has empowered farmers to use power tillers, tube wells and improved rice seed cultivars , good agronomic practices that have resulted in good yields.

    He described the monarch as a businessman with a track record of success and resilience, and has contributed to the turnaround of the economy before mobilising other successful Nigerians  to support and implement his vision to  grow agriculture and promote youth employment.

  • World Bank funding coming for Lagos agric

    World Bank funding coming for Lagos agric

    More funding is expected from the World Bank to boost Lagos State government’s efforts to expand its agriculture sector to provide food security and improved nutrition of the rural poor.

    The Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Suarau Oluwatoyin who spoke yesterday in a press briefing to commemorate the 1st year of the administration of Governor Akinwumi Ambode in Lagos, said the state is partnering with the World Bank for financial support to boost agric productivity.

    According to him, Lagos needed an agricultural system that produces more food to feed its residents more efficiently.

    Under its Commercial Agriculture Development Project supported by the World Bank, he said 29 investment plans valued at N233.3 million were implemented after project restructuring for 208 entrepreneurs.

    The state, he also said received no objection for 38 investment plans for 376  common interest groups (CIGs) entrepreneurs valued at N288.81 million.

    He said 55 participants of its Women and Youth Programme are awaiting empowerment, while the selection of 255 additional participants is progressing.

  • Chamber to drive agric with cooperative society

    Chamber to drive agric with cooperative society

    The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) plans to drive agriculture through its cooperative society to make farmers have easy access to loans.

    Chairman of LCCI Agric and Agro-Allied Group Mr. Adeola Elliott told  reporters in Lagos that the cooperative society is part of the chamber’s integrated agriculture project.

    “We have small farm holders scattered all over and they do not want to remain small farm holders all their lives. They are still small farm holders because their capacity to expand is limited and it is difficult for even banks to give loans to small farm holders. The cooperative society intends to bring all farmers under one umbrella and yet operate independently,” he explained.

    Elliot said as farmers become members of the LCCI Agric and Agro Allied Group and the cooperative society, they automatically will be entitled to loans.

    Elliott said the cooperative society will also be used to confront the government and ensure that loans for farmers get to the real farmers.

    He said this way, farmers would be sure that whatever assistance coming from the government would be spread to them as members, unlike now that loans for farmers would be given to non farmers.

    Elliott noted that the cooperative society is open to big and small farm holders nationwide.

    He said there would be opportunities for farmers with similar produce to come together and get a tractor to plough their lands, which would be cost effective.

    According to him, ordinarily small farm holders will not be able to hire a tractor because of the cost, but when they come together, it would be cheaper.

    In a related event, the LCCI has empowered 70 mentees at its yearly mentoring programme for young entrepreneurs.

    The gesture was in recognition of the key roles entrepreneurs play in a nation’s economy.

    LCCI President Dr. Nike Akande said the mentoring complements the Chamber’s mission to promote and protect the interests of its members and the business community through public policy advocacy, creation and facilitation of investment opportunities, provision of business development services and observance of the highest standards of business ethics.

    Mrs Akande, who spoke at the  LCCI entrepreneurship programme, noted that quality human capital can be a major driver of sustainable economic transformation, pointing out that people are important to make things happen in any system.

    She said the initiative was aimed at contributing to the development of the  youth and also to facilitate their self-discovery. She said this was the way to harness the huge human capital potential, which the youthful population offers.

    Mrs Akande added that the mentoring programme started three years ago with 25 mentees, and that by the end of 2015, the chamber had trained and mentored 93 young entrepreneurs most of whom are doing very well in their various spheres of enterprise.

    “Today, we are admitting another set of seventy young Nigerians who will be graduates of this programme in the next six months. I am pleased to inform you that the council of the LCCI only recently approved the admission of the graduates of our mentoring programme into the membership of the chamber on very concessionary terms. The idea is to nurture the next generation of businessmen and women,” she said.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, represented by the State Coordinator of the Ministry, Mr. Wale Shado, praised the leadership of the Chamber for the strategic initiative.

    He described the programme as “apt and timely” when viewed against the backdrop of the present administration’s agenda on employment generation and youth empowerment for sustainable development.

    The minister said the Federal Government planned to provide experiences and opportunities for youths and adults to bring forth the best within them to constantly develop and enhance their abilities and take responsibilities to make positive contributions to their communities.

    LCCI Director-General, Mr. Muda Yusuf, reiterated that the  programme has been a huge success. He noted that this batch of mentees would have a similar and even better experience.

    He stressed that the mentoring has been further enriched to empower young entrepreneurs on building capacity, access to market and to create an enabling environment for their businesses to thrive. Yusuf said this year, the chamber would be involving more credible private sector partners to improve experience sharing.