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Tag: alternative

  • No alternative

    No alternative

    • Even if govt tarried before speaking up on naira-for-crude policy, it was still better late than never.

    Just as well that the Federal Government has directed the continuation of the naira-for-crude sales to Dangote refinery and other refineries in the country. This was a masterstroke for Nigeria’s motoring public and that was why many Nigerians commended its introduction in October last year.

    But, the way the immediate past group chief executive officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL), Mr Mele Kyari, refused to make public his position on the deal until the expiration of the initial six months duration on March 31, it was as if he forgot, and so soon, that Nigerians did not gladly embrace subsidy withdrawal. They only grudgingly did after President Bola Tinubu announced on May 29, 2023, that “subsidy is gone”.

    Fuel subsidy or its withdrawal has ever since the military era remained a contentious issue in the country. It has always been a source of friction between Nigerians and successive governments that tried to remove it. And this is understandable: there is hardly any country whose citizens love to pay more for goods and services, or even taxes.

    As a long-time participant in the oil sector, Mr Kyari ought to have known that that was one area that should not be treated with levity even by the government, because of its volatility.

    The naira-for crude deal became a major tool that helped modulate fuel prices in the country, with the pump price going south to about N865 per litre at some filling stations, down from over N1,000 some months back.

    Naturally, prices of some essential food items also responded to this stimulus. Things appeared to be looking up until the unholy silence on the deal shortly before March 31.

    Whereas, when the Federal Government began the naira-for-crude policy, NNPCL was expected to supply 385,000 barrels of crude oil to the 650,000 bdp Dangote refinery which was the acting pilot of the project, the company could not meet up with the supply for the better part of the initial six months. As a matter of fact, the period was characterised by consistent low supply, compelling Dangote refinery to look beyond our shores for crude oil.

    According to ‘Daily Trust’,  “A document reviewed late January indicated that for February 2025, the scheme has been allocated only four cargoes, and for March, just two cargoes totalling 950,000 barrels (1.9 million barrels in total for the month). This represents an allocation of 61,290 barrels per day – far below the 385,000 bpd target under the scheme.” At a point, the refinery imported 12 million barrels from the United States.

    Read Also: House Committee opts for alternative dispute resolution

    NNPCL’s response to the development was too casual: “Discussions are currently ongoing towards emplacing a new contract. Under this arrangement, NNPC has made over 48 million barrels of crude oil available to Dangote refinery since October 2024. In aggregate, NNPC has made over 84 million barrels of crude oil available to the refinery since its commencement of operations in 2023.” Until Kyari was fired on April 2, no one knew the outcome of the discussions that the company said were ongoing. Just as the company had to remind us that its supply was subject to availability of products. Does that ring any bell?

    Of course, no one would have expected NNPCL to sell what it does not have, whether to earn naira or dollars. But the, the body language and, in fact, actual actions of Mr Kyari did not seem to support the deal ab initio.

    Otherwise, the so-called negotiations on the deal would have progressed and indeed an agreement reached before the deadline.

    Apparently, the government had been taking cognisance of this foot-dragging on the part of Mr Kyari, hence, its decision to relieve him of his duties as soon as there was nothing to show that he was ready to continue to support the policy.

    Perhaps the government also allowed the deadline to pass before firing Kyari so that it won’t be accused of acting in bad faith. Many considerations come into play when taking a weighty decision like that, especially in a country where people worship ethnic cleavages. So, Kyari provided both the petrol and the match with which to roast him when by the March 31 deadline, he had not announced what next.

    But government cannot afford to wait forever because there was an overarching need to sustain the gain of the gradual decrease in the pump prices of petroleum products that the deal succeeded in bringing about, if for nothing else.

    There is no doubt that this was already being eroded with pump prices of fuel rising in the absence of any clearcut decision on what had happened to the policy.

    This should be expected, with Dangote refinery stopping sales of refined petroleum products in naira. Nigerians could no longer understand what was happening. Even some of those who were beginning to see the subsidy withdrawal in positive light began to wonder about the basis of our being hopeful of the coming of Dangote refinery and others, if they would not make fuel affordable for Nigerians.

    What is more? Other advantages envisaged from the naira-for-crude deal like sustenance of local refining, bolstering of energy security as well as reducing the pressure on foreign exchange so as to help stabilise the naira would also in a matter of time become elusive.

    This fear becomes the more real with the country still spending hugely on fuel import.

    AI Overview says “Since September 2024, Nigeria has spent a significant amount on fuel imports. Specifically, oil marketers imported 2.3 billion liters of petrol between September 11 and December 5, 2024. In addition to this, NNPCL spent over N126.5 billion to import 136.7 million liters of PMS on a

    single day (February 10, 2025).  Furthermore, the total petrol import expenditure for 2024 reached a record high of N15.42 trillion.”

    I am sure this must be shocking to many Nigerians. How could we have spent such humongous amounts in foreign exchange to import fuel when Dangote refinery that is capable of producing 650,000 barrels a day all alone, and other refineries are working? This is a lot of strain on the forex that the country sorely needs to boost the value of our currency. So, how could someone have been foot-dragging on a policy like naira-for-crude that has some potential to bail us out of the forex quagmire? Somebody help me; something is not adding up here.

    It is now I am understanding what a colleague told me last year when I thought we would be saving about a third of our forex once Dangote refinery and others take off and that would help the naira gain some muscle. He said it doesn’t work like that. I am beginning to see sense in what he told me. That is the legendary ‘Nigerian factor’ at work, (or is it at play?)

    All of these explained the big relief that Nigerians had when the committee in charge of the deal finally spoke on April 9. Hear the Technical Sub-Committee on the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative that convened an update meeting on April 8, to review progress on it as well as address ongoing implementation matters: “The stakeholders reaffirmed the government’s continued commitment to the full implementation of this strategic initiative, as directed by the Federal Executive Council.

    “Thus, the Crude and Refined Product Sales in Naira initiative is not a temporary or time-bound intervention, but a key policy directive designed to support sustainable local refining, bolster energy security, and reduce reliance on foreign exchange in the domestic petroleum market.”

    Of course challenges could come up in the course of implementing the naira-for-crude policy or any policy for that matter, they ought to be addressed. Not to throw away the baby with the bath water.

    Mercifully, the committee acknowledged this fact: “As with any major policy shift, the committee acknowledges that implementation challenges may arise from time to time. However, such issues are being actively addressed through coordinated efforts among all parties.”

    Now that the government has said the policy would continue, the new NNPCL group chief executive officer, Bayo Ojulari, and his team, must manage it sustainably.

    For now, there does not seem an alternative to it. If we have Dangote refinery, Port Harcourt Refinery and we look forward to more joining them, our fuel import bills must drop significantly. If we must import, it should be to help modulate prices and prevent one or a few producers from hijacking the sector and Nigerians would be at their mercy. That is the main reason many experts and the generality of Nigerians are happy that the naira-for-crude initiative has come to stay.

    • At least until further notice.

  • Alternative medicine council inducts members

    The yearly continuous professional development course for Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Natural Medicine Practitioners has held at the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) Hall, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos. The event, whose theme was: “Steps to recognition and Integration of CAM into healthcare system in Nigeria”, was organised by the Nigerian Council of Physicians of Natural Medicine/National Association of Physicians of Alternative Medicine.

    Prof Magnus Atilade, who is the arrowhead of the body, used the occasion to admonish members- fellows both new and old to continue to be of good character.

    The enjoined all to adhere to the core standards of proficiency for practitioners and reminded them of the tenets of the practice. “A person shall be qualified to register as a natural medicine practitioner in Nigeria if all these requirements are met. She/he must have graduated from professional training in an institution approved by the Council., must have attended the pre-induction seminar and passed the Board’s examinations; must have undergone internship of 12 months in an approved clinical setting, as applicable to the profession. He/she must have shown evidence of attendance of continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, at least 30 credit points in a year, for renewals only. He or she must pay any application fees as may be prescribed from time to time by the Council, satisfy the condition as may be made by the Board for an annual renewal of license,” he said.

    He continued: “Any applicant, who complies fully with the above requirements shall be issued a Certificate of Registration and is therefore, qualified to use the protected titles- ACPNM, MCPNM, FCPNM, DNM, BNM and MNM. No practitioner, who is not registered as a full member should use the prefix- ‘Doctor’. No practitioner, who is not also trained and licensed to practice orthodox medicine should engage in the practice. No practitioner should practice out of his/her competences and trainings. Any practitioner found guilty of this offence shall be expelled from the Council. All practitioners must abide by all existing government’s medical/health regulation and non health regulation of the country.”

    It is on record that NCPNM and NAPAM are recognised by the Ministry of Health and Medical Dental Council of Nigeria at the council meeting in June, 2005 in Akure and have been noted as umbrella bodies of practitioners of alternative medicine in Nigeria in a letter dated  September 7, 2005- Ref MDCN 1529/Vol 11).

    A renown Naturopath, Sir Debo Omotoso; foremost Iridologist, Dr Titilayo Oduye and Acupuncturist, Dr Bade Adewale got full professorial titles; while Naturopaths- Dr Idowu Ogunkoya and Dr Emmanso  Umobong; Magneto-therapist, Dr Cyril Omisande; Iridologist/Naturopath, Dr Gilbert Ezengige and a Homeopath, Dike Celestine, became Associate professors.

    The Registrar, Dr Adedamola Bank-Kadejo, confirmed that some fresh trainees were equally inducted into the Council to climb the ladder based on stringent standard of professional ethics/practice.

  • NUPENG: no alternative to Buhari now

    NUPENG: no alternative to Buhari now

    The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said yesterday the jubilation that followed the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari was an indication that the country had no alternation to him now.

    Its Chairman, Southwest Chapter, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that Nigerians were in happy mood with the President’s arrival.

    “We believe in our President and I can tell you, categorically, that there is no alternative to Buhari in moving the country forward,” he said.

    According to the union’s chairman, the people came out immensely to welcome him, because they believed in him to turn around the ailing economy.

    “It is with happiness that Nigerians came to welcome their president, after 104 days in United Kingdom’s hospital.

    “The gesture showed by Nigerians is a sign that they believe in him and they have been praying for him to recover from the illness.”

  • ‘ANN‘ll serve as alternative to PDP, APC’

    ‘ANN‘ll serve as alternative to PDP, APC’

    A group, the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), has applied to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for registration as a political party.

    If the group meets the criteria set by the umpire, it will seek presidential power in 2019 and present candidates for state and National Assembly elections.

    Its interim coordinator, Dr. Jay Osi Samuels, told reporters in Lagos at the weekend that the new association will make a difference in its mobilisation, organisation and focus, adding that it will serve as a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The people behind the new group include seasoned bankers, lawyers, medical practitioners, priests and women, who have recorded successes in their professional fields. Samuels said the association has national spread, adding that the membership drive is a continuous exercise. Already, ANN, according to the coordinator, can boast of over 10 million members.

    “We want to encourage technocrats with management acumen and skills to run the country, instead of leaving politics to professional politicians. There is apathy on the part of technocrats, who complain that politics is dirty. This is a new platform for service delivery,” he said.

    Samuels described Nigeria as a great country with vast human potentials and natural endowments. He said the country can become greater, if its leadership question is resolved appropriately. The proposed party of technocrats, he said, will approach politics and governance in a novel way that will make new blood to retire or replace the old brigade.

    “In 2019, there should be a credible alternative to the PDP and the APC, worthy of public trust. But, I like to clarify that, although technocrats are at the vanguard of the new effort, the proposed party will be for all Nigerians. Youths, students, women, professionals will be members. We just want to stand out from professional politicians,” he stressed.

    The coordinator lamented that, in 2015, the country was presented with only two choices. “The choice we made has made us to be where we are,” he said, adding that the scope of choices has now been widened by the ANN’s emergence.

    Samuels claimed that ANN has opened offices is 36 states of the federation. He also said that the association has a protem leadership, a constitution and organisational structures. It is up to the INEC to verify these claims before giving its verdict.

    The coordinator listed thee differences between the old parties and the ANN. “No money bag is behind us,”, he said, adding that no godfather would loom large because it will be a corrective party of equity, fairness and justice.

    He also said that thee party will deploy its innovative and technological arsenal in its membership drive, registration of members, organisation and campaigns.

    Samuels, a medical doctor, alluded to the ANN’s ideology, saying that it is committed to the pursuit of an egalitarian society. He enlisted on the side of the push for the national question, stressing that the party will pursue true federalism, devolution of power, restructuring and state police.

    How will the party resolve the tension between zoning and merit in Nigeria? The coordinator said zoning should be upheld as a principle. “Merit is the overriding factor,” he said. But, in another dimension, Samuels said the dictates of the political environment cannot be ignored in ANN’s quest for the repositioning of the society. Therefore, he acknowledged the need to be sensitive to those factors that may foster national unity in a diverse nation-state.

    If ANN is not registered, what will be the next step? Samuels was optimistic that the association will cross the registration hurdles and get INEC’s nod. “We believe we will be registered. If we are not registered, we will not be deterred. We will play a role in who becomes the next president in 2019,” Samuels said.

  • Stakeholders seek adoption of alternative dispute resolution

    The real estate industry has grown to become one of the most vibrant sectors of the nation’s economy, including that of Lagos State.

    This is why the infrastructural renewal policy of the government, including an increased public spending on capital projects has made Lagos State a destination of choice for both commercial and residential developers.

    However, owing to this high market demand and the potentials the sector holds, activities in the real estate sector has become susceptible to abuse by individuals who engage in nefarious and unconventional activities. This has often times led to conflict within the industry.

    But, this trend may soon be reversed. Last week, the Estate Agents Practitioners Association of Nigeria (EAPAN), in collaboration with the Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department, (LASRETRAD), took steps to ensure an end to such happenings is put in place.

    At an annual Stakeholders’ Forum organised by LASRETRAD, themed: “Arbitration: A Better option To Dispute Resolution in Real Estate Practice,” Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, represented at the forum by his Special Adviser on Housing, Mrs. Aramide Giwanson, regretted that the number of court cases that the state’s Ministry of Housing has instituted as a result of issues arising from real estate transactions in recent times has not only become unprecedented, but also become a thorny issue. The forum aimed at proffering solutions to some anomalies in tenancy transactions in the state, the bulk of whose blame has been heaped on estate agents.

    “Therefore, the need to expeditiously dispose cases in order to sanitise and build confidence in the sector for the benefit of all stakeholders cannot be over-emphasised,” Ambode said.

    Addressing the forum, which held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Lagos State government Secretariat, Alausa, the state’s Commissioner for Housing, Gbolahan Lawal, said that in view of the importance of sector and its significant contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country, it is imperative that activities in such a sector is adequately and properly regulated to enable it deliver at its optimum for the overall benefit of both practitioners and the entire citizenry. “In any human endeavour, conflict, misunderstanding and professional misconduct cannot be completely eliminated. This is more so in the course of real estate transactions,” he said, adding that the present administration’s desire for quick conflict resolution led to the pursuit of alternative dispute resolution in the current judicial system.

    The Guest Speaker, Mr. Juwon Adenuga, who is also an Estate Surveyor and Valuer, contended that with the understanding of disputes and resolution options, it could be taken for granted that the option of arbitration is better suited to resolve disputes than litigation. This is because it saves a lot of time and resources than going through the litigation process.

    He noted that intending and existing investors in the sector need the guidance of surveyors to make feasible and valuable decision before investing and even afterwards. This, according to Adenuga, is because investments in real estate are capital intensive and by implication, if proper discernment is not made, it can lead to huge losses on investments.

    “It’s important that incidents capable of resulting in financial losses are minimised. That is why disputes, being one of such incidents need to be resolved as efficiently as possible and it is in this regard one would see that arbitration is far better than litigation. It saves time, money and quickly restores healthy relationship among the contending parties,” Lawal noted.

    Adenuga also identified the various services provided in real estate practice to include valuation, feasibility and viability appraisal, projectproperty development, and noted that in the course of rendering these services, relationships are created, most of which are contractual and commercial in nature.

    The issue of estate agents and their role drew the greatest attention at the forum as a result of the several tenancy-related problems which has become a regular occurrence in urban cities.

    The President of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Dr. Bolarinde Patunola-Ajayi, while speaking at the forum, urged estate agents to flush out the bad eggs in their midst so as to save their profession. “Estate agency is more than business; it’s a profession and I urge the practitioners to see it as such. It’s our role as practitioners to collaborate with government to weed out fraudsters and quacks from the system. Let us uphold the code of conduct of our profession and sanitise it,” Patuola-Ajayi admonished.

    On his part, the President, Real Estate Agents in Nigeria, Mr. Kunle Adedeji, urged government to set up a monitoring team that will comprise of government officials and representative of various estate agent associations to serve as checks on activities of the operators in the sector. “I will implore government to ensure that tenancy law in Lagos is fully implemented and that can only be possible with collaboration of all stakeholders in the sector,” he said.

  • Failed ‘gods’ and need for alternative paradigm

    SIR: We are enacting the Chinese curse and living in interesting times. A chronology of recent events provides clear evidence that we have slipped once again from the age of certainty. Eerily, it is like plus ca change….

    The end of a period of fixed orthodoxy, even hegemony, makes one to recall a similar period of disequilibrium when the landmark collection of six essays, “The God that failed” was published after the Second World War in 1949. Edited by the British parliamentarian and later on cabinet minister RHS Crossman, the book expressed the disillusionment of the contributors who included the African -American writer Richard Wright with, and the abandonment of communism. All the contributors were famous ex- communists who were noted writers.

    The intellectual honesty displayed in accepting that a “false god” had been naively worshipped, is commendable and worthy of emulation. It is actually very relevant today. For Brexit, the rise of the alt and far right in Europe and the unexpected election of Donald Trump in the USA, has shown that the old certainties and the hitherto established hegemony is no longer tenable.

    The United States presidential election result was quite telling. Although the admirable superbly prepared Hillary Clinton won the popular votes, the Electoral College system went against her. The revolt in the rustbelt of the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania etc was to cost Clinton a much deserved presidency. The voters had clearly had enough of what had been pushed down their throats under the prevailing ‘terms and conditions applies’ of neo – liberal policies and Globalisation!

    The similarities between the situation and that prevailing in Nigeria are instructive. In our country, the initiation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) in 1986 has also turned out to be the worship of a deity with feet of clay. The end result of this failed experiment is that well known- industrial estates have become increasingly places of worship, mass unemployment and under employment, increasing misery, plunging living standards and a currency perennially losing value.

    The chickens came home to roost too in Michigan, Wisconsin and many other places in Europe. It has turned out that what is sauce for the Abuja/Lagos/Kano/Port Harcourt geese is certainly not palatable to the gander in Michigan. The time has come to face the present reality.

    The unravelling of neo – liberalism is a cautionary tale about the dangers entailed in the worship of false gods. It has to be noted that there have always been centres of opposition to the prevailing orthodoxy. Outside of the intellectual circles and academia, the very far from orthodox governor of Osun Stat, Rauf Aregbesola, has from the beginning induced what is now referred to as an “alternative perspective”.

    The narrative here is straightforward: in a situation of weak capital formation and what is in effect stagflation, the fiscal levers of the state must be deployed to act as a stimulus. The state has clearly weathered the storm and emerged stronger. The thrust in Osun proceeds on the premise that the welfare of the citizen is the primary function of government.  Streamlining of the costs of the machinery of government has resulted in a re – direction of funds into the social and physical infrastructure. There have been commendable social thrusts and advances.

    A good example is the free school meals programme. Now to be incorporated as a federal government programme, it has led to a great increase in school enrolment and also revitalised the rural economy by increasing agricultural production. For Aregbesola to have swam against the tide in a difficult fiscal climate to successfully implement an alternative perspective is audacious and portrays great managerial skills.

    As we enter the post neo- liberal world the alternative perspective must be placed on the front burner. Emphasis must be placed on production with the state vitally re- directing capital in this direction. There must be a clear industrial strategy, agriculture must be modernised and the rural economy revitalised using mechanisms such as guaranteed minimum farm gate prices, commodities exchanges (vital due to the characteristically ill – thought out neo – liberal destruction of the commodities boards) investments in irrigation and so forth.

    Overall, the alternative perspective must go back to the old fashioned social democratic framework best associated with Chief Obafemi Awolowo here as – macro- economic stability as the pathway  to achieving social justice and a better life for all.

     

    • Ayo Badmus,

    Lagos.

  • ‘No alternative to agric revolution’

    Nigeria will attain sustainable food supply and reduce imports by  70 per cent in the next 12 months with the agricultural sector roadmap, Chief Executive Officer of Vegefresh Company Limited, Mr. Samuel Samuel has said.

    The roadmap titled: The green alternative: Agriculture Promotion Policy 2016 to 2020 was launched by the Federal Government last week.

    He described the policy as one of the best in the history of the nation and that it could boost local production and cut food imports if well-implemented.

    Hailing the administration for coming up with the policy, Samuel said it will radically usher the nation to an era of agricultural revolution and national prosperity.

    “It (roadmap) has captured almost all the challenges and proffered solutions with clear time line for each deliverables. I see Nigeria attaining sustainable food supply in the next six to 12 month; I see Nigeria reducing food imports by as much as 70 per cent in the next one year.”

    He said the regime of food importation that costs the nation a staggering N1.4trillion yearly is unsustainable and untenable.

    Such development, he said, is unhealthy for the nation’s productive capacity and trade balance.

    He pointed out most imported food items are subsidised by the originating countries to encourage the unhealthy consumption pattern of Nigerians.

    Samuel said: “We cannot continue this regime of food imports completely. No developed nation depends on food imports. Why should Nigeria continue to be the highest importer of sugar, rice, wheat, tomatoes and others?

    “The world has been subsidising supply of foods to us because they want to remain largest producers of rice, tomatoes and all likes.

    “They produce these items but do not consume them. They import to us because they want to have their people engaged and attract our resources.”

    Harping on the need for sustainable local food production, he said the economic recession leaves Nigeria with no choice than to embrace the new policy thrust of the government.

    “Nigeria does not have any alternative for now. We have been pushed to the wall and we have to just do this.

    “Nigeria does not have the money to import foods anymore and we have to feed ourselves,” he stressed.

    He explained that attaining local food sufficiency will create a bunch of well-fed, highly motivated and productive Nigerians who can boost national productivity in no time.

    He called on Nigerians to bear with the upsurge in food prices caused by tightening of borders to food imports.

    The policy, he said, has temporary pains that will deliver lasting gains for the nation.

    “Nigeria must stop consumption pattern and become more productive. This our “quick-quick” type of economy must stop.

    “Everybody thinks short term and no one wants to make any sacrifices to build.

    “It gets to a time in the life of a man when he is forced to make such sacrifices. Nigeria is at such a time

    “This is a time of sacrifices for Nigerians. We should find a sustainable, resilient financing approach to every level of production,” Samuel explained.

    He however called on the government to rduce the effects of rising food prices by providing temporary social intervention programmes for the masses.

    He also canvassed supports for local, patriotic businesses to scale through the biting costs of production and recession.

    On how the policy can work, Samuel advised the Federal Government to embark on aggressive mobilisation drive.

    This, he said, would require soliciting for the support of the business and investing communities as well as educational institutions to foster understanding and collaborative efforts.

  • The cashew alternative

    •In this season of diversifying the economy, cashew seems a viable option

    It is probably the best nut man ever cultivated – cashew nuts. Crunchy, with an irresistible taste of its own, when properly roasted, it is unlikely there are people who detest this nut. Newsmaxhealth, an online journal, quoting experts, ranked cashew nuts second (only to pistachios) on its 10 Healthiest kind of Nuts table.

    Here is its citation on the nut: “Cashews have more than double the iron of a one-ounce serving of ground beef. They also provide 38 percent of your daily copper needs. If you are deficient in copper you may develop anemia, osteoporosis, and arthritis, have increased LDL cholesterol levels, and become more susceptible to infections. Cashews are also a great source of zinc, which plays an important role in boosting the immune system. It also helps in wound healing and aids our senses of taste and smell. These healthy nuts have less fat per serving than almost any other nut and may be useful in preventing gallstones.”

    Cashew comes in double decks. It is a nut and a fruit held together in one of nature’s most bounteous Siamese presentation. If the cashew tree had borne just either of the fruit or nut, it would never have been found to be deficient. But nature made cashew a marvelous two-in-one package: a pulpy yellowish or reddish fruit (when ripe) with the seed (nut) attached at the tip of the fruit.

    The cashew fruit is no less useful than the nuts. Eaten regularly, it is said to possess such properties that could starve tumours and stop cancer cells from dividing. Studies have found that cashews can reduce colon cancer risk. They are reported to be also good sources of anti-oxidants that protect humans from heart diseases and cancer.

    Some of the finest wines are said to be produced from cashew. There are also cashew oil, butter, milk, cake, juice, flour and herbal formulas while the leaves and wood have vital uses too.

    We have highlighted all these to show that cashew which is quite abundant in Nigeria has huge economic potentials if the value chain is explored to the optimum.

    According to the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN) it is the second largest revenue earner in the non-oil sector, generating over $300 million in export revenues last year.

    This quantum of yield comes from the background of a near lack of official policy and coordination in the cashew value chain today. Nigeria’s cashew belt and plantations cultivated at independence have become near moribund with trees aged and growing wild.

    There is hardly any effort at planting new high-yielding species while processing factories are few and obsolete. The bulk of cashew crops harvested in Nigeria therefore, go to waste.

    Buttressing this point, the president of NCAN in a recent media interview noted that Ghana produces only 50,000 tons of cashew but she has about 14 processing factories while Nigeria produces about 160,000 tons and processes less than 10 per cent.

    Cashew, according to experts, is in high demand across the world because of its numerous beneficial values to man. Different by-products of cashew are said to be in high demand in China, Europe and America, with demand said to be in the range of three million tons.

    Luckily, the NCAN said it had presented a roadmap for the development of the Nigerian cashew sector to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh. It is hoped that the Federal Government would set up a committee immediately for the purpose of urgently unlocking the huge potentials in the cashew economy in Nigeria.

    As we have noted on this page several times, agriculture holds the key to diversifying the economy. Apart from cashew, we have poultry, fisheries, palm oil, animal husbandry and milk production, fruits and tomatoes juicing and concentrates making and palm products. Nigeria spends billions of naira importing these products annually. There is therefore, no better time to diversify than now.

  • ‘Alternative treatment can address kidney disease’

    ‘Alternative treatment can address kidney disease’

    Why do people come down with diseases, especially renal failure? It is because of toxins in their system and lack of oxygen, says a naturopath, Dr Benjamin Afolabi.

    According to him, people have toxic in their system because of the kind of food and drinks they take. This, he added, causes lack of adequate flow of oxygen in their system.

    Most people, he said, do not eat healthily as they consume junk food only.

    This, according to him, usually affects their system because the food would have formed mucus that causes blockages to the flow of oxygen to various parts of the body.

    Besides, this usually prevents the body from protecting itself from external attacks.

    Afolabi,  Chief Executive Officer of Health Eternal Naturopathic Clinic in Ile Ife, Osun State, said many suffer from all kinds of ailments because they have abused themselves over the years with what they consume.

    “Some food and drinks are dangerous to people’s health. So, troubles usually start when the system is overwhelmed as immunity wanes,” he said.

    He identified food made of white flour such as bread and cake as mucus forming food that can clog the body.

    He added: “Dairy products, such as cheese, yoghurt and milk are other foods that can affect the system. People cannot keep away from these food because they are delicious”.

    The disease, he said, often brews when oxygen cannot reach some vital organs of the body. “Bacteria in the body like an environment where oxygen cannot reach. But when the body is flooded with oxygen diseases are put at bay. Anybody with kidney disease or renal failure, has many problems with bacteria and lack of oxygen,” he said.

    He said people should eat organically grown food because chemicals, such as fertilizers, additives, colouring and preservatives usually end in people’s body to form toxic.

    “When they are in the body, they provide environment for disease to develop. Seventy percent of the body is water and once the water is clogged oxygen cannot flow to all parts of the body,” he said.

    The kidneys, he said, do a lot of work to filter junks circulating in the body. The liver detoxifies the chemicals to correct them to something that can be passed to the kidney.

    “If the body is not well-made by God, people would not last for five years because poor eating habit,” he said.

    The human system, he said, would succumb to toxicity and lack of circulation of oxygen. People, according to him, can do without food and drinks for days, but not so with oxygen.

    “People die within minutes when there is no oxygen. Oxygen is one of the principal things the body needs to survive. So, when water and blood are clogged because of “murky” environment caused by food, they automatically lose the oxygen. They would not be able to carry oxygen to all parts of the body,” he said.

    Oxygen, he said, is very important, adding that once the heart cannot take oxygenated blood to some parts of the body, the person dies.

    He said human system makes all organs linked, and as such, holistic care must be initiated.

    Afolabi said the first step to nurture the sick to life was to detoxify the system with herbs.

    “For kidney disease, herbs such as juniper berries and palsey roots are used. We use wormwood, barberry and wild yam for liver detox,” he said.

    The naturopath said most people having the treatment may first look worse-off because the herbs would have gone to all nooks and crannies of the body to push out the toxins into the blood stream.

    Why? The body would have been overloaded with toxins. This makes the patient feel groggy and weak. He may also be vomiting, but he should not be alarmed because it is the healing process taking place.

    To make the detoxification effective, he said, the elimination channels, such as the bowels must be opened, that is, the sick must pass out waste products.

    “It should be one meal in and one meal out. If there is no waste coming out it can cause what naturopathic doctors called auto-detoxification, which is the back flow of waste product,” Afolabi said.

    He recommended that the body be nourished or fed with all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes it needs to repair all the damage. This, he said, comes after cleansing and detoxification.

    “One thing we all should be mindful of is the fact that it’s the body that heals itself, not the doctor or drugs or any outside influence.

    “What we can only do is to provide the body all the tools it needs to heal itself and these can be found in proper nourishment that contains all the building blocks of the human cells and organs, that is, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids, among others,” Afolabi said.

  • Ex-PENGASSAN chief suggests alternative to strike

    Former President of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) Dr. Louis Brown Ogbeifun has advised labour leaders to de-emphasise strike as a means of dispute resolution.

    Ogbeifun urged parties to industrial relations to always strive to fulfil their fiduciary duties and responsibilities to avoid conflicts.

    He advised that where dispute arises, parties should resolve workplace conflict using alternative dispute resolution mechanisms instead of lockouts and industrial actions.

    “The alternatives to lockouts and strikes are litigation, arbitration, conciliation, mediation, among others.

    Ogbeifun, who is the president of the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators (ICMC), spoke in Abuja, at a three-day workshop on “new blueprint on conflict prevention, resolution and management.”

    The event was organised by the National Commission for Colleges of Education, in collaboration with the Ethics Resource Centre, Nigeria and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).

    In his paper: “Mediation and arbitration skills for effective prevention and resolution of conflicts in a season of charge and resource scarcity,” Ogbeifun argued that change is inevitable in the life of an organisation wishing to survive.

    He said in time of change, leaders, while keeping their eyes on the desired outcome, should effectively manage the change measures to ensure minimal pains to those being led.

    “No matter the difficult nature of change, leaders from both divides are expected to make difficult decisions. They should be able to have equilibrium between emotions, actions and decisions.

    “They should be able to combine emotional intelligence skills with ethical values to achieve targets, maintain face with constituents, remain hope carriers and stress pacifiers to those whom the change would impact.

    “To the followers, they should see change as proposed improvements through a set of strategies instituted to modify the ways things are done and move the organisation away from internal and external processes for a better performance,” Ogbeifun said.

    Founding Chairman, Exam Ethics Marshals International (EEMI) Ike Onyechere contended that the country requires industrial peace at the moment to enable it successfully manage conflict situations resulting from changes in the economy.

    He said the economic reality requires that the Federal Government evolves mechanisms to shore up its revenue base, including “enhancing tax receipts, fees and internally generated revenues.”

    Onyechere, who urged all to support the Federal Government’s anti-corruption efforts, urged stakeholders in industrial relation to always seek amicable ways of resolving disputes.