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Tag: fertiliser

  • Sokoto plans N5bn fertiliser plant

    Sokoto State government says it has concluded arrangements for the establishment of a N5 billion fertiliser plant under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) drive.

    Similarly, the state mining company under the Solid Mineral Intervention Funds (SMIF) has entered into agreement with the World Bank to access $6 million to support mining activities.

    The state commissioner for Solid Minerals, Barrister Muhammad Bello Goronyo disclosed to reporters in Sokoto Friday at the flag off of activities marking the second anniversary of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal’s administration.

    He said: “The essence is to strengthen the state potentials and maximise the utilisation of its abundant mineral resources through the instruments of diversification.”

    Goronyo said the proposed fertiliser plant is expected to produce and meet the demand for NPK and SPP commodities by the farming population in the state, adding,” if completed will have the capacity to generate 2000 workforce.”

    He said: “the fertilisers are in high demand in the market and plant would take advantage of the abundant raw materials in phosphate and others available in the state as input for production.”

    In the same vein, Goronyo disclosed that an up taker arrangement is on with Dangote Group of Companies for the exploration and exploitation of the commodity to enhance the revenue generation base of the state.

    However, the commissioner noted that the ministry was faced with some basic technical and administrative challenges which he said could hinder it’s operations.

    ” We lack a reliable bankable data on minerals, more funding and collaborative efforts, in adequate experienced personnel, absence of laboratory for test and analysis among others.”

  • Fertiliser price crash reignites hope for agric

    Fertiliser price crash reignites hope for agric

    The Federal Government’s plan to end food import by 2019 is on course. Its agreement with Morocco on the production of fertliser has started yielding results. The deal may have given fillip to using agricuture to drive economic diversification. Assistant Editor CHIKODI OKEREOCHA reports.

    For long, the greatest pain in the neck of local farmers remained the non-availability of fertiliser. Where the critical input was available, its price was beyond farmers’ reach, selling sometimes as high as between N9, 000 and N10, 000, depending on the location.

    Rural farmers naturally paid more because of the added cost of transporting the product from the city centres to the rural areas.

    Expectedly, this was a major disincentive to farmers wishing to embark on small, medium and large scale agriculture. It was also, by extension, a stumbling block on Federal Government’s plan to halt the importation of food by 2019. Besides, without timely supply of quality fertiliser in adequate quantities and in a cost–effective manner to rural areas, hope of anchoring the ongoing economic diversification agenda was under threat.

    But the situation may have started changing. This was on the strength of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigerian and Morocco for the supply of phosphate to rejuvenate agriculture by making fertiliser available and affordable. The deal, consummated last December, for the production of one million tons of fertliser, has started pushing possibilities into the hands of farmers and operators the local fertiliser industry.

    For instance, it has forced down the price of fertiliser from between N10, 000 and N11, 000 to as low as N5, 000. The drastic price slash was sequel to the arrival of the first consignment of fertiliser into Nigeria from Morocco early this year. The product was delivered to various blending plants across the country, even as more cargoes are expected  soon.

    Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Group Managing Director, Dr. Maikanti Kacalla Baru, who made this known recently, said that 11 blending plants across the country have started production because of the supply. This was when he received the National Coordinator of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD-Nigeria), Princess Gloria Akobundu, at the NNPC Towers in Abuja.

    The NEPAD National Coordinator was at the NNPC to seek for areas of collaboration with the Corporation especially in the area of promoting regional integration on the continent. “As NEPAD, we are mandated to identify and work with strategic partners to facilitate, monitor and promote the implementation of developmental projects across the continent,” Akobundu said.

    The NNPC told his visitors that apart from being a huge boost to the  agricultural sector and the economy, the Nigerian, Moroccan deal was expected to boost bilateral relationship between both countries, in line with NEPAD’s objective of championing regional economic ties and integration.

    The Nation learnt that the Nigerian, Moroccan fertiliser deal, which gladdened the hearts of farmers, including Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbeh, was anchored by the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and OCP Group, a Moroccan company. OCP specialises in phosphate and its derivatives, and is committed to the development of agriculture in Africa.

    The MoU was signed during the visit of King Mohammed VI of Morocco to Nigeria by FEPSAN President Mr. Thomas Etuh and OCP Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mostafa Terrab. Essentially, the agreement was for the promotion of innovation aimed at contributing to productivity-led agricultural growth and improving farmers’ income.

    Recall that the Federal Government had set up the National Fertiliser Technical Committee under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Committee was mandated to seek ways of putting the country on the path of sustainable production of quality fertiliser for both local consumption and export.

     Why the deal was imperative

    According to experts, Nigeria’s fertiliser industry has a blending capacity of four million tons of Nitrogen, Phosphate, and Potash (NPK) annually. The country’s production capacity for Urea was put at about two million tons yearly, with capacity to employ over 250,000 people in both direct and indirect jobs.

    The snag, however, is that less than 10 per cent of these production capacities are being utilised. This was what prompted the Federal Government to intervene in the fertiliser industry hence the deal with the Moroccan Government.

    The deal covered such areas as securing a supply of quality fertiliser by bringing in raw materials required for the production of the item in line with the crops and soils adaptable to Nigeria; strengthening blending capabilities by leveraging on technical know-how and engineering capabilities.

    It also sought to strengthen the capacity to ensure a timely supply of quality fertiliser in adequate quantities and in a cost–effective manner to rural areas, as well as an efficient supply chain and improvement of logistics management, including warehousing and transportation services; and strengthening the agricultural extension services system.

    One deal, multiple agains

    Apart from forcing a drop in the cost of fertiliser and boosting farmers’ productivity and income, the deal, according to the NNPC boss, has created about 50, 000 jobs.

    “Already, 11 blending plants have come into production because of the supply. This development has translated to the creation of about 50, 000 jobs and led to the production of about 1.3 million tonnes of fertiliser in the country,” Baru said.

    Some of the fertiliser plants that has come on stream following the intervention include the Ebonyi State Fertiliser Company, Golden Fertiliser Company, Lagos, Superphosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals, Kaduna, Bejafta Fertiliser Company, Plateau among others.

    The NNPC chief also said the Moroccans had given Nigeria a generous credit term of 90 days and that they were planning to bring in more cargoes that would fit the various blending plants in the country.

    The thinking of experts and operators in the agric sector is that when the next consignment of fertiliser arrives the country, more blending plants will kick-start production. This will not only create more job opportunities in the agric value chain, but also give more impetus to government’s push to end food importation by 2019.

    Already, following the arrival of the first consignment, the Kano State Government was said to have procured 50, 000 metric tons worth N5 billion to be distributed to farmers across the state. Same for Jigawa State Government, which purchased about 4, 000 bags of the farm input for its farmers.

    More states governments across the country have also indicated interest to purchase fertiliser for onward distribution to farmers. This would ultimately save Nigeria the huge foreign exchange for fertiliser import and food.

  • Relief as fertiliser cost crashes

    Relief as fertiliser cost crashes

    Farmers heave a sigh of relief as a Federal Government’s intervention slashes the price of fertiliser, making it readily available, GBENGA ADANIKIN reports

    LAST year, fertiliser cost as much as N11,000. Farmers were hurt. Food prices shot up. People complained across the country. Now things are different, with fertiliser going for about half of last year’s price, thanks to the Federal Government’s efforts.

    Since the news broke about plans by the Federal Government to slash the price of fertiliser NPK 20:10:10, a major agricultural input to N5, 500, farmers across the country waited patiently to witness implementation of the policy.

    Stakeholders in the sector such as agro-dealers, Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), prior to the initiative strived to design a simple but implementable model that will ensure affordability and easy access to the input. Often, farmers are confronted with the challenges of adulterated fertilisers aside from the problem of affordability; the farm input is also mixed with sand and other contaminants.

    In 2016, price of fertiliser especially NPK, rose to as high as N11,000 contributing largely to hike in price of staple foods in the market. Urea which is an additional input after the application of the NPK sold at about N7, 500. Local farmers clearly were not finding it funny until the presidency intervened.

    As a result of the several bottlenecks, the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative came into existence having FEPSAN as the implementing partner. It was an outcome of President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with the King of Morocco. The deliberation among others was to facilitate the export of Diammonium Phosphate (DAP), through OCP Group, Morocco to ensure steady supply of the raw material for local production of fertiliser. The other raw materials include the Muriate of Potash (MOP), sourced from Europe and Russia while Limestone Granules (LSG) was locally sourced from the West African Fertilizer Company limited, Okpella, Edo State. These deliberate efforts was to meet fertiliser deficit in the country and ensure the nation locally blend the material.

    “From that 14th December, 2016 to 14th February, 2017, we gave farmers free gift. They started to receive fertiliser at N5,500. Agro-dealers also got theirs, when they come to a plant like this, they will pay N5,000, and sell for N5,500,” said FEPSAN President, Mr. Thomas Etuh.

    The initiative was simply put together by FEPSAN alongside other partners to produce One Million Metric tons of fertiliser for local farmers across the country for 2017 wet season and 500, 000 Metric tons for dry season farming. Remarkably, the fertilisers are blended in about 11 blending plants which were initially working at lower capacity across the country. Local fertiliser blending plants took ownership of the project, engaged labour and produced the farm input at a reasonable cost of N5,000.

    To sustain the project, the federal government entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the private sector, (FEPSAN), an association of fertiliser producers. It set up a presidential committee chaired by the Jigawa State Governor, Muhammed ?Abubakar and other stakeholders. They include FEPSAN President and representatives from the Office of Chief of Staff to the President, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).

    Since it is largely private sector driven initiative, it is believed that there are chances the initiative will surpass the present administration. The chairman shared same view, stressing that the call for legislation to sustain the initiative was unnecessary.

    “It is always good if there is need for legislation. But this is purely a business venture. I don’t believe it requires any bill,” said Abubakar.

    Recorded and Anticipated Benefits

    Interestingly, implementing the initiative is such that encourages private sector partnerships. With the cost of NPK 20:10:10 trimmed down to N5,500, farmers can now procure as many bags necessary to support their cultivation. This translates to a possible increase in food production. Already the Kano state government through the State Assembly has procured 50, 000 metric tons worth N5 billion to be distributed to the farmers across the state.

    The Jigawa state government has also purchased about 4, 000 bags of the farm input for its farmers. Other northern state governors and interested public office holders are expected to follow suit. Incidentally, the foreign exchange for the entire purchase of fertiliser across the country would have amounted to about $200 million. However, with the initiative, government has the opportunity of saving the huge sum.

    In terms of 2017 budgetary allocation for fertiliser subsidy, the federal government is expected to save another N60 billion. To a large extent, the procedures seem transparent and less cumbersome. Etuh narrated some benefits of the intervention stressing that, “We only import 37 per cent of inputs we don’t have in Nigeria, which is Urea and Limestone to get fertiliser to the farmers.”

    This is PPP arrangement; there is no subsidy at all. We will save N60 billion for government in six months and save another $200 million in foreign exchange.” He added that, “Thousands of jobs have been created within two months and more jobs will be created. There is a movement of trucks bringing raw materials from Lagos, Port Harcourt and other places to the blending plants.

    “There are two drivers and two motor boys, multiply it by 5,000. Again, we have a loader and off-loader of 15 persons. So, if you multiply it, we will arrive at 1.4 million jobs already created. This is the direct job being created and others that will be created outside the factory.”

    During an inspection of the project, a study of the initiative revealed its multiplier impact on the entire sector. For instance, almost moribund fertiliser processing plants across the country are being revived with continuous supply of raw materials worth N20 billion to the facilities for the next six months. Currently, about 11 processing plants are under optimum function in the country. Some of them include the Ebonyi State Fertiliser Company, Golden Fertiliser Company, Lagos, Superphosphate Fertiliser and Chemicals, Kaduna, Bejafta Fertiliser Company, Plateau among others. In the first batch of the programme, the 11 plants are expected to be fully engaged. They included three in Kaduna, two in Kano state, one in Funtua, Katsina state, one in Bauchistate, one in Plateau state, one in Niger state, one in Lagos state and one in Ebonyi state. Aside, the railway system is being developed to transport phosphate from Lagos through the rail to Funtua, Katsina state and other parts of the country. About 100 trucks load raw materials are being transported daily to the various plants nationwide.

    In Kano State for instance, the State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), established in 1981 by the World Bank was grappling to survive its operations, as a result downsized some workforce. It was working below production capacity until the recent intervention. According to its Managing Director, Bala Inuwa the facility had to increase its workforce to 600 staffs, working on three shifts to blend the input for the farmers and agro-dealers in the state. He explained that the presidential initiative has created more jobs and raw materials for ?the fertiliser processing plant. ?”In Kano State, we have about 44 local governments and there are 60 shops that are ready to sale the commodity. We load about 60 trailers daily and we are serious about improving our capacity,” he added.

    As a result, the Kano State government is to take delivery of new processing line due to its confidence on the supply of raw materials. “In this programme, the price is stable and is much better. Farmers already know the price. So the initiative is a good one and as a result, we are expecting a new line worth N250m in the next two weeks,” said the Kano State Governor, ?Abdullahi Ganduje. According to him, the initiative has reduced corruption in the system, created about 200 jobs and encouraged farmers to increase their productivity. “The issue of subsidy was what killed fertiliser production in Nigeria. You sit down in the house instead of going to the farm,” Ganduje said.

  • Kano to take delivery of N250m fertiliser plant in two weeks

    Kano to take delivery of N250m fertiliser plant in two weeks

    •  State Assembly orders N5b worth of fertiliser distribution

    The Kano State Governor, ‎Abdullahi Ganduje has said the state will take delivery of an integrated fertiliser blending plant in two weeks.

    Ganduje disclosed this on Tuesday during the inspection of the Presidential ‎Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) at the Kano State Agricultural Supply Company (KASCO), Kano.
    The Governor said the initiative has reduced corruption in the system, created about 200 jobs and encouraged farmers to increase their productivity.
    “In this programme, the price is stable and is much better. Farmers already know the price. So the initiative is a good one and as a result, we are expecting a new line in the next two weeks.
    “The issue of subsidy was what killed fertiliser production in Nigeria. You sit down in the house instead of going to the farm,” he said. ‎
    Kano-Gov-Ganduje
    Governor Ganduje

    Earlier, President of Fertiliser Producer and Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Mr Thomas Etuh said KASCO was selected among the fertiliser blending company due to their capacity. 

    He disclosed that KASCO got about N20 billion worth of goods for the production of the input and are expected to make a return of N2 billion in six months.
    He discarded concerns that the fertiliser may be adulterated, adding that there are mechanisms, such as the whistle-blower line that afford farmers opportunity to call a relevant agency in case of any sharp practices.
    Differentiating between the ‎Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme and the presidential initiative, Etuh explained that while farmers can buy as much as the possible quantity of fertilisers, the GES scheme limited farmers to only two bags.
    In his remarks, KASCO Managing Director, Bala Inuwa said the facility was set up in 1981 by the World Bank ‎to blend fertiliser for the farmers and agro-dealers.
    He explained that the presidential initiative has created more jobs and raw materials for ‎the fertiliser processing plant. 
    According to him, the firm currently engages about 600 staffs, who are running on three shifts‎, adding that both off-takers and farmers are excited with the initiative.
    Inuwa, who lamented that prior to the programme, the firm was unable to meet up with farmers, demand ‎revealed that the State Assembly had ordered procurement of about 50, 000 Metric Tonnes of the input to be distributed to farmers.
    He said the state lawmakers instructed the ministry to release N5 billion for the implementation.
    ‎”In Kano state, we have about 44 local governments and there are 60 shops ready to sell the commodity. We load about 60 trailers daily and we are serious about improving our capacity,” he added.
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  • Fertiliser to cost below N6,000 per bag, says Ogbeh

    Fertiliser to cost below N6,000 per bag, says Ogbeh

    Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said yesterday that a bag of fertiliser will soon cost less than N6,000.

    Ogbeh, who gave the assurance when he appeared on News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja, said efforts were also underway to establish extension offices in all the local government areas.

    “We’ve just signed an agreement with Morocco, the President and a few of us went to Morocco and had a good agreement for phosphate imports. Morocco has the largest deposit of phosphate in the world.

    “And with potassium, those two formed the three major ingredients in agriculture, although the soil contains 16 nutrients for the plants, the three big ones are the nitrogen, the potassium and the phosphate.

    “Adding all these up with the fertiliser we are getting from Morocco, we will put fertiliser on the market now for less than N6,000.

    “But we are also insisting that there will be blenders in every part of the country so that the cost of transportation doesn’t compromise the integrity of this programme.

    “At N6,000, the farmers are not complaining because they are now making quite some money.”

    The minister assured the farmers of early distribution of fertilisers, particularly for those who would engage in this year’s dry season farming across the country.

    He also denied the reports by some United Nations (UN) agencies of imminent famine in Nigeria, saying there is no threat of starvation.

    Three UN agencies — Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Programme and International Fund for Agricultural Development –reported that Nigeria would suffer famine, food shortage and malnutrition.

    Ogbeh said it was virtually impossible for Nigeria to face famine or starvation because the country remained a major source of food for other African countries such as Algeria, Libya and the rest.

    “I think there’s a danger of mixing the situation in the North-East with the situation nationwide; I have seen that on CNN, starvation in Somalia and Nigeria, and then they go on to talk about the civil commotion in the North-East

    “I don’t think that the rest of Nigeria is facing any threat of famine. That is not true and I think these agencies have to be a little more careful in their prognoses.

    “I think there are challenges in the North-East because this is a huge part of Nigeria which for five years has not engaged in food production.

    “That’s not the same in the North-West or North-Central or South-West or South-South.

    “So, I think there is some degree of exaggeration and a mixture of situations, there’s no threat of starvation because we have been feeding Africa.

    “People come down from Algeria to buy food in Nigeria, they come from Libya, they come from Sudan and they come from Chad.

    “So, to suggest that this country that is feeding the rest of Africa is almost to go totally hungry is not true. “

    As regards malnutrition in the country, the minister conceded that this could occur as result of unbalanced food nutrients ingested by some people, wrong approach to food processing and materials used for packaging of food.

    Ogbeh stressed that his ministry was trying to re-engineer food processing procedures.

     

  • Fed Govt mulls fertiliser price slash to boost agric production

    The Federal Government plans to slash the price of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium (NPK) fertiliser to N5, 000 per bag to encourage farmers to boost agricultural production in the country.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who made this known to newsmen in Abuja, said the plan is to make food production easier and enhance profit for farmers in the country.

    The minister said the government would take delivery of the first shipment of 800, 000 tonnes of NPK fertiliser from Morocco by January 27.

    According to him, government wants the blending to take place everywhere in the country so that farmers can have access to fertiliser at the lowest possible cost.

    A bag of NPK  costs between N7, 500 and N9, 000 in the open market. But with the first shipment of phosphate from Morocco expected to arrive today in Lagos and then the blending done here, Ogbe said: “We are bringing the price of fertiliser to N5, 000 per bag.”

    He explained that the government wants to ensure that every blender in the country who has the capacity will blend.  “If we can bring the prices of fertiliser to N5, 000 per bag, food production will become easier and farmers will enhance their profit,” the Minister said.

    He said this was why the King of Morocco (Mohammed VI) came to Nigeria and the reason  why President Muhammadu Buhari visited Morocco. “The target we have is about 800,000 tonnes of fertiliser per annum from Morocco, but the problem we have is that we do not only satisfy Nigerians, our neighbours always come in and take a bit,” Ogbe said.

    While noting that Nigeria cannot deny her neighbours entirely, he said “we have to satisfy ourselves first.’’

    It would be recalled that indigenous conglomerate Dangote Group and the OCP Group of Morocco had in December 2016 signed an agreement to import more than two million tonnes of customised fertiliser into Nigeria.

    The agreement was meant to boost fertiliser production and businesses in the country within the next three years.

    The OCP Group is said to be a global leader in the phosphate and phosphate derivatives market.

  • ‘Fertiliser blending plants’ll save $200m in forex, N60b in subsidy’

    The revival of abandoned  fertiliser blending plants will save Nigeria about $200 million in Foreign Exchange (forex) and over N60 billion in subsidy. It will also create thousands of jobs.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who made this known during the 2017 budget presentation at the National Assembly, said that these will come on the strength of an ambitious agreement Nigeria signed with Morocco on December 2, 2016 to revive the plants.

    He said that the agreement focuses on optimising local materials while only importing items that are not available locally.

    “This programme has already commenced and we expect that in the first quarter of 2017, it will create thousands of jobs and save Nigeria US$200 million of foreign exchange and over N60 billion in subsidy,” Buhari said.

    Nigeria has great potentials in chemical and organic fertiliser consumption and usage, using 20 kilogrammes per hectare (kg/ha) of fertiliser on the average. This lags behind in some countries in Africa, such as South Africa and Egypt where average fertiliser usage is 100kg/ha.

    As a result of low production in Nigeria, most fertiliser is imported. Thus overdependence on imported fertiliser results in drain on foreign reserve. It also leads to more demands on fertiliser importation and high prices.

    However, efforts to cut imports through local production of fertiliser have so far failed. And all attempts to turn around Nigeria’s two big fertiliser production manufacturers-the Federal Super Phosphate Fertiliser Company (FSFC) set up in 1976 and the National Fertiliser Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) established in 1988 for the production of urea failed.

    Finally, the Federal Government sold them to private entrepreneurs. Since then, more than 30 fertiliser companies are said to have been established with different production capacity in different states in Nigeria, including the abandoned Fertiliser Blending Plant in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

    The Bokkos Fertilizer Blending Plant was constructed by the Joshua Dariye administration, but was abandoned by the immediate past administration of Jonah David Jang. Incumbent Governor Lalong has, however, pledged his commitment to complete all abandoned projects including the fertiliser blending plant as resources available to him permit.

    However, with the Nigeria-Morocco fertiliser deal, a new dawn may be in the offing for Nigeria’s abandoned fertiliser plans. And Buhari’s commitment to economic diversification, underscored by Federal Government’s decision to vote N92 billion as budgetary allocation to the agric sector for the year 2017 underscored this fact.

    “Agriculture remains at the heart of our efforts to diversify the economy and the proposed allocation to the sector this year is at a historic high of N92 billion,” the President said, adding that the budget was primed to focus on economic recovery and growth strategy.

    Buhari also said N92 billion will complement the existing efforts by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to boost agricultural productivity through increased intervention funding at single digit interest rate under the Anchor Borrowers Programme, commercial agricultural credit scheme and the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending.

    The President indicated that provision of and access to inputs, pursuing a conducive commodity market to ease exchanges and plugging waste through proper storage would be key areas.

    “Accordingly, our agricultural policy will focus on the integrated development of the agricultural sector by facilitating access to inputs, improving market access, providing equipment and storage as well as supporting the development of commodity exchanges,” he stated.

  • Fertiliser: Dangote, Moroccan Group sign MoU

    Nigeria’s  plan to grow the agriculture sector has received a boost with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dangote Group and the OCP Group of Morocco at the weekend in Abuja.

    The Dangote-OCP partnership is expected to lead to the creation of an integrated African platform and a global leader in fertiliser production, a statement from the Dangote group said.

    The collaboration between the two African conglomerates will help the Dangote Group mix the mass deposit of phosphate in Morocco with the gas potential in Nigeria in the production of fertiliser.

    Dangote Group President and Africa’s richest person Mr. Aliko Dangote said the agreement would support Nigeria’s effort to attain food security, create jobs and address rural urban drift.

    Both the OCP of Morocco and Mr. Dangote, during the meeting, indicated that more than two million tonnes of customised fertiliser would be imported from Morocco in the next three years.

    Dangote said of the $2.8billion total investment, $2.5 had already been committed to the fertiliser project by the Dangote Group.

    He predicted a growth from 3.6MT fertiliser capacity in 2018 to 4.6MT in 2020.

    He said by the time it starts operation in December 2017, the three million tonnes capacity Urea Plant will be the biggest in Africa and the second largest in the world.

    According to him, the effort will boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings, improve government revenue, create jobs, increase yield per hectare and grow the GDP in the agricultural sub sector.

  • Fertiliser, seeds coming for farmers, says Ogbeh

    Fertiliser, seeds coming for farmers, says Ogbeh

    The Federal Government said it will commence the distribution of subsidised seeds and fertilisers at ward level from next week.

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh disclosed this at the National Fertiliser Roadmap Stakeholders Consultation held yesterday in Abuja.

    He said the distribution of the farm input aimed at registered farmers would be used to support dry season farming through the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme.

    Ogbeh said: “Distribution of fertiliser seeds and other agrochemicals will commence next week to start dry season farming and these things are going to be given to them at the ward level.

    “Government is still interested in giving subsidy to farmers; there is no going back about that; we can only talk about how do we administer the subsidy which is very key, and for now, government is using the GES platform. For now, it may not be the best but there is no better alternative yet

    “This programme is necessary and essential to grow the fertiliser industry in the country. It is a dynamic one that we are always looking for improvement in the production, distribution and the cost of production; this is very germane for the development of the sector.”

    Represented by the ministry’s Director of Farm Input Support Services, Engr. Jatto Ohiare, the minister restated commitment of the Federal Government to the GES platform.

    Earlier, Senior Fertiliser Specialist, African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP), Paul Makepeace advised the government to embrace the use of urea fertiliser rather than the MPK variety.

    He said about 30 million tons of urea flared yearly could be put to use and also serve as good source of foreign exchange as well as raw materials for other industries.

    He noted that MPK fertiliser could be more expensive for farmers.

    Makepeace advised the government to create an enabling environment for investors to take advantage of the potential of the country.

    He said with the investment from Dangote and other foreign investors, the nation stands to export as much as 4 million tons of fertiliser yearly.

    He said: “In Nigeria, there is a lot of flare and the gas is not been collected over a long period of time, there is the equivalent of 30 million tons of urea flared every year, so if it can be captured and cleaned, it becomes available for manufacture of other products.”

  • Women entrepreneurs trained on fertiliser use

    In line with the Federal Government’s Green Alternative Programme, the Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, Eleme, Rivers State has held a training programme for female members of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Network of Entrepreneurial Women (NNEW) for South-south zone on use of fertiliser.

    While declaring the training programme open, the Head of Corporate Communications and Special Adviser to the Managing Director Indorama Eleme Fertiliser and Chemicals Limited, Dr Jossy Nkwocha said the exercise was meant to boost the application of fertiliser in the country as the trainees would, in turn, train others in its use.

    Nkwocha also said “the use of fertiliser would help Nigeria to solve the problem of food insecurity, boost agricultural production, reduce food imports and create wealth.”

    The Indorama’s spokesman also revealed that his organisation which began fertiliser production in June this year “now supplies urea fertiliser to over 20 million farmers across the country.”

    He added that the company has built a world-class fertiliser plant with capacity to produce 1.5 million metric tons of urea fertiliser; a port terminal at Onne Port in Rivers State and an 84 kilometer gas pipeline to supply gas to the plant.

    The total cost of these projects which has created more than 4,500 direct and indirect jobs in Nigeria, he said, is about 1.5 billion US dollars and was funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

    In a chat with Niger Delta Report, the Chairperson of NNEW, Mrs. Mercy Bello Abu said women who are entrepreneurs in the South-south are passionate about impacting on their environment and generation of successful business women and entrepreneurs.

    She said: “NNEW saw the need for the programme because most of our members who are engaged in agriculture indicated interest to partner with Indorama. They proposed to the company to train them so that they could sensitise other women to the importance and use of fertiliser.”

    While expressing gratitude to the management of Indorama for the free training, the NNEW chairperson added that “with this, we are going to train another group of women on the use of fertiliser.”

    The trainings, which covered fertiliser marketing, fertiliser application and entrepreneurship management, were anchored by Indorama’s Dr Surendra Srivastava; Dr Balbir Singh and Ms Sandrina Gomes respectively.