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Tag: NABG

  • NABG seeks private lab accreditation

    The President, Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Alhaji Sani Dangote, has urged the government  to  encourage accreditation of private  laboratories  to allow Nigeria to export tested foods .

    He said Nigeria has a limited number of food laboratories.

    Addressing a press conference in Lagos, Dangote said the accreditation  became necessary in view of the fact that the few ones established by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) could not cover the volume of food  produced  across the country.

    He said accreditation of other food testing facilities would  assist the industry to certify foods for sale in the local and export markets.

    He said the development of the   National Quality Infrastructure was important and the accreditation of more  food testing labs vital to the economy.

    He pointed out that with such accreditation, goods tested for export at private labs will not be withheld in the ports of other countries to be rechecked. Usually, when goods are held in the ports of the importing country, there is a decrease in the confidence of potential buyers and time is wasted.

    He noted that with less process of exporting foods, the country can look forward to earning more foreign exchange.

    According to the industrialist if standards are maintained and adhered to, fake and sub-standard products would definitely go out of circulation and would pave way for the nation’s agro-allied and local industries to thrive, arguing that SON owed it a duty to facilitate the development and accreditation of private laboratories across the country for the use of small and medium scale enterprises.

    According to him, the benefits of having such internationally accredited labs are numerous and cannot be ignored if Nigeria must take its pride of place in the global market. For one, local products will  be standardised and certified, thereby reducing substantially the preponderance of fake and substandard goods. Besides, access to certification will also drive down costs based on the fact that Nigerian officials will no longer need to travel abroad to get samples of products tested.

    The reduction in the cost and, indeed, the time taken for certification will be reflected in the economy through a reduction in the prices of goods and services. Cost of output will drastically reduce for the manufacturers through the SON’s intervention.

    He said the private sector has the capacity to promote growth in agriculture with the Federal Government create the enabling environment.

  • NIRSAL Earmarks N17.09b for Rice Farmers

    NIRSAL Earmarks N17.09b for Rice Farmers

    The Managing Director, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr Aliyu Hameed, has said about N17.09 billion has been earmarked to support rice farmers in the 2017 wet season farming.

    Hameed disclosed this on Wednesday at the Agrikexpo Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) conference which commenced on Monday in Abuja.

    The event was themed: “Harnessing Nigeria’s Agricultural Potential for Food Security, Youth Development, Nutrition and Wealth Creation.”

    He said over 53,319 farmers are to benefit from the intervention for this year wet season rice farming.

    “In August 2017 as a Participating Financial Institution under the CBN Anchor Borrowers’ Program (ABP) we disbursed over N2.63 billion to 24,732 rice farmers. We have profiled over 53,319 farmers and voted about N17.09 billion for the 2017 wet season.”

    According to him, “Cumulatively, NIRSAL has issued 634 Credit Risk Guarantees (CRG) with a total face value of N66.36 billion. We have also provided Interest Drawback (Interest rebate to borrowers) worth N940.98 million.”

    He stated that the financial institution recently signed a N50 billion Agribusiness financing partnership with the Stanbic IBTC under the Nirsal Agriculture Financing Scheme, with an initial commitment of N10 billion as takeoff.

    “At NIRSAL, we recognize that agriculture lies at the heart of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Buhari administration. We are mindful that as a policy tool of the government in this sector, it is in line with our mandate to make agribusiness more attractive to the private sector,” Hameed added.

  • NIRSAL disburses N66.36b in four years

    NIRSAL disburses N66.36b in four years

    * NABG tasks FG on innovative policies to support private sector

    The Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr. Aliyu Hameed, has said the credit institution facilitated the disbursement of N66.36 billion since 2013 to support the agriculture sector.

    Hammed disclosed this at the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) 2017 Conference and Agriculture Expo, held yesterday in Abuja.

    He said the institution, which is solely owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was set up to ease the risk of credit lending to farmers, adding that despite the agricultural potentials in the country, the capital was a major challenge.

    He said Nigerians cannot eat potential but needed capital which comprises finance, capital equipment, human capital as well as technology to really drive the sector and achieve food sufficiency.

    His words: “In the last three and half years up to the moment, we have been able to catalase facilitate up to N66.36b in additional lending to the entire value-chain in agriculture and we paid up to N940 million directly as interest drawback to the borrowers account.

    “The interest drawback is a key support component. If you borrow money and you are able to pay back as at when due, in the NIRSAL model, you can come back every three months and we give you up to 40 percent rebate.”

    Hameed restated NIRSAL support to the rural farmers, mechanization suppliers and other members of the NABG to process their logistics and facilitate both local and foreign markets.

    He assured bankers and other investors of his commitment to de-risk investments in the agricultural value-chain.

    “Whatever happens to their money based on the level of guarantee we give, such an investor and financiers can come back to us and say there is a loss. We then pay you back whatever you lose based on our agreement so it will enable you to reinvest,” he added.

    Earlier, President of the NABG, Alhaji Sani Dangote described the conference as an opportunity to discuss issues affecting the sector and provide workable solutions, as well as develop new innovations that could boost agricultural productivity.

    He urged the stakeholders to put a stop to being over-dependent on the Federal Government, stressing that the private sector remains vital to repositioning the sector while the Federal government is expected to create a workable environment.

    “The government should listen to us and should come up with policies that will develop the sector. We should be able to influence their ideas to see the reality because we are the actual participants. We are the ones to get it done, the government is just the facilitator.”

    He appealed to stakeholders to develop innovative ideas that would make agriculture interesting to youths.

    Describing 70 percent of the population as youths, Dangote emphasized need to engage them in agro-allied activities. He agriculture should be treated as a serious business rather than a development programme.

    In his keynote address, Chief Executive of Dangote Groups, Chief Aliko Dangote, urged the federal government to focus on agriculture to achieve Nigeria’s food need.

    He decried situations where the nation remained a net importer of food despite the potential to locally grow those foods imported and still do exports.

    Dangote, who was represented by the Group’s Executive Director, Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications, Mansur Ahmed, identified land acquisition as one of the major challenges confronting the sector.

    He listed others to include insecurity, poor market structure, finance, poor access to better farm inputs such as seeds, fertilizers etc.

    He urged the State Governments to reciprocate government seriousness on the agriculture sector to achieve holistic growth in the country.

    Other personalities present were Director General, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Prof. Mrs Gloria Elemo, Deputy Regional Economic Counselor, Mr. Francis Widmer.

  • AGRA, NABG partners on certified seeds distribution

    The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) in partnership with the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) have begun moves to ensure efficient process in the distribution of fertilizers and certified seeds to rural farmers.
    Chief Executive Officer, African Center for Shared Development Capacity Building, Prof Olu Ajakaiye at an event, held yesterday in Abuja said policy advocacy efforts are ongoing to reach millions of smallholder farmers with improved, consistent and affordable agricultural inputs.
    Ajakaiye, a consultant to AGRA said the event was organised to provide technical analysis of the economic impact of policy and regulatory reforms for agri-inputs and services in the country.
    He said: “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRA) is investing in streamlined processes to align public-private investments in the production and supply of certified seeds of improved varieties and hybrids. The investment covers policy and regulatory reforms in the importation, manufacturing, distribution and quality control of fertilizers to improve crop production and productivity.”
    According to him, AGRA is working in partnership with the organized private sector including the Seed Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN) and the Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) to develop micro policy advocacy efforts to reach local farmers across the nation.
    The African Center is helping to review and propose options in updating and enactment of the revised Seed Act to drive mandatory seed certification of breeders and foundation seeds.
    “The era of fake seeds must be put to a complete halt. We bring over 150 years of cumulative experience to bear in providing economic impact analysis,” Ajakaiye added.
    In his remarks, National Coordinator of MIRA-Nigeria, Dr. Tony Bello said the organization has resolved to support in terms of adding value to policy advocacy, through economic impact analysis to critical stakeholders including farmers, producers, dealers and suppliers of seeds and fertilizer.
    President of the NABG, Sani Dangote called for measures that will drive competitions in price of agriculture inputs.
    Dangote said, “There is no money available for government to continue with the National Agriculture Growth Enhancement Support Scheme as we know it. Our farmers need guaranteed markets and price stability for their produce to be competitive against cheaper agricultural imports. The processors demand for consistent supply of raw materials to help create jobs and diversification of the economy.”
    Earlier, NABG Vice President, Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere stated that the new policies in the sector are models meant to create seamless opportunity for win-win outcomes to public and private sector investments in the agribusiness space.

  • NABG urges CBN, DMBs to invest more in agric sector

    The Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG) has urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to pay more attention to investment in the agriculture sector and help government diversity the economy away from oil.

    This was the position of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG Associates Unlimited), the brainchild of a 23 member Executive Leadership Group headed by major players in the Agro allied sector.

    NABG Chairman, Sani Dangote explained that with the current low prices in oil, agriculture is inevitably the way forward for development adding that with the formation of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group, the group now has a platform to address challenges and find solutions to issues pertaining to the agric industry.

    He spoke at the group’s maiden Annual General Meeting held in Lagos, with theme: “Setting Policy direction, Strengthening Agriculture and Agribusiness Associations, Engaging Strategic Partners and Donors.

    He said the group was created as an organized private sector platform to lead in all matters affecting agricultural stakeholders in Nigeria through setting of policy directions, engaging policy and decision makers in government at all levels and forging strategic partnerships with public and private sector groups across Africa and the world.

    NABG Co-ordinator, Emmanuel Ijewere praised every partner who contributed to the formation of the association. “We appreciate the support of every partner which has led to the formation of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group and look forward to engagements with relevant stakeholders as it concerns the industry” he said.