As UN receives $984m support for Nigeria, three others
About 50, 000 people in the north east are currently grappling with food shortage in the country, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned.
According to FAO Situation Report for the month of April 2017 published on the official twitter handle of FAO newsroom, about 6.9 million people will suffer starvation in Nigeria and three other African countries between June and August this year if an urgent step is not taken.
Other high prone countries included are Cameroun, Chad and Niger.
However, the United Nations organisation disclosed that about $73.6 million would be urgently needed for this year implementation of FAO humanitarian strategy.
The report stated that aside from the famine, about 500, 000 children in the region are currently suffering from malnourishment.
Meanwhile, the FAO Newsroom according to a tweet by @UNGeneva, a retweet by the FAO Newsroom, acknowledged that;
The United Nations Humanitarian Office Spokespersons, Jens Laerke added that about $984 million has been received out of $4.4 million targeted to support Nigeria and three other nations against malnutrition.
The countries are Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen.
“What we call the special call for funding for the four countries where we either have famine conditions in South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia or we are on the brink of famine.
“You will recall by the end of March, the Secretary General urged the international donor community to provide $4.4 billion to that. We have update as of today tha we have received a total of $984 million against the $4.4 billion. Of course the effort to raise more funds continue,” Laerke said.
The Director-General of the FAO José Graziano da Silva recently visited the hunger-threatened northeastern Nigeria, and called for urgent increase in humanitarian assistance.
Da Silva also stated that restoring agriculture-based livelihoods was key to recovery and peace efforts in Lake Chad Basin region.
“If we miss the coming planting season, there will be no substantial harvests until 2018. Failure to restore food production now will lead to the worsening of widespread and severe hunger and prolonged dependency on external assistance further into the future,” Graziano da Silva said.
He emphasised that the time for all to act is now, stressing that insecurity in the Lake Chad Basin – which incorporates parts of Cameroon, Chad, Niger and northeastern Nigeria – has resulted in the largest humanitarian crisis in Africa.
On 15th of August 2016 when the Federal Government launched the Green Alternative Policy under the leadership of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh with his counterpart, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, the vision was mainly to diversify the nation’s economy from oil.
The policy also known as the Agriculture Promotion Policy (2016 – 2020) was part of deliberate moves to make agriculture the mainstay of the economy, contributing majorly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and improving on gaps which existed in the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the past administration.
The federal government, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, rolled out policies to check the alarming, continuous food imports and increase local production of staple foods including rice, wheat, and dairy products among others. The four-year development plan mapped out strategies to realise four major goals in partnership with the State governments. The thematic focus includes food security, import substitution, job creation and economic diversification.
In the area of food security, rice cultivation got a special attention. The method of rice production among farmers across the states took a different dimension. It mapped out strategies to ensure rice is being cultivated in most states across the country. The rationale is due to the fact that rice remained major staple food Nigerians consume daily but with an outstanding deficit of 6.3 million tonnes and local production of about 2.3 million tonnes as at 2015. The wheat deficit was about 4.7 million tonnes with a supply 0.06 million while Soya beans was 0.75 million and local capacity was 0.06 million. The gaps were huge.
In order to meet these demands, the ministry sought supports of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through the Anchor Borrowers Scheme (ABS) to provide finance for the rural farmers from 2015 dry season farming and wet season rice and wheat farming in 2016. Anchor Borrowers’ programme is an intervention aimed to fast-track access of rural farmers to finance for better productivity. This entails the provision of agricultural credit to finance the production of rice, wheat, ginger, maize and soybeans in Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Kano, Enugu, Benue, Zamfara, Anambra and Kwara States.
It is important to note that state governments took advantage of the intervention to maximise production on the basic farm co mmodities. Lagos State for instance, went as far as signing a partnership agreement with the Kebbi State government to produce the popular LaKe Rice. Within a short time, rice imports declined, especially with the support of policies that discouraged its importation and smuggling while local production also soared higher from 2015 till date. These interventions were aimed to meet national requirements of paddy and milled rice set at 2018.
One of the rice farms in Watari, Kano State
The FMARD further established 40 large scale rice processing plants and 18 High Quality Cassava Flour plants with a stake commitment of China EXIM (85 per cent) and Nigeria Bank of Industry (BOI) (15 per cent) through concessional credit facilities of US$383,140,375.60 for the rice mills and US$143,722,202.40 for the HQCF Plants. The locations are Abia (Abriba), Kogi (Agbadu), Akwa-Ibom (Uyo), Kwara (Sare), Anambra (Ihiala), Lagos (Epe), Benue (Makurdi), Nassarawa (Gbude), Cross-River (Obubra), Ogun (Ijebu-Igbo), Delta (Mbiri), Ondo (Ore), Edo (Iraoko), Osun (Iwo), Ekiti (Itapaji), Oyo (Oke-Ogun), Enugu (Ebenebe), Oyo (Iseyin). Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is on-going for the ultimate private sector–driven initiative.
FMARD is now embarking on a programme of distribution of rice mills, of ten tonnes per day capacity, 20 tonnes a day, 40 tonnes a day, 50 tonnes and a few 100 tonnes. Collectively, between them, the capacity for rice milling will be close to 3,000 tonnes a day nationwide. That is expected to close the gap between paddy availability and mills to process it.
From available records, there is ongoing plan to also establish 10 large scale rice processing plants and 6 High-Quality Cassava Flour plants to be owned and operated by the private sector. According to the Ministry, the mills would be funded by the Special Rice Processing Intervention Fund and the World Bank Assisted Agricultural Development Policy Operation [AgDPO] Funds. Necessary approvals were obtained for an “original equipment manufacturer (OEM) contract” process via the “Flourtech Engineer PVT Ltd, – Rice Mills” and the “Haiyang Union Machine & Equipment Ltd, China &Korat SW Group 2007, Thailand – HQCF Plants.” The rice plants locations are Argungu (Kebbi), Yargeda (Zamfara), Permabiri (Bayelsa), Badeggi (Niger), KatsinaAla (Benue), Idah (Kogi), Kubau (Kaduna), GidanMaiwa (Bauchi), Imope (Ogun), and Ezira (Anambra), HQCF plants locations are Ore (Ondo), Ojoowo (Ogun), Abriba (Abia), Abraka(Delta), Obubra (C/River) and PakaLafia (Nasarawa).
One of other remarkable initiatives developed by the ministry was the national soil map. There had not been evidence to show that the use of the generic NPK fertiliser everywhere has necessarily improved farm production significantly to justify its continued application as one-size-fits-all soil fertility remedy. So, the map basically is to determine the right fertiliser that is applicable in a particular state with the promotion of the use of soil-specific fertiliser formulations. Unlike previous years where the same fertiliser is applied by farmers across the country, the map was designed to guide farmers on what fertiliser to adopt in order to get the maximum yield.
Prior to the launched green alternative, Nigeria was importing foods to the tune of $22 billion annually, including fruits. As a result, the country cannot be classified as food-secured. The limited harvests produced by the local farmers mostly got rotten due to lack of storage facilities.
The net impact of these was limited job growth across the agricultural value-chain from inputs production to market system. Ironically, as these problems persist, the country was exporting jobs abroad.
Fertiliser supply
A resurrected interest in agriculture has brought in its wake growing interest in smallholders. Nigeria’s fertiliser market is growing. Baring the restriction placed on the transportation of urea for security reasons, Nigeria is launching into a new realm of responding to local fertiliser needs by promoting the blending of fertiliser locally to suit specific soil on the basis of findings in the national soil map. Field reports on the use of micronutrient inclusion in fertiliser in some parts of Nigeria have justified the need for a widespread and nationwide use.
Replacing the unbalanced NPK 15-15-15 with other formulations as a basal application in the Urea Deep Placement Technology has been reported to have led to increased yields by between 30 per cent and 80 per cent in a number of cases in rice, maize and sorghum. These results have inspired the Federal Government’s policy directive to use fertiliser blends recommended from soil maps, beginning from this cropping season. Nigeria has 108 balanced fertiliser recommendations for all crops and for all 36 States and the FCT, and the Government has signed an agreement with the Government of Morocco for the supply of fertiliser raw materials on concessionary terms to boost local blending to facilitate making soil and crop-specific fertiliser blends available and accessible to smallholder farmers.
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 easy until the federal government came up with an initiative that encouraged local blending.
As a result of the several bottlenecks, the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative came into existence having Fertiliser Producer and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and the FMARD as the implementing partner. The target was to produce One Million Metric Tonnes of fertiliser for local farmers across the country for the 2017 wet season and 500, 000 metric tonnes for dry season farming. It was the 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 a 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. This deliberate effort was to meet fertiliser deficit in the country and ensure the nation locally blend the input.
Remarkably, the fertilisers are mixed 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.
“From that 14th of 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 while responding to an inquiry.
Donor Support Interventions
Aside from the commitment to increase food production and create jobs across the value-chain, the federal government enjoyed interventions from the international development partners. The foreign organisations such as RUFIN, IFAD VCDP, World Bank Fadama project, RAMP among others have in no small measure contributed towards the realisation of the objectives of the green alternative initiative.
A number of states with high potential in the production of selected staple crops are being supported to increase farm yields, engage the youths, help rural families, provide finance and ultimately create markets to boost their returns. While some development partners focus on rice and cassava, others give more attention to sorghum, millet and wheat.
VCDP
Mr Peter Okonkwo is a member of the all-male Great Minds Multipurpose Cooperative Society. He cultivates 1 hectare from 3,850 hectares of land rice farm allocated to his group. Okonkwo harvested a yield of 7 tonnes from his one hectare rice farm in the last season, unlike his usual 2.3 to 2.5 tonnes per hectare yields. He is one of 20 other members in one cooperative group setup by the VCDP Lower Anambra Irrigation Project (LAIP) in Anyamelum local government area of Anambra state. All thanks to the IFAD-funded Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) programme which made the fete a reality, working to support rural farmers in form of inputs and training on good agronomic practices.
Peter Okonkwo showing off the tillers (48) of a sampled clump of his rice
The IFAD- funded VCDP works to improve the income and food security of poor rural households with particular attention to women and youths engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava. It focused on enhancing rice and cassava value-chains in Nigeria.
In 2016 alone, production figure showed that VCDP made a significant contribution of 55,513 MT of rice and 184,377.6 MT of cassava to the national food basket. This represents a contribution of $36 million (N11 billion) to the country’s GDP in 2016. The income-investment analysis indicates that for every $1 invested by VCDP in 2016, $1.2 was realised from sales of produce alone.
The programme, largely funded by IFAD had a total budget of $104.4 million. IFAD provided $74.4 million funding, the federal government supported with $9.9 million, state governments contributed $10.4 million, local government councils $4.3 million, complementary financing amounted to $2.8 million and beneficiaries $2.1 million.
Basically, the federal government is implementing the IFAD-VCDP project in six (6) States, namely: Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi and Anambra. VCDP became effective in August 2014 and disbursement effective in March 2015. While the programme is expected to wind-up on June, 2020, its goal was to reduce poverty in 53, 480 households and enhance accelerated economic growth sustainably.
The programme is also targeted to sustainably create about 6, 000 jobs through production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava in the six states. So, between January to November 2016, about 4, 000 jobs have been created and N418.9million worth of farm inputs have been distributed to 20, 879 farmers working on 1,067.2 hectares.
Within the last two years, VCDP made good progress of effectively implementing the programme objective on the two crops. Through group and cluster development, it encouraged working with the private sector to facilitate service delivery to smallholder farmers; identified viable business opportunities within the commodity chains for youth; developed arable land to increase women and youth access to land; shared innovative agronomic practices with farmers to enhance their productivity; and engaged youths in agriculture.
A unique model which so far has helped the rural farmers was the ability of IFAD-VCDP to arrange major off-takers such as Olam, Onyx and Popular Farms, who provide co-funding in the form of cashless credit services to enable farmers, have access to agri-inputs and enhance their productivity. This has luckily helped cut down the incident of post-harvest losses. Farmers do not have to wait or search for the market to sell their produce as the off-takers are readily available to buy the harvests, having knowledge of the fact that there is increasing buy-in by the state governments.
The programme facilitated an innovative Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), which empowers smallholder farmers to engage and transact businesses with major private sector players in each state. The platform involved key stakeholders in input delivery, bulk purchase of farm produce such as factory raw materials, financial institutions with credible credit delivery services and farmer groups.
In Benue state, for instance, Olam a major player in the nation’s rice sub-sector is working with 3,000 rice farmers under the alliance.
Farmers with support from off-takers receive agro inputs
As of date, 30, 100 verified farmers with names and locations are benefiting from various services of VCDP to increase their production and productivity and enhance their income. Out of this figure, 21,245 farmers (13,456 for rice and 7,789 for cassava) who produced a credible business plan were provided with 50 percent of the input requirements in line with design. About 2,328 FOs, 103 per cent of the Life of Project (LoP) target are using bulk purchase method to procure their inputs, and 2,135 FOs, representing 95 per cent of the LoP target are registered with the Department of Cooperatives.
So far, the programme has trained 925 group leaders, representing 14 per cent of the LoP target, to strengthen groups’ engagement with the private sector players and provide effective services for their members. It has developed a number of knowledge products, including women inclusion strategy, youth involvement in agribusiness strategy, and package of best agronomic practices. It has so far increased their sales, generate more income and improve their living standard.
Mr. Mbon Sumaka, a rice farmer in Benue, one of the states participating in VCDP is excited with the market linkage facilitated by the programme. “I am grateful to VCDP for linking me and other group members to Olam. We are happy as we know all our produce will be bought by Olam after harvesting. We are ready to go into farming on large scales with this arrangement and this will go a long way to boost the economy”.
So far, 667 MoUs have been signed with off-takers in the six programme states while 143 contractual agreements have been formalised and 30, 100 farmers linked to off-takers.
Farmers at Igbaran, Anambra State
FADAMA
FADAMA, as popularly known among stakeholders, is a World Bank project usually in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) targeted to support small holder farmers to increase productivity and access to finance. The success story of this project has been outstanding right from the FADAMA I, II, III and recently FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF).
Within a short period, the number states participating in the World Bank intervention project has increased considering its immense impacts at the grassroots.
Between 21st and 22nd March, 2017, the FADAMA office flagged-off dry season irrigation rice production in Plateau state as part of measures to ensure all year round production of rice. Even though the event witnessed the presence of the Senior Technical Adviser (STA) to the minister on International Donor, Engr. Auta Appeh, Plateau State Governor, Bar. Simon Lalong, Task Team Leader (TTL) World Bank country office Abuja chief Dr Adetunji Oredipe including FADAMA National Project Coordinator, Tayo Adewunmi the immediate beneficiaries of the project were not left out.
For the dry season rice farming, about 100, 000 hectares of land have been cleared by the state government. So far, a total of 11 production clusters (PCs) have been prepared consisting of 57 production groups, with a benefiting population of 570, comprising 381 males and 189 females. The state is rich in terms of vegetation for both dry and rain season farming.
The National Project Coordinator, Mr. Tayo Adewumi, in his message, gave a brief on the implementation of Fadama III-AF in Plateau state. About 27 Tomato production clusters made up 222 production groups have been funded through a well-developed business plan. Also, funded were 11 rain-fed rice PCs with 222 PGs.
Speaking on the Fadama Farmers Micro Finance Bank (FFMFB) Limited, a fresh initiative by the FADAMA III-AF Office, It was designed in December, 2015 to support 570 farmers comprising 381 males and 189 females.
Lalong, in his remark at the event disclosed that the state through the Fadama project has supported about 55% of rice farmers in the state, with an increased yield from 2.8 tonnes per hectare to 4.5 tonnes per hectare representing 60.14% increase. “About 1,395 permanent jobs for rain-fed and 13,950 indirect jobs were created for youths and women during harvest. During dry season implementation, 570 permanent jobs were created and 2, 850 indirect jobs.
“As at baseline, indicators showed that farmers’ income increased from N108, 501.76 to N390, 220.65 per annum representing 20% of farmers surpassing poverty threshold.” According to him, the arrangement has been made for a 16.9KM Fadama feeder road in Shendam, Langtang South, Kanke, Mangu, Bassa and Jos East Local Government Areas. This is expected to ease transportation challenges faced by rural farmers. Some of the civil service workers and pensioners were as well encouraged to improve their livelihood by engaging in agricultural related activities while they are still in service.”
RUFIN
Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) is a $27.2 million initiative of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Federal Government of Nigeria. It was a project coordinated by the federal ministry of agriculture and rural development in 12 States and 36 local governments to help realise the set objective of alleviating poverty with particular emphasis on women, youth and the physically challenged. Some of the benefitted states include Adamawa, Bauchi, Katsina, Zamfara ( North Zone), Benue, Nasarawa, Oyo, Lagos (Middlebelt/South West zone) and Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Imo, Edo in the Southern Zone.
Purpose of the initiative ultimately was to enhance access of rural population to viable and sustainable rural financial system in order to expand production, improve on-farm productivity and micro small rural enterprises. “Our group-Nneoma Union Group heard that FAME MFB was giving out loans to people. We went there and were informed by the bank that they have accessed the MSMEDF. We applied and got a loan from FAME MFB. I received N70, 000 which I invested in my business. My business is doing well and I can now support my husband all thanks to RUFIN,” said Mrs. Adaoma Timothy, Member Nneoma Union Group, Itu-Ezinihite LGA, Imo state. Incidentally, the programme will be completed on 31st March, 2017.
However, about $5,616, 000 has so far been disbursed by the implementing agencies and government institutions. They are the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Federal Department of Cooperatives (FDC) and the National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP).
Omolara is one of the beneficiaries of the intervention in Lagos.
Access to soft loans and other finances by farmers had been a serious challenge to boost productivity. It is often difficult for the commercial institutions to lend to farmers at a considerate interest rate. Rural farmers are either given loans at a 2-digit interest rate which is almost impossible to repay or never given. So with the initiative, RUFIN promoted good policies that created satisfactory working environment for grassroots financial institutions to benefit. It improved the lending environment, funds flow and sustainability support to the microfinance sector. It engaged in training and capacity building to improve their services in order to facilitate easy access to credits.
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) were strengthened and the programme eventually established linkage between these institutions and formal financing institutions and down to the rural dwellers. “As a result of the capacity building we received from RUFIN, we developed rural business plan and have started implementing it. Our customer base has increased; we have been able to spread our tentacles. We are doing business with 27 women groups mentored by RUFIN. More rural people are accessing credit facility from us and zero default rate. RUFIN groups don’t default, they are highly responsible.
“Aside from capacity building, RUFIN also provided us with ICT equipment such as laptops, printers, accounting software which has helped us in keeping records. We now have improved financial reporting. It has been a wonderful working relationship with RUFIN. The impact we see today is as a result of this technical support by RUFIN,” said Mr. Ayodele Odufowokan, Head, Group Micro loan/Rural Finance, Excel Microfinance Bank, Eruwa, Oyo state. Credit flow from MFIs to the rural communities has cumulative figure of N30.983 billion till date. This is a huge jump from N47.1 million as measured in May 2011.The number of loan beneficiaries totalled over 714, 000 farmers.
As a result, at the community level, group members have developed savings habit and financial discipline. Capital base of farmers which was as low as N5, 000 – N6, 000 increased to N1-2 million and over 20,000 rural groups were formed and strengthened. They were eventually linked to financial services with about 40 per cent of them already lifted out of poverty.
Within two years, RUFIN’s sustained follow-up finally unlocked the MSMEDF to the financial suppliers in 2014 and N78.77 billion disbursed. RUFIN’s contribution of $1.5 million to the NIRSAL guarantee facility also eased Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs) R-MFIs access to the MSMEDF by reducing collateral requirements to only 5 per cent.
“About N8, 747,015,234 credit was accessed by over 80 MFIs including Non-Governmental Organsiations and Financial Cooperatives from MSMDF, NAPEP, BOA and other state government micro-credit initiatives. Household level lending to low income and poor rural dwellers has improved in contrast to the start of the programme. Number of MFBs rendering online returns to CBN increased from 20% in 2010 to 85% in 2015.”
“RUFIN’s support is immeasurable. Our capacity has been built on so many issues related to business management, record keeping, business plans and financial management. These training have helped us successfully manage our business. Before now, we were not doing internal savings but after receiving training on this from RUFIN, we started saving. Now we give internal credit to our members. In 2013, our group was linked to Bauchi Microfinance Bank and we got a loan of N140, 000 naira which was shared among group members. Each member received N20, 000 naira. We have repaid the loan and RUFIN is working to link us with Bank of Agriculture to access more credit. We are very happy, our business is growing. Now we can support our husbands to take care of family needs. May Allah bless RUFIN,” Hajia Aisha’tu Musa, Chairperson, Zumunta Durum Women Group from Bauchi Local Government Area, Bauchi state, made the assertions on the impacts of the interventions to supporting their livelihood.
According to available records, over 710,770 individual farmers and rural dwellers that benefited from RUFIN loan facilities, voluntarily saved about N16.149 billion as refund.
In conclusion, since some of these initiatives are tailored towards achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, especially Goal 1 which centres on ending poverty in every form and Goal 2 targeted to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture, it is imperative to build partnership to realise the Green Alternative and attain food sufficiency.
The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) on Monday commenced a 4-day training to enhance the capacity of Nigerian journalists.
The $5 million project which focuses on “Strengthening the Capacity of the Nigerian Media to Investigate and Report Procurement Process” is a three-year development plan supported by MacArthur Foundation.
ICIR Executive Director, Mr Dayo Aiyetan, at the opening in Abuja said that the training was designed to improve the capacity of Nigerian journalists especially in the area of investigative reporting and issues regarding public procurements.
He said public procurements in the country had been one of the conduit pipes to syphon public funds at the detriment of the masses.
According to him, the responsibility lies on the journalists to make public the ills in the procurement processes in order to promote transparency and accountability in the system.
He said the training would equip journalists with the necessary skills to deliver on their mandates, hold public officers accountable stressing that after the training, the journalists would be placed for
mentorship under the Public and Private Development Centre, PPDC, a non-governmental organisation that does a lot of works on open contracting, where they would observe and learn how the PPDC monitors public procurement.
Aiyetan explained that after the PPDC mentorship participants would be supported to produce investigative stories on public procurement.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of PPDC, Seember Nyager disclosed her readiness to engage the journalists through mentorship, to the process of public procurement.
She explained that the participants would also be enlightened on how PPDC tracks projects and contracts executed by government institutions.
“By the end of the mentorship, the journalists would be better equipped to monitor the procurement process. This will no doubt increase transparency and accountability in governance,” she added.
The Deputy Director, McArthur Foundation, Dayo Olaide, in his remarks disclosed that the fund was aimed to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian media in the fight against corruption.
He listed eight of the benefitting news organisations to include ICIR, Premium Times, Daily Trust, Sahara Reporters, The Cable, among others.
He noted that the fight against corruption should not be left alone with the Federal Government as the media has a pivotal role to play.
According to him, by end of the three-year grants, the capacity of Nigerian media is expected to have improved to exposing corrupt practices in the system.
Presidency spends over N1bn on reconstruction project
The World Bank has warned of imminent famine and food shortage in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.
World Bank Country Director, Rachid Benmessaoud gave the warning at the dashboard launch of Presidential Committee on the North-East Initiative (PCNI), held on Tuesday in Abuja.
Benmessaoud disclosed that as a result, it will focus its $775-million financial intervention to solve problems relating to health, education, social protection as well as livelihood deficits.
His words: “North East Nigeria is currently faced with a confluence of humanitarian development and security- related crisis, a situation which calls for strengthened humanitarian development and security collaboration to deliver a comprehensive and strategic response across the short-medium and long term.
“The World Bank’s $775-million financial support to the North East Nigeria focuses on addressing service delivery gaps in health, education, social protection as well as livelihood deficit, youth, unemployment and social cohesion issues created by the protracted crisis. The North East is also facing a credible risk of famine and food scarcity which is amplified by the conflict.”
The bank further restated its commitment to support humanitarian organisations to achieving the goal of addressing immediate needs of the people and providing long-term socio-economic solutions.
In his remarks, PCNI Chairman, Mohammed Danjuma disclosed that the initiative has so far spent about N1 billion for the north east reconstruction project.
He added that about N7 billion was still needed for the entire rehabilitation project.
The platform according to him was setup to coordinate interventions from all stakeholders and integrate all partners to realising the reconstruction process.
“There are multiple actors in the region – international development partners, international non-governmental organisations, state governments, local non-governmental organisations, individuals, faith-based organisations – and bringing everyone aboard would help us identify gaps.
“So far, the Federal Government has expended over N1bn on the region and by way of assessment, we need N7bn to rebuild the region. We are not trying to hijack efforts already in play; we are just trying to know who is doing what, where and how, while putting the welfare and protection of the IDPs uppermost on the agenda of this government, via the Buhari Economic Plan,” Danjuma said.
He added that about 21, 000 projects have been listed for execution and such projects will be implemented by relevant Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as soon as the 2017 budget proposal is passed into law.
Explaining the significance of the dashboard, he explained that it would enable real-time monitoring on activities of relevant stakeholders, such as international donors, faith based organisations, non-governmental organisations among others.
“So far, over 21,000 projects have been planned for the North-east by the Buahri administration and, as soon as the budget is passed, we’ll be seeing projects championed by a number of MDAs in the region,” he added.
An advocacy group, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has petitioned Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the House Committee on Public Procurement to suspend moves to increase contract mobilization fee from 15 to 50 per cent.
CISLAC mobilisation Director, Auwal Ibrahim during a briefing, yesterday in Abuja, stressed that such decision would amount to promoting corruption in the procurement processes.
Auwal argued further that the development is contradictory to provisions of the extant laws, adding that the Act was setup during administration of the former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an instrument to check corruption.
The House is on the verge of reviewing the Public Procurement Act (PPA) 2007 to reflect an increase in the mobilization fee to 50 per cent, removal of the Finance minister as chairperson of the public procurement council and plans to include national defense and security agencies in procurement processes.
He explained that, “As contained in the extant law, a mobilization fee of 15 per cent to contractor is to enable the contractor to move their equipment to site, while another 30 per cent payable after an inception report, otherwise referred to as interim performance certificate is submitted.”
“This is followed by another 50 per cent payment when half of the work is done and a balance of 5 per cent is payable after completion of the work. This is the standard worldwide and any contract that fails to meet up with the above is deemed to have commit an offence and punishable under section 58.
“From the above, it is very clear that payments to contractors are in sequence to guide against abandoning the work and not drag government into unnecessary controversies. The recommendation therefore to give up to 50 per cent mobilization fees will not only further encourage corruption. The 15 per cent as contained in the law (Section 35 of the PPA) is purely a mobilization fees, which implies assisting or mobilizing the contractor to site, and not advance payment,” Auwal added.
However, the group advised President Muhammadu Buhari to constitute and inaugurate the National Council for Public Procurement (NCPP) in order to sincerely fight corruption and sustain the change agenda.
CISLAC added that the bill as read on the floor of the House should be discarded because it is allegedly against the principle of transparency and accountability.
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.
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.
The President of Fertiliser Producer and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Mr. Thomas Etuh has said that the newly launched Presidential Fertiliser Initiative will save the Federal Government about $200 million of foreign exchange.
FEPSAN President disclosed this yesterday while monitoring the fertiliser project in Kaduna State, adding that it was a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model meant to reduce fertiliser cost to N5,500.
Etuh explained that the project was aimed to produce 1 million Metric Tonnes of NPK fertiliser for 2017 wet season farming and 500, 000 Metric tonnes for 2017 dry season farming.
He stressed that it will save the federal government another N60 billion in a budgetary provision for fertiliser in 2017.
According to him, as at December 2016, there were five fertiliser blending plants in the country, running at 10 per cent capacity but had been increased to 32 blending plants.
Major partners in this project are the Presidential Committee on Fertiliser and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA).
Etuh said: “We are monitoring some of the plants of the presidential fertiliser initiative which is a public-private partnership. Some of you will remember that FEPSAN signed an agreement with OCP of Morocco to order phosphate as one of the raw materials for the production of fertiliser.
“We only import 37 percent of the inputs we don’t have in Nigeria which is Urea and Limestone to get fertiliser to the farmers.
“From that 14th December 2016 to 14th February 2017, we gave farmers free gift. They start to receive fertiliser at N5,500. Agro-dealers also get theirs, when they come to a plant like this, they will pay N5000, they are supposed to pay for transport and others so they will sale for N5,500.
“This is a PPP arrangement, there is no subsidy at all. We will save government in six months about N60 billion and save the government about $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 5000. 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”
The initiative will be executed in five batches.
“In the first batch, 11 plants would be engaged. Three in Kaduna, two in Kano state, one in Funtua, Katsina state, one in Bauchi state, one in Plateau state, one in Niger state, one in Lagos state, one in Ebonyi state and production has commenced in the 11 plants across the selected states,” Etuh stated.
In his remarks, Managing Director, Fertiliser and Chemical Company, Kaduna, Prekash Pandya said the fertiliser processing plant has about 500, 000 capacity but will blend about 300, 000 metric tonnes for the presidential initiative.
He described the intervention as beautiful, such that it created jobs across the value-chain to the end users.
Pandya, while commending the federal government efforts, noted that about 50 trucks are being produced daily.
He said about 250 employees have been employed and extra 100 labours were engaged to load and off-load the fertilisers.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Rtd), on Thursday appealed to governments of the oil producing States to absorb beneficiaries of the amnesty programme from their respective states.
Boroh said the development will reduce unemployment among the ex-militants.
Describing the new approach as a game changer, in a statement by the Office Media & Communication Consultant, Owei Lakemfa, Abuja, the presidential aide added that it would resolve youth restiveness in the region.
He disclosed that in line with the model, the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki already commenced moves to provide employment for Edo State amnesty beneficiaries.
Boroh noted that the Office has submitted a list of 1,416 ex-Agitators including 213 scholarship graduates and 466 persons who needed training and empowerment or employment.
The statement reads: “A fundamental one in sustainably reintegrating aggrieved youths who six years ago, had taken the amnesty offer of the Federal Government.”
He emphasised the need for other State governors from the oil producing states to partake in the programme.
“By assisting their youths the presidential amnesty programme is not an open-ended one and all beneficiaries would have to eventually exit the programme.
Boroh said the visit to Edo State by the Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo last Monday, further cemented the ties between the people in the Niger Delta region and the federal government.
He said, “If the amount of empathy, concern and commitment to the people in the Niger Delta and their plight shown by the Buhari administration had been shown by past governments, there would have been no reason for agitations in the region. All that the people require and are asking for is basic development and understanding which is what the Buhari administration is offering.”
He lauded government’s decision to get all contractors who have abandoned projects in the region to go back to work and fulfil their contractual obligations.
The Federal Government has warned smugglers of frozen foods, especially fishes to desist from the criminal act otherwise, face five years jail term or pay a $250, 000 fine.
The Minister of State Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja during a meeting with the National Association of Nigerian Sea Foods Stakeholders.
He condemned increasing rate of importing unwholesome frozen foods such as Tilapia, Red Pacus, River Bream, Pangasius, Horse Mackerel, Sardine, Croaker into the country stressing that anyone caught will be duly prosecuted according to the law.
According to him, it is illegal to import frozen foods through the land borders, adding that the circulation of unhealthy fish and fishery products in the local market has resulted in serious health implications such as kidney disease, cancer among others.
Lokpobiri said: “The ministry is using this medium to warn all those involved, colluding, aiding and abetting in these nefarious activities to stop or face the full wrath of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Importation of fish without a licence attracts 5year imprisonment or a fine of $250,000 or both, in addition to forfeiture and destruction of the vessel and its products.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has put in place measures to arrest, detain and prosecute offenders as provided in the sea Fisheries Act Cap S4 laws of the Federation 2004. Such persons would be dealt with as criminals and economic saboteurs”
•Heaps of seized frozen poultry
Heineken revealed that the federal government has taken advisory from the Central Bank in the allocation of 800,000mt quota for frozen fish importation to bridge the 1.2million demand gap.
To check the illegal activities the minister stated that the government has been collaborating with countries in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigerian Customs Service, Maritime Police, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Agriculture Quarantine Service (NAQS).
He noted that “if we are unable to get these people before smuggling the product into the country, we will deploy our officers to begin inspection of the cold rooms and by next week I personally will go to some of these cold rooms to inspect.”
In his remark, the National President of the association, Mr Lamina Rasheed pointed out that importers are made to pay 14 percent of their total cargo to the federal government, unfortunately, smuggler pay nothing, making it difficult for licenced operators to favourably compete with them.
Imported fish
He lamented that Frozen fish imported by the licenced operators are wallowing in the Cold Rooms because the smugglers have flooded the market with their product selling at any price range as against them.
He said: “The smugglers have done a lot of damage, we have a lot of stock now in the cold room that we ate unable to sell due to the activities of these unpatriotic people”.
Reacting to why prices of frozen fish have gone up in the market, Lamina said the CBN was no longer providing forex for frozen fish operators as the product has being delisted from CBN list.
“So we have to source for forex from the black market at N520 – N465 to $1 so for us to make profits, the consumer bears the brunt. We are appealing to the CBN to. Include Frozen fish on their list so that operators would be able to get forex at a cheaper rate which also translates to cheaper fish for consumers”, he stated.
As part of efforts to check insecurity in the northeast, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiq Abubakar has inaugurated a new Combat Search and Rescue Unit in Jos.
Abubakar, who spoke during the inauguration in Kerang community, Mangu Local Government disclosed that the unit will be equipped with medical and educational facilities for benefit of the military and civilians in the host community.
He said the current security situation in the country called for the establishment of the new unit, such that the combat search and rescue group could easily get to crisis area in the northern parts of the country.
Abubakar said: “The current security landscape of our country and the challenges to the attainment of our national security requires robust security architecture capable of rapid response in all spectrums.
“Having achieved the sufficient capacity within the last one and half-year, the NAF has identified need to establish a fifth fleet command with command operation headquarters in Abuja and comprising nine specialised units including the unit that will be located in this community.”
The CAS urged the new group to be professional in their conduct, adding that the decision to site the unit was part of the determination to add value to security in the area.
He restated commitment of the military to protect lives and properties in the State in partnerships with other para-military bodies.
Abubakar further lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for his supports for the military.
“We are here to add value to the society. We will work in partnership with other security agencies to ensure plateau is secured.
“Our desire is to ensure people go out peacefully to do their legitimate businesses,” he added.
In his remark, Governor of Plateau State, Simeon Lalong described the inauguration as beneficial to the people considering the inclusion of medical and educational facilities.
He said the rate of insurgency in the country made it important to situate the new unit in the council area.
The governor, who disclosed that the land title for the project had been made available, emphasised that the establishment will reduce NAF response time to emergency crisis or rescue operations in the northern states.
“Within two days, a land was provided for the air force project in this community. If it were to be other communities, they will be fighting over compensation which could have caused another crisis,” Lalong added.
He described the special operations command and rescue unit as part of Federal Government commitment to protect citizens of the country.
However, he urged the military to adopt civil-military relationship with the host community.
Present at the event was Plateau State Commissioner for Police, Peter Babatunde, representatives of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigerian Prison Service (NPS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) among others.
