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  • FADAMA designed to boost Nigeria’s food production – World Bank

    FADAMA designed to boost Nigeria’s food production – World Bank

    Dr Adetunji Oredipe, ‎the World Bank Task Team Leader, says the Graduate Unemployment Youths Support Scheme (GUYSS) will enhance food production and create job opportunities in Nigeria.

    Oredipe told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday that GUYSS was a new initiative of the World Bank-assisted FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) programme.

    He said that the World Bank, through FADAMA III AF programme, created GUYSS to empower more than 200 youths from various parts of the country via the creation of employment opportunities.

    He said that the programme was conceptualised to engage the youths productively in different agricultural endeavours that would enhance their livelihoods.

    “We are collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure the success of the programme.

    “The programme is targeting job creation, building the capacity of the youth and facilitating efforts to keep the foreign exchange rate of the nation’s currency low.

    “We want to eliminate the importation of rice and tomatoes in order to reduce the pressure on the naira and make the national economy strong‎,’’ he said.

    Oredipe said that the programme would support all aspects of agricultural production as business ventures; right from crops to livestock production, inputs support and supply as well as advisory services.

    He also said there would be extension services for the beneficiaries on post-harvest measures, including warehousing, marketing and products distribution.

    The World Bank official said that the target beneficiaries of GUYSS would be secondary school certificate holders, undergraduates and graduates between the ages 18 and 35 years.

    He pledged that the scheme would ensure transparency in the selection of beneficiaries.

    Oredipe said that that the programme would start before July with a starter pack for the successful candidates.

    NAN reports that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the World Bank’s FADAMA III AF Project, launched GUYSS in May.

    The first phase of the scheme would cover 21 states and the FCT.

    The states are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto and Taraba.

    At the launch of the scheme, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said that GUYSS would facilitate the attainment of the goals of the Green Alternative Roadmap for the Federal Government’s Agriculture Promotion Policy (APP).

    The minister said that the Green Alternative Roadmap recognised the key roles of smallholder farmers and large-scale farmers in maximising agricultural output and increasing efficiency in agricultural operations.

  • World Bank calls for improved infrastructure in African cities

    World Bank calls for improved infrastructure in African cities

    The World Bank on Tuesday called for improved infrastructure for African cities to enable them develop along with their growing populations.

    Mrs Bella Bird, the World Bank Country Director for Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi and Somalia made the call at the bank’s training workshop for African journalists in Dar-es-Salaam.

    Bird said that as African cities were growing in population,  there was need to improve their infrastructure to fast track development on the continent.

    She quoted the 2016 World Bank Report as saying that Africa’s urban population stood at 472 million people.

    She said that due to urbanisation, more migrants were presently pushed to cities from the countryside with another 187 million people to be added to urban cities by 2025.

    “This is the equivalent of adding another Nigeria to Africa’s population.

    “Africa’s urban population will double over the next 25 years, reaching one billion people by 2040.

    “Congestion and mobility problems affect the ability of people to connect to jobs, and firms to markets.”

    Bird said that Tanzania was not the only country facing challenges of growing urban population many other African countries were being confronted with same problems.

    “But in Tanzania, we are particularly pleased that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which we helped to develop and finance, is already bringing relief to city residents.

    “In spite of some growing pains with the system, the project is popular and effective as the average round trip travels time for commuters using BRT line has been reduced by 90 minutes a day.’’

    Bird said that such transformation infrastructure investments were important for cities to increase their productivity and generate jobs for the youths.

    She also encouraged African countries to leverage on the private sector to finance and execute infrastructure projects as public financing was never enough to bridge the infrastructure gap.

    Bird said that the workshop organised by the bank was aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media in urbanisation reportage and related issues in the sub-Saharan Africa.

    Mr Eric Chinje, the Chief Executive Officer, African Media Initiative, the resource person for the workshop, said that the  workshop was aimed at improving quality reportage on the impact of urbanisation in major African cities.

    He harped on the need for the media to use its influencing powers on the government and other relevant international organisations to ensure solid outcomes for African citizens.

    The World Bank 2016 Report on Urbanisation titled: “Africa’s Cities: Opening Doors to the World, said that Africa was the  continent most affected with urbanisation.

    The bank said that African cities were 29 per cent more expensive than cities in countries with similar income levels.

    It said that African households faced higher costs relative to their per capita GDP than do households in other regions such as Asia.

    “For example, in Dar es Salaam, 28 per cent of residents live at least three to a room; in Abidjan, 50 per cent and in Lagos, Nigeria, two out of three people live in slums.’’

    The report said that city dwellers pay around 35 per cent more for food in Africa than in low income and middle income countries elsewhere.

    The one-week workshop with the theme: “Strengthening Reportage and Coverage of Urbanisation and Related Issues in sub-Saharan Africa is being attended by journalist from 40 African countries.

  • World Bank invests $70m in Nigerian varsities

    The World Bank has invested $70m in 10 universities to promote Science and Technology in Nigeria.

    The beneficiaries include: Redeemers University, Mowe; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Jos; University of Benin, Benin; and African University of Science and Technology, Abuja.

    Others are:  University of Port-Harcourt; Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Bayero University, Kano; Benue State University, Makurdi; and Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

    This gesture is in line with the bank’s African Centre for Excellence (ACE) project aimed at making the African region competitive with regard to science and technology.

    World Bank Lead Economist Global Practice Education, Andreas Blom, made this known at the opening of a three-day Regional Workshop of the Africa Centres of Excellence (ACE) held at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island,Lagos, last week.

    Bloom said of the $165m WB deposited for 22 ACEs project around the African region, $70m has been invested in 10 universities in Nigeria to boost science and technology, which according to him, is now competitive around the world.

    He said Nigeria being the biggest country in the African Region, has strong universities that have little or no recognition outside the country.

    Said Blom: “Nigeria has strong universities but they are not well recognised outside. They are very few regional students coming into Nigeria. So the quality needs to be raised.

    “A lot of Nigerians are going outside, spending lot of money on quality education. Nigerian talents can remain in Nigeria and be educated in Nigeria but we need better universities. We need good teachers, curriculum and laboratories. For Nigeria, we are funding several areas of science. For instance, we are on infectious diseases.

    “In particular, there is the Centre of Excellence for infectious diseases at Redeemers University. That was the testing site for the Ebola crises in Nigeria. They were able to test and turn around the result within six hours. It was critical information and scientific centre that confirmed it was Ebola and allowed the government to very quickly respond and hence contained the virus.

    “The other area we are funding is post-harvest technologies. Around 40 per cent of crops and foods are wasted due to poor storage, transportation and loss. Imagine all that food that would have been available for the hungry if we had the right technologies and knowledge among the people handling the food. Also the reproductive health is another area, more practical science around oil sector. Nigeria is the largest oil producing country in the region but a lot of experts, foreigners come in to take up jobs in these areas, but we are trying to educate Nigerian engineers, chemical engineers, petroleum engineers that can take up well positioned places and have value added in the Nigerian oil industry.”

    He noted that the WB African Centre for Excellence project, which started in 2014, would elapse in 2019. However, Blom said WB might consider postponing the deadline.

    The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, said the commission, which hosted the event, is impressed with the project having gone round the ACEs and is committed to achieving its aims.

    He said: ‘’NUC has completed programme resource verification and national accreditation of the programmes of the centre. We are glad to report that almost all the programmes, I think about 96 per cent of them got full accreditation. We would like to see the ACEs and NUC working in close partnership with research institutes to address developmental challenges. NUC would be working closely with the Ministry of Science and Technology as well as relevant stakeholders, to ensure the achievement of project goals”’’he added.

    Minister of State for Education Prof Anthony Gozie Anwukah, said Federal Government is proud of the ACE project and satisfied with progress made. He said the Federal Government through ACE engagement is revolutionising higher education in areas of research and post graduate training, and would ensure sustainability of the project beyond the World Bank 2019 intervention deadline.

  • Bayelsa targets 7,000 temporary jobs from $50m World Bank development loan

    The Bayelsa government on Wednesday said it planned to create at least 7,000 temporary jobs from the implementation of projects funded from the 50 million dollara development facility from the World Bank.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the loan stock is part of World Bank’s intervention with 200 million dollars in four states in the Niger Delta region mainly Bayelsa, Edo, Rivers and Delta.

    Addressing newsmen after a project tour of completed and ongoing interventions, Mr Ayens Adogu, Project Cordinator of State Expenditure For Results (SEFOR) Bayelsa, said more than 3,000 jobs had so far been created in the first phase of the project.

    He said that there were indications that the state would exceed the targetted 7,000 at the end of the second phase of the programme following the successes so far recorded in the first phase.

    The youth, according to him, were engaged to provide labour for the concrete road projects for a period of one year and being paid a monthly stipend of N20,000 while a new set of youths are engaged at the end of the year to rotate the jobs among the unemployed.

    Adogu said that the development of some micro projects were implemented with direct labour approach, to engage unemployed youths who were trained in skills and entrepreneurship, to enable them to seek self employment at the end of the temporary jobs.

    He said that part of the conditions of the temporary one-year jobs included a compulsory saving which could only be withdrawn at the end of the contract to assist as start-up capital at the end of the one-year contract.

    He explained that SEEFOR project was a collaboration between the Bayelsa Government, World Bank and European Union to fund quick impact development projects like concrete walkways, streets, market stalls, craft centres and health centres .

    According to him, benefiting communities are selected based on needs and readiness of the communities to contribute 10 percent of the N10 million set aside for each benefiting community.

    Adogu said that some 108 micro public works projects had so far been completed in the first phase of the project while SEEFOR just advertised expression of interest for contractors for 136 new projects.

    The Project Coordinator said that the projects had impacted positively on the lives of beneficiaries, especially in the rural communities by kick starting economic activities in processing of agricultural produce like cassava and fish.

    “The government of Bayelsa is using the World Bank credit to reflate the economy of the state and boost economic activities to improve the living standards of the people.

    “The impact of the project has touched the state’s economy; for instance, the payment of over 3,000 hitherto unemployed youths involves 10 banks and not to mention the award of small contracts for the over 108 micro public works projects across the state.

    He said that the 50 million dollars development facility had a 40-year tenor and 10-year moratorium at concessionary interest rate.

  • FADAMA Team Leader assures farmers of support

    FADAMA Team Leader assures farmers of support

    Dr Adetunji Oredipe, Task Team Leader (TTL), FADAMA 111 Additional Financing (AF), on Tuesday expressed willingness to tackle challenges facing farmers with more support from state governments.

    Oredipe said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to him, talks were on-going with the governments on the importance of counterpart funding to make them work as a team to reduce poverty and also boost the economy.

    “The programme prepared a project worth N150million and the World Bank has agreed to contribute N120million of which N30million is expected from state government but if the state is not forthcoming, it is difficult to achieve its aims and objectives.

    “We are appealing to the state government even in the face of recession in the country, they should be able to prioritise their activities and attach the necessary importance to the development of the agriculture as they claimed it their primary area of focus.

    “If the state government is able to do this and project resources available, jointly we can work together to achieve the objectives set out in the project document,’’ he said.

    Oredipe said that the programme would not follow the idea of giving deadline or force the state to pay but they would continue to appeal to the state sense of judgement and tell them while it is important to pay the fund as at when due.

    “If the counterpart fund is not forthcoming, we might not achieve the objectives of the project.

    “ Since the states have committed some funds and World Bank has committed a lot of fund to work jointly to make sure that the excess results are achieve,’’ he said.

    “The clearing of land is a major challenge facing farmers because the cost of clearing is high and the project did not cover it, but they had discussed with the government on it.

    He said “we are happy because it is coming at a time when some states government have acquired new set of equipment that can be used to help these farmers in land clearing,’’ Oredipe said.

    NAN reports that the project began disbursement in Feb. 2014 and proposed to end on Dec.2019.
    It aimed at scaling up the impact and development effectiveness of the well performed FADAMA 111 project.

  • World Bank trains 70 Delta govt. officials on financial management

    World Bank trains 70 Delta govt. officials on financial management

    The State Employment and Expenditure For Results (SEEFOR ) project, which is sponsored by the World Bank and EU, has trained 70 Delta Government officials on prudent management of resources.

    The State Coordinator of SEEFOR, Mr Benson Ojoko, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Asaba on Sunday.

    Ojoko told NAN that the training was done in conjunction with the state government.

    He said that the civil servants made up Permanent Secretaries, Directors of Research and Planning were chosen from the core ministries, department and agencies of the state to participate in the training.

    He said that the training was aimed at building the capacity of the government officials, who played vital roles in implementing government policies and programmes.

    Ojoko said that the training being carried out under the Public Financial Reform Component of SEEFOR project was aimed at building capacity towards sustainable development of the state.

    The coordinator said that the training, which was centred on Medium Term Sector Strategies (MTSS), was in line with the state government’s development agenda.

    He explained that MTSS strategies were aimed at improving healthcare and infrastructure as well as ensuring the wellbeing of the people of the state.

    “MTSS is a tool for effectively translating government policies and programmes into concrete programme which will ultimately impact on the people.

    “It also helps in ensuring proper planning especially as it relates to making provision for existing government projects or investments during budget process.

    “MTSS helps to address the menace of abandoned projects because it is implemented under a multi-year budget framework,’’ he said.

    The coordinator said that the second phase of the exercise, which would focus on procurement reform and integrated financial management information system, would be held in two weeks’ time.

  • IDPs cannot return to Bama before Ramadan – Shettima

    IDPs cannot return to Bama before Ramadan – Shettima

    Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno has said that returning Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to Bama Local Government Area before Ramadan is no longer feasible because of current military operations in Sambisa Forest.

    Shettima had promised to return IDPs to liberated communities by 29, May.

    However on Tuesday, the governor announced a change of plan when he inaugurated 12 public infrastructure rebuilt by Borno Government in Bama with N360 million provided by the Victims Support Fund (VSF).
    The fund, established in 2014 with public donations, has retired Lt.-Gen.  Theophilus .Y Danjuma as Chairman.

    The governor said: “Our goal was for our people to be able to return to Bama before this Ramadan.

    ‘’Unfortunately, this is not feasible because the military is still carrying out operations in some areas around the Sambisa as part of mop up exercise in the yet to be concluded fight against Boko Haram.

    “We will continue to work with security agencies to review situations. Our number one priority is the security and safety of our people.

    “We will not allow any IDP return to any community that has not regained 100 per cent safety.

    “When IDP’S return to communities, they will still need to go to their farms, markets and to travel for economic and social purposes.

    “We must be sure that farms are safe and routes are safe before we allow our people to return. But even while we do the reviews, we will continue with our aggressive reconstruction works.’’
    He added: “We will not wait till eternity.

    ‘’We are very optimistic that very soon, the entire Borno will be safe enough for full habitation. We look forward to Borno reclaiming peace, security and progress.”

    Shettima said the government was laying emphasis on Bama but paying attention to all parts of the state.

    ”For the purpose of setting records straight, I think I should use this opportunity to once again explain that  our focus is on all parts of Borno not just on Bama.

    “Our reconstruction works actually started in northern Borno where we rebuilt numerous public and private infrastructures in Kaga Local Government Area.

    “We are currently working in 14 local government areas but there is special emphasis on Bama, Mobbar and Gwoza.’’

    He said Bama was getting the highest attention because it was adjudged the worst hit by the insurgency in the Northeast.

    He said the Post Insurgency Recovery and Peace Building Assessment conducted on the Northeast by the World Bank, the European Union, the Presidency and State Government in the northeast indicated so.

    “More than 80 per cent of public and private infrastructures were destroyed by Boko Haram during their occupation.

    “The Boko Haram as we all know, also occupied Gwoza but they did not destroy Gwoza as much as they destroyed Bama.

    “So, our idea of facing Bama is to confront the most difficult challenge in a bold manner so that our task becomes less.’’

    Shettima said next to Bama in terms of massive destruction was Mobbar.

    ‘’We are currently working in Mobbar. We have deployed so much resources so that we also confront the rebuilding challenge” he said.
    In his remarks, Danjuma, represented by Vice- Chairman of VSF, Tijjani Tumsah, said the fund decided to intervene in Bama because it was impressed by the efforts of the Borno Government.

    He said while the fund provided N250 million for the reconstruction of 24 projects in Dikwa last year, the state government used the fund to rebuild not only the 24 projects but added 16 others.

     

  • Nasarawa pays N500m for World Bank programme

    Nasarawa state government has paid its counter fund of N500 million to the World Bank for participation in the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project. (NEWMAP)

    The state Deputy Governor, Mr. Silas Agara, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lafia during a meeting with members of the steering committee for the project.

    He explained that the World Bank assisted programme was aimed at tackling gully erosion as well as the challenges of watershed management facing most states in Nigeria.

    He said that Nasarawa is one of the 18 states in Nigeria currently benefiting from the project.

    Agara added that execution of NEWMAP would go a long way to address the challenges of erosion and environmental degradation in parts of the state.

    He said the government was committed to putting measures in place to curb erosion, soil degradation and other adverse effects of climate change plaguing the state.

    The deputy governor lauded the efforts of the federal government to avert environmental hazards through programmes such as NEWMAP.

    He expressed the willingness of the government to partner the federal government and other relevant agencies in this direction.

    He said that the meeting would ensure that the execution of the project in the state was in conformity with the national development plan.

    He added that the meeting would also approve the annual work plan for the project.

    Agara said the meeting would also provide guidelines for the operations of members of the technical committee for the project.

    He added that the meeting would also deliberate and resolve conflict that might arise in the affected communities.

    The Commissioner for Environment and Solid minerals, Mr. Gabriel Aka’aka, who chairs the committee, assured that members would work assiduously to ensure success of the project.

     

  • Kogi seeks World Bank’s intervention in rice production

    The Kogi government on Thursday said it would seek World Bank’s intervention in its quest to boost rice production and improve aquatic culture in the state.

    The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oloruntoba Kehinde, said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Kehinde said the state government was impressed with the success recorded by the World Bank in cassava production and its value chain under the Fadama 111 additional financing in Kogi.

    He noted that the bank’s intervention would ultimately encourage rice production in Kogi and make the state one of the largest producer of rice in North Central Nigeria.

    He described Kogi as “a confluence of opportunities”, blessed with rivers, fertile expanse of land and able-bodied men.

    The commissioner said that areas like Ibaji, Ejiba/Omi Dam, Bassa, Koton-Karfe, Lokoja, Omala, among others, had abundance of viable farm lands for rice and aquatic culture.

    “We want the World Bank to intervene in rice production and aquaculture because the bank has being a worthy partner in cassava production and even in the health sector,” Kehinde said.

    He said the state government realised agriculture was pivotal to its economic growth and had declared a state of emergency in the sector to reduce crime and guarantee food security.

    Kehinde disclosed that Kogi had asked for the lease of Federal Government’s 4,500 hectares land around Omi Dam in Yagba West and Ibaji Local Government Areas for rice production.

    He said the federal government has also pledged to set up another rice mill in Ibaji and called for upscale in rice cultivation to feed the mills.

    “About 45,000 hectares of Fadama land in Odo-Ape could also be used for cassava and rice production,” he said.

    NAN reports that Kogi is one of the six core states of Fadama III programme participating in cassava value chain.

  • Investigation: World Bank permanently suspends six Nigerian firms, 12 others

    Investigation: World Bank permanently suspends six Nigerian firms, 12 others

    Investigation has shown that the World Bank has permanently barred six Nigerian firms from transacting businesses and engaging in procurement activities with the global financial institution in the country.

    The organisations were accused of contradicting World Bank procurement and consultant guidelines during the Bank’s procurement for projects and programs.

    The six affected firms are Karitex Limited, Gurpreet Singh Malik limited, Kamal Sharda limited, Sharda Impex (U.K) limited, Shereena Agriculture Limited and Vikram Deepak Gursahaney limited.

    Among the permanently barred firms, only Shereena Agriculture Limited is based in Kano state while the remaining five are located in Lagos.

    Procurement guideline 1.15 of the Bank stipulates that borrowers, suppliers, contractors as well as bidders should observe highest ethical standard and shun any fraudulent practices during the procurement process.

    The section reads: “It is the Bank’s policy to require that Borrowers (including beneficiaries of Bank loans), as well as bidders/Suppliers/Contractors under Bank-financed contracts, observe the highest standard of ethics during the procurement and execution of such contracts.

    “In pursuance of this policy, the Bank: (a) defines, for the purposes of this provision, the terms set forth below as follows: (i) ‘corrupt practice’ means the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of anything of value to influence the action of a public official in the procurement process or in contract execution; and

    “(ii) ‘fraudulent practice’ means a misrepresentation of facts in order to influence a procurement process or the execution of a contract to the detriment of the Borrower, and includes collusive practices among bidders (prior to or after bid submission) designed to establish bid prices at artificial, non-competitive levels and to deprive the Borrower of the benefits of free and open competition.”

    The bank temporarily barred 12 additional firms for contravening Sections 1.12, 1.14 and 1.15 of the World Bank procurement guidelines.

    While the sanction duration for one of the firms Xl Management Services Limited extended to 12 months, Snc-Lavalin International (Nigeria) Limited was sanctioned for 10 years with sanction period to end in the year 2023. Others ranged between four and five years.

    The temporarily suspended firms include Best Scan Solutions Limited, Mr. Iyke Ambrose, Xl Management Services Limited, Zarcus Construction Nigeria Ltd, Engr. Hammed Mutiu Olalekan, Honeyomar Ventures Ltd., Agonic Associates Nig Ltd, Mr. Agomuo Nicholas and D.A. Construction Limited.

    Others are Snc-Lavalin International (Nigeria) Limited, Contransimex Nigeria Limited and Sego Ventures Nigeria Limited.

    Section 1.12 titled Reserved Procurement stated that; “When open competition would be the appropriate method of procurement for particular goods or works of the project, but the Borrower wishes to reserve this procurement for one or more specific firms or enterprises, the Bank may accept such reserved procurement only on condition that: (a) it is not eligible for financing out of the Bank loan; and (b) it will not significantly affect the satisfactory project implementation in terms of costs, quality, and completion time.”

    While Section 1.14 of the procurement procedure titled References to Bank stated that: “If the Borrower wishes to refer to the Bank in procurement documents, the following language shall be used:

    “(name of Borrower) has received (or in appropriate cases „has applied for‟) a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in various currencies equivalent to US Dollars toward the cost of (name of project), and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this loan to eligible payments under this contract.

    “Payment by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development will be made only at the request of (name of Borrower or designate) and upon approval by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and will be subject, in all respects, to the terms and conditions of the Loan Agreement.

    “The Loan Agreement prohibits a withdrawal from the Loan Account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of the Bank, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than (name of Borrower) shall derive any rights from the Loan Agreement or have any claim to loan proceeds.”