By Emmanuel Mogbede

A former Chief of Army Staff , Lt.- Gen. Oyeabo Ihejirika has formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is according to a statement issued by Alhaji MammanMohammed, Director of Press and Media to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Comnittee (CECPC) on Friday in Abuja.

Mohammedsaid that Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe, formally received the former Chief of Army Staff into the APC.

Gen. Ihejirika was formally presented to the chairman by Jigawa governor and Chairman APC Strategy and Contact Committee, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, and Farouk Aliyu, he said.

He quoted Buni as saying that the coming of Gen. Ihejirika into the APC will increase the fortunes of the party in Abia and the South-East generally.

This is a great moment for the party as Gen. Ihejirika and other sons and daughters of the region are coming into the party to deliver the region and bring the South-East closer to the centre.

He added that the party looked forward to more of APC presence in the South-East.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

The Forum of the 36 states chairmen of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has elected new officials to steer the affairs of the forum in the next couple of years.

The Chairman of the forum, Malam Idris Ojoko, who dropped the hint in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, said that the election took place in Kula in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers.

Ojoko, who doubles as the Chairman of Nasarawa State Chapter of NYCN explained that the election was conducted in the presence of the representative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, security agents and special observers.

He said that other elected officials of the forum include, Mr Godwin Emeji of Ebonyi as Vice Chairman, Malam AbdulAzeez Ismail of Osun as Secretary, Malam Abdullahi Zannah of Yobe as Financial Secretary and Mr Bani Samuel of Rivers as Public Relations Officer.

Ojoko, who was also among the newly elected executive members, said that the officials, who emerged winners in the election were inaugurated immediately to start work.

While pledging to run an all inclusive government, he reiterated his commitment to consolidate the activities, programmes and policies of the 36 states chapters of NYCN to move the council forward.

The new NYCN President called for the support and cooperation of all states chairmen to enable him succeed in transforming the council to ensure that Nigerian youths contribute immensely to National development.

Source: NAN News

By Angela Atabo

The Northern Cross River Youths Coalition in conjunction with Centre for Good Governance Democracy and Accountability has urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the Bekwarra,Obudu and Obanliku Federal Constituency projects in the state.

Mr Sunday Michael, Convener of the group made the call at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.

Michael said that the House Committee on Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board facilitated three constituency projects- two ICT centres in Bendi Technical College,Obanliku and Clement Ebri College in Utugwang,Obudu and a resource centre in Abuochichie ,Bekwarra.
He said that the projects were all awarded by the relevant government agency which was the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) as required by law.

The projects were to be executed at N491million.

We have visited the three project sites already and observed that the projects have not been done according to the terms and conditions stated in the award letters.

The contract ended up in the hands of contractors who did not do the job.

This act of non-execution and non-completion of constituency projects contracts awarded is a flagrant abuse of our extant laws, he said.

Michael said that the group had investigated and uncovered huge financial fraud, sleaze and outright non-execution of the projects by the contractors.

He said that investigation revealed that instead of building and constructing the projects as contained in the contracts schedule, the contractors only renovated and collected 50 per cent of the contract sum as kick back.

He alleged that this implied that the contracts were not fully executed in compliance with the contract terms and conditions.

Michael said that the group had petitioned relevant anti-graft agencies to investigate the matter and bring the perpetuators to book.
We will keep following up the matter.

He said the group demanded to know why the award letter and signpost showed construction, while the contractors did renovation.

He added that the group would want to know how and why full payment was made for the job and who verified the work before full payment was made among other things.

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

President Muhammadu Buhari, has commended the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), saying that the mechanism was impacting effectively on the continent.

Buhari made this known during the 30th Summit of the Forum of Heads of State and Government of member States of the APRM.

Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said the mechanism seeks to attain the pan African vision of a prosperous, peaceful and integrated Africa that is respected globally for its good governance.

It has therefore, been providing a platform for AU member states that have acceded to the protocol to share information, knowledge and experience as they review each others performance within the framework established by the forum.

As a self-monitoring mechanism in all aspect of governance, the initiative places the people at the centre of the development discourse for the benefit of Africans in line with AU Agenda 2063.

The establishment of the mechanism has led to healthy competition in development efforts, as well as providing a mechanism to identify deficiencies.

And capacity-building needs among member states, as it promotes best practices for a sustainable development and political stability, Buhari said.

Buhari said I was important to note that the APRM process in its participatory model, engages stakeholders to facilitate exchange of information and national dialogue on good governance and socio-economic development programmes.

This, the President added enables for increased transparency in decision-making process and building trust in pursuit of the national development goals.

In preparation of our peer review process, we have ensured that the review structures are put in place and made up of National Focal Points, National Governing Council, APRM National Secretariat, Technical Research Institutes and other Technical Review Team.

In line with the AU APRM Review guideline and Road Map, commendable achievements have been attained on COVID-19, Buhari said.

Buhari further told the forum that a national structure was duly established for Nigeriaa second review under his leadership for effective implementation of APRM.

He explained that the structures were the establishment of a National Focal Point of APRM, charged with the responsibility of ensuring the successful domestication and implementation of APRM in Nigeria.

Buhari alongside others said a 15-member National Governing Council presently constituted, made up of broad-based representatives of Nigerians from both the public and private sectors.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APRM was established in 2003 by the New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee (HSGIC) as an instrument for AU Member States to voluntarily self-monitor their governance performance.

APRM is a voluntary arrangement amongst African states to systematically assess and review governance at Head of State peer level in order to promote political stability, accelerated sub-regional and continental economic integration, economic growth and sustainable development.

By acceding to the APRM, Member States agree to independently review their compliance with African and international governance commitments.

Performance and progress are measured in democracy and political governance, economic governance and management, corporate governance andd socio-economic development. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Habibu Harisu

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has urged Point Of Sale (POS) operators to always obtain customers identities and strictly comply with financial regulations in their transactions.

Mr Bawa Usman, the EFCC Zonal Head in charge of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, made the call when the leaders of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents visited the commission on Thursday.

Usman urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), commercial banks and other stakeholders in the financial industry to assist toward sanitising the POS business, in recognition of its acceptability by the citizens.

He said more improvements were needed on technical upgrades of the usable application systems, monitoring of money flows, as well as identification of customers.

According to him, many fraudulent financial activities were being traced to POS operators and at times they were forced to compensate for losses.

He said that as from March 29 this year, EFCC would sanction any operator that flouted the rules on obtaining customers identities before transactions and other breaches.

Every customer shall present a legitimate National Identity Card or other required lawful identifications for any transactions.

You are facing many challenges that require careful considerations, an operator should always establish where the money goes and the persons who benefited in the transaction, Usman said.

The Zonal Head further cautioned business owners to be wary of fraudsters as some approached them to provide their bank details and after transferring money for a business, they later cancelled the transaction and demanded their money back in cash.

He insisted that any person that transferred money into an account for business, refunds should not be made in cash rather the money should be transferred back or inform the authorities.

At present EFCC is handling 25 POS-related cases, including five where children stole heir parents ATM cards and withdrew money, Usman added.

Speaking earlier, the association chairman, Sokoto state chapter, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, said they were in the EFCC on a familiarization visit and to seek improved working partnership.

Atiku said the POS had become an emerging business everywhere in the country and popularly accepted by the citizens.

He said the association had 3,800 members across the 23 local government areas of Sokoto state with lawful registration from Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and other regulatory bodies.

We are seeking EFCCs intervention as some members were occasionally being victimised and recording loses due to fraudsters.

We are law abiding citizens and ready to partner with government agencies in sanitising the business, Atiku said.

He added that many POS operators had placed CCTV cameras in their premises to protect their businesses.

Atiku said many incidences were being reported and shared through the associations social media platform, saying that a member once lost up to N5 million to fraudsters in Yabo local government area.

The chairman said the association planned to organise a public event in April this year where EFCC and other regulatory bodies would be invited to educate members.

He further assured of their readiness to cooperate with the EFCC to sanitise the business. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuella Anokam

The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) says its furniture and wood enterprise cluster, under construction at Industrial Development Centre (IDC), Idu, Abuja, will be completed in 2021.

Dr Dikko Radda, Director-General, SMEDAN disclosed this on Thursday during a facility tour of the project by SMEDAN and the Commerce and Industry Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CICAN).

The SMEDAN-CICAN facility tour was aimed at accessing the completion level and benefits of the ongoing SMEDAN furniture and wood enterprise cluster project.

The cluster park is an agglomeration of enterprises in a geographical location to promote development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for economic growth.

The Abuja pilot scheme, sitting on 1.8 hectares of land, comprises an administrative block with One-Stop-Shop, workshops, warehouses is expected to accommodate 525 MSMEs when operational.

Radda, represented by Mr Anthony Igba, Deputy Director, Department of Engineering Technology and Infrastructure, said the project which began in 2020 had undergone 80 per cent completion.

According to him, the pilot project will be completed tentatively at the end of 2021, based on availability of funds.

He recalled that the African Development Bank (AfDB) provided a grant of .000 (N228.3m) for SMEDAN to conduct a viability study for the conversion of the IDCs across the country into cluster parks.

He noted that in the bid to make the IDCs functional, SMEDAN conducted a viability study in 2018 to ascertain if they are viable in Nigeria with comparative advantage for marketability in huge markets, hence Abuja was chosen for the pilot furniture project.

The study showed that the conversion of the IDCs into a furniture clusters will be a viable project and equally provide the type of infrastructure and machineries to be put in place to equip the entrepreneurs.

This project will enable the MSMEs to come up with products that are competitive within the West African market region, it will take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Through this, there will be creation of jobs, employments and economy of scales by having a shared infrastructure and common facility.

There will also be a One-Stop-Shop comprising SMEDAN and other regulatory agencies namely Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Environmental Board.

The MSMEs that will be operational in the cluster will have easy access of product testing and certification, while it will provide machineries and facility to enable quality products and competitiveness, he said.

Radda, who noted that the MSMEs especially those involved in furniture making had been operating under harsh environment, assured that the cluster on completion would meet global standards and provide conducive environment for the MSMEs to thrive.

We will work with MSMEs associations and equally will provide the machinery needed to ease production, he added.

He said the government was using the cluster as a pilot scheme to demonstrate its workability, adding that it would be done under Private, Public Partnership (PPP) thereafter.

There are 23 clusters across the country, on fast moving consumer goods, textiles, spices, leather and among others established based on the comparative advantage of the states. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Victor Nwachukwu

Twenty-two communities in IhitteUboma Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo on Thursday declared an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the area.

The Chairman of Imo traditional institution in IhitteUboma, Eze Jude Uwalaka, made the declaration for the abandonment of FGM in the LGA.

The royal father said that the declaration was in line with the states anti FGM law (2017).

Uwalaka thanked the support partners, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for their enduring solidarity to the course.

He also said that anyone who violated the law would be duly prosecuted and punished as a deterrent to intending perpetrators.

We, the 22 communities in IhitteUboma have reached a consensus to declare on this day that FGM is prohibited and abolished from our land in accordance with the Imo anti FGM law (2017).

As law abiding citizens, we shall hand over for prosecution anyone who flaunts this declaration as the practice is now prohibited in Ihitte Uboma, he said.

In his remarks, the UNICEF chief of field office, Enugu, Mr Ibrahim Conteh lauded the move saying it was a demonstration of civil obedience and adherence to extant laws.

Conteh, represented by Mr Benjamin Mbakwem, UNICEF consultant for FGM in Imo and Enonyi, described the practice as a component of violence against women and girls.

He commended the communities for taking what he described as a bold step while urging the leaders to sustain the momentum.

We have been supporting the implementing partners through advocacy and community mobilisation to enhance social norms for the abandonment of FGM, and today we are most elated that the results are positive.

UNICEF is in solidarity with the 22 communities of IhitteUboma LGA and we kindly urge that this momentum be maintained and the resolutions sustainably implemented, he said.

Also speaking, the NOA director in Imo, Mr Vitus Ekeocha, described the declaration as the most decisive step by the communities in the campaign to end FGM and commended them for their collective willingness.

What we are witnessing here today is the outcome of various engagements and advocacy meetings with critical stakeholders on the negative health and psycho-social consequences of FGM on the female folk.

This public declaration marks a great milestone in the history of IhitteUboma people and we commend the traditional rulers, religious, youths and women leaders for this step in the right direction, he said.

Also, the states commissioner for women affairs, Mrs Nkechinyere Ugwu, appealed to residents of the communities to remain law abiding and fight FGM until the end.

The Chairman of the LGA, Mr Chike Omemgbe, thanked the support partners for their cooperation and pledged to establish a taskforce to monitor implementation of the declaration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was attended by representatives of the 22 communities in the LGA, traditional and religious leaders. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

We will compete in 22 events, including athletics, badminton, handball, volleyball, swimming, taekwondo, basketball, traditional wrestling (Kokawa) and boxing (Dambe), among others.

We are in the final stage, some of the athletes are outside Kano for training because of the lack of facilities. For instance, Swimmers, Gymnasts, Cyclists are based in Lagos while some are in other parts of the country, he explained.

Galadima, a former president of the Nigerian Football Federation, also said that Kano, being the zonal champions, would represent North West in five of the six team events which include Basketball (male and female), Handball, Volleyball and Rugby.

Before now, the festival was allowing two states to represent each zone in team events but this time because of Covid-19 pandemic, it was decided to cut down the number of people going there so only the champion states will play.

By March 29th all the athletes will arrive in Kano to meet Covid-19 protocol of testing and vaccinations, because they are required to do the test three days before they arrive in Benin.

The vaccination is to be held 12 days before the arrival, we have been taking the jabs for two days back. I had my own on Tuesday, Galadima added.

According to the chairman, the state government will maintain the gesture of giving out the sum of N500,000 to each gold medal winner, silver N300,000 while Bronze medal winners will go home with N200,000 each as motivation.

He described the tournament as a veritable tool for selecting talents that would represent either the state or the country at various sports competitions. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olayinka Olawale

The Country Coordinator, Open Forum for National Biotechnology in Africa, Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Gidado has appealed to the Federal Government to promote urban agriculture to mitigate against food scarcity.

Gidado, a Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency, Abuja made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

She said that urban agriculture would address issues surrounding insecurity in many parts of the country.

Gidado said that hydroponics, aeroponics and aquaponics were all new urban agriculture techniques that should be promoted.

She said that greenhouse farming technology that be promoted to boost food production and self-sufficiency.

According to her, hydroponics is a technology for growing plants in nutrient solutions that supply all nutrient elements needed for optimum plant growth.

It is done with or without the use of an insert medium such as gravel, vermiculite, rock wool, peat moss, sawdust, coir dust and coconut fiber.

Aeroponics is an innovative technique of misting the roots, which are suspended in the air, with hydroponic solution. Plants are supported by tailor made holes in Styrofoam panels.

Aquaponics means raising fish and plants in the same water source. The fish actually provide the fertilizer for the plants and the plant roots filter the water for the fish.

Greenhouse farming is a type of farming in which crops are cultivated under protected and enclosed environment.

It advantages is to keep out pests and diseases and has a comparable yield advantage to open filed cultivation of crops.

Urban agriculture will enable people practice farming within their homes and environment thereby increasing food production.

We have the urban agriculture and it should be promoted by the government; with all the issue of herdsmen, Boko Haram, banditry and the likes, urban agriculture will mitigate against it.

All we need to do is promote urban agriculture; people need to be taught how to farm on top of their rooftop, in containers and polythene bags, she said.

Gidado added that government should initiate activities that would promote the new techniques in the country.

The processes are known as soilless and greenhouse farming and they are readily available to practice and are cost effective.

You can plant things in your house, backyards, you can plant things inside plastics and small containers and you will harvest enough with improve seeds.

You can plant on top of your roof if you dont have space in you compound for farming.

We have all this hydroponics, soilless and greenhouse farming that people can embrace in urban cities, she said.

The country coordinator said that soilless farming reduces contamination from crops and good for planting vegetables, adding that people needed to embrace the process.

She said that soil based agriculture has a lot of challenges thereby resulting in boycott in the urban areas.

People can embrace it especially to plant vegetables that provide us micro nutrients and they are very essential for the good functioning of our body, like the vitamin A, C, D.

We get a lot of vitamins from vegetables like pepper, tomatoes, vegetables and other soilless crop.

When you talk about soilless farming, contamination will not be there; many vegetables we buy in the markets are already contaminated.

People must wash the vegetables they buy from market properly to reduce the level of contamination.

The soilless vegetables are safer and easy to cultivate, she added.

Gidado also urged government to invest more in mechanisation and technology to increase food production.

We cannot do without technology and we cannot do without mechanisation.

We just have to combine all, not just one aspect alone. We must also promote the use of satellite imagery to protect our farms from invasion.

Once we have this technology, we will not complain about availability of rice, maize and cassava.

Food will be cheap and the poor man on the street will be able to feed his family, she said.

Gidado urged farmers to explore the use of satellite imagery application to monitor their farms and detect any possible attack by insects and infestation.

She said the application was being used by farmers in the USA to monitor their farmland.

If you have a big farm and you are cultivating your crops, the satellite imagery helps you detect problem in the farm if there is invasion by insect or infestation somewhere.

It will show on your phone ones you have the application anytime there is invasion.

Some big time farmers have it already in Nigeria, but they are very few.

The application is good because in the USA, that is what the business farmers use.

I went there and I saw it, they have the application on their mobile phones; if there is any invasion, they quickly see it and attack it and take care of it immediately, she said.

The coordinator said that farming was the combination of all things; mechanisation actually helps you enlarge your production and reduce suffering.

I am into mechanisation farming; I have planters and harvesters and they make it easy to manage my farm.

So government should also invest in mechanisation, she added. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Hajara Leman

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday in Gombe, inaugurated the sales of rice paddy to millers in the Northeast sub-region.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the occasion also signalled the launch of the 2020/2021 dry season rice cultivation and wet season harvest aggregation in the sub-region.

Buhari, represented by the Gov. Atiku of Kebbi State, said the event was the third one hosted by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), after Niger and Kebbi States.

This is indeed an important achievement and acknowledgment of the CBN, under the leadership of Godwin Emefiele and his team, he stated.

He said the CBN had, within the last five years, solved the problem of financing in the agriculture sector and shown to the whole world that we can do it; and confidence is gradually returning to the Nigerian Economy.

Bagudu said the achievement so far recorded in rice production as being witnessed, was in line with the Federal Governments policy on agriculture to boost food security, provide employment and diversify the economy.

This is a great testament to the resilience, energy and responsiveness of Nigerias farmers, organised under RIFAN, and supported by millers and input providers.

He commended RIFAN for responding to the initiative and the policy measures undertaken by the government to improve the agriculture sector and make farming profitable.

The representative of the president added that the pyramids of rice displayed would be sold to different millers and that would create jobs for the youths.

He commended Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe for his passion for agriculture, as well as Gov. Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa state, for his presidential fertiliser initiative which showed that even without oil, Nigeria would survive.

In his speech, CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, commended RIFAN for the campaign which resulted in the success of the agricultural revolution.

It is heartwarming again to see our effort towards sustaining food efficiency. Food production has now turned into improvement, whereby we now move from state to state to celebrate our success in agricultural development.

Before today, we have been to Niger State where we also launched paddy rice pyramids, also in Kebbi State and today we are here to launch 13 rice pyramids with cumulative of over 200,000 50kg bags of rice, Emefiele said.

He called for more private sector investments in the agricultural value chain.

It is also encouraging that the event presents a different narrative reporting that most farmers were unable to go to their farms due to insecurity.

In the last five years, since the introduction of the Anchor Borrowers Programme, it has become a game changer for financing smallholder farmers in Nigeria; we have achieved a lot, especially economic diversification, with emphasis on agricultural revolution, the CBN governor added.

He said Nigeria had achieved a lot towards self sufficiency in the production of food items within the shortest possible time, while commending Bagudu, as the vice chairman of the Food Security Council, for his efforts that resulted in major successes.

Emefiele explained the CBN had financed over 3 million farmers, who cultivated 21 commodities on 3.9 million hectares of land through 21 participating financial institutions in the 36 states of federation and FCT. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Emmanuel Afonne

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that recent developments in the Nigerian fertiliser value chain is moving the country to becoming a regional and global fertiliser powerhouse.

Buhari said this, on Thursday, during a virtual meeting with members of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) and the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), led by Mr Thomas Etuh.

The meeting was to review the progress made so far in the countrys fertiliser sector.

The president appreciated the investments that had been made by Nigerians in the fertiliser sector, saying that those investments had contributed to lifting rural unemployment.

He expressed confidence in the leadership of FEPSAN under Etuh and urged investors in the industry to look beyond short-term gains, to enable them realise the immense economic and social gains available to themselves and the country.

Buhari also expressed confidence that the country would witness unprecedented prosperity with sustained investments in peace-building in the rural areas.

Sustained investments by members of the association even during the recession and the COVID-19 lockdown is commendable.

The increased investments in the rural areas are strong factors that have progressively helped in tackling some of the security issues the country has been witnessing.

I appreciate the sacrifices and personal commitments to the economic emancipation of Nigeria, through enhanced availability of crop inputs for improved agricultural yield.

Nigerians should be proud of the sacrifices and personal commitments you have made towards the milestones we have so far recorded.

The recent recession didnt affect your investments in this sector even when others were taking theirs outside the country.

Investments in rural areas tackle unemployment, which is the root cause of the insecurity we have been experiencing in many parts of the country at present, the President said.

He assured of that the Federal Government would provide a favourable investment climate in the country, and thanked the King of Morocco for partnering with his administration to end fertiliser scarcity in the country.

The president added that the recent agreement with the government of the North African country would also go a long way in improving the balance of trade between the two countries.

A major highlight of the meeting was the restructuring of the PFI, to ensure it was fully private sector-led, and would provide all the funding for the procurement of raw materials necessary for fertiliser production in the country.

FEPSAN President, Thomas Etuh, had earlier highlighted the commitment and supportive roles of President Buhari in birthing the PFI which commenced the sectoral revitalization process.

He explained that the singular initiative had lifted the country from scarcity to availability of the essential agro input.

Etuh reminded Mr President of the initial mandate given to FEPSAN members through the PFI programme in 2016, saying that the success of the initial mandate was being leveraged to further widen opportunities.

Mr. President, when you invited us for a role in the PFI programme, there were only four blending plants in Nigeria operating at less than 40 percent capacity.

But today, we are proud to announce the existence of 40 blending plants in the country, all operating at 100 percent capacity. Today, we are proud to announce that all the blending plants in Nigeria source 60 percent of their raw material locally, Etuh said.

He informed the President that members of FEPSAN had a combined production capacity for 1.5 million metric tonnes of blended NPK fertiliser in 2021, up from one million metric tonnes in 2020.

He added that the country had also earned the enviable status of the biggest Urea producer in Africa, with the addition of Urea production from the new Dangote refinery in Lagos.

We are at a level where the country can boast of an annual production of 6.5 million metric tonnes of Urea.

With Dangote bringing in a fresh three million metric tonnes to add to the three million being produced by Indorama and the 500,000 metric tonnes from Notore, Mr President, you can beat your chest and say that you have delivered the country from scarcity to abundance.

Not only in fertiliser raw materials, but also in blended NPK production.

The portfolios for fertiliser plant funding in the country that were hitherto considered unbankable are now considered bankable, thanks to the growth of the sector inspired by President Buhari, Etuh added.

He commended the president for the passage of the Fertiliser Bill by the National Assembly and for the Anchor Borrowers Programme that had ensured finance was available for farmers through the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The FEPSAN boss noted that the collaborative efforts of the Minister of Agriculture, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) had worked in favour of the unprecedented growth recorded in the sector.

Etuh called on the President to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other security agencies to work with the FEPSAN taskforce on quality control to monitor fertiliser blenders.

He also said that such a move would provide surveillance against the diversion of sensitive raw materials by unscrupulous elements. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Hussaina Yakubu

Gov. Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, says that the state plans to stop relying on federal allocation in the next four years.

El-Rufai disclosed this on Thursday in Kaduna in an interview with newsmen shortly after declaring open the 147th meeting of the Joint Tax Board.

He said that the state has been boosting its tax collections and channeling the funds to infrastructure, education and health care.

The governor disclosed that the state Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rose to N50.9 billion in 2020.

According to him, the state remains focused on further improving tax collection to reflect its vision.

In our last budget, 60 per cent of our budget came from federal account and 40 per cent from IGR.

But the way we are going, with very hard working internal revenue service team, in the next four to five years we will get to a point where we will only go to federation account only out of courtesy not because we need the money.

We are focused on running the government and doing development projects entirely from tax collection, we dont want to depend on the federation account, Thats our goal.

El-Rufai explained that his administration is committed to showing the people that the payment of tax is not a burden, but a contribution to development

And when you contribute, you will see the development, you will see the result.

This result you will see through free education, 12 years of free education not nine years like other states.

In Kaduna, it is not just basic education, but free education for junior secondary school and senior secondary and primary which is all financed from taxes.

We provide primary health care free to children under the age of five and to all pregnant women, and all senior citizens above the age of 70 get free health care, all from taxation.

According to him, the government is also expanding infrastructure, including expansion of water supply and investment in electrification all from tax collection.

Our motto is Tax for Service; we want you to pay tax and ask us what we do with the tax money and we can show you what we have done.

El-Rufai noted that many people in the state are beginning to voluntarily pay tax for the first time in more than 20 years. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Chiazo Ogbolu

The Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC) on Thursday urged stakeholders in the trade and transport sector to understand the rules of International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS) 2020 to mitigate disputes and litigation.

The NSC Executive Secretary made the appeal at the INCOTERMS 2020 Stakeholders Workshop organised by the NSC in collaboration with the Nigeria International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Lagos.

According to him, adequate understanding of the rules will also go a long way in preventing waste of time and resources.

He noted that the INCOTERMS rules were series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the ICC, with the purpose of providing a set of international rules for the interpretation of the most commonly used terms in trade.

Bello added that they were aimed at curtailing to a considerable degree, the disagreement and uncertainties emanating from the different interpretations of such trade terms in different countries.

He said: The workshop is very important to create the required awareness for all our stakeholders in the trade and transport sector to have a full understanding of the workings and application of INCOTERMS 2020 and to be able to make appropriate choices on the rules in their trading transactions.

The INCOTERMS 2020 clearly spells out the rules viz-a-viz delivery, risk and costs as applicable to the different modes of transport in domestic and international trade from seller to buyer.

It is very explicit on obligations and responsibilities of the parties in the contract, taking into account some common complexities that usually arise and has included security-related requirements within carriage obligations and costs.

The Verified Gross Mass (VGM), a new development in maritime trade is also addressed and this has been adjudged to be an improvement from the previous version, INCOTERMS 2010.

It is pertinent for every stakeholder in the trade and transport sector in Nigeria to be conversant with the INCOTERMS, because it does not only apply to international trade, but also very relevant in domestic trade.

When there is adequate understanding of the rules, it will go a long way in mitigating trade disputes and litigation and its waste of time and resources.

Bello said that understanding and right application of INCOTERMS 2020 was very important for the Nigerian stakeholders to play significant roles in the working of African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA).

He said that with recent developments in the inland transportation of goods through the rehabilitation and expansion of the Nigerian railway network, there was need to be adequately prepared for the increase in trading activities that the development would bring to international trade.

In her remarks, Secretary General, ICC, Nigeria, Mrs Olubunmi Osuntuyi, said the workshop was to sensitise stakeholders on INCOTERMS 2020 as a number of traders had lost huge resources due to lack of knowledge of international procedures and conventions.

Osuntuyi urged the trading public to be sure of any contractual agreement before they append their signature to avoid putting their resources to risk.

We cannot afford at this level to be wasting resources. When people enter into contractual agreement with their trading partners whether within or outside the country, they should be sure of the agreement and operate from the point of strength.

If they truly understand before appending their signature on such contract, they will look at it very critically so that they dont put their resources to risk and they are sure that the essence of entering into that contractual agreement is achieved, she said.

Also, Dr Obiora Madu, Chief Executive Officer, Multimix Group, said that as AfCFTA was on, the country needed to get its act together by what they do and also professionalise freight forwarding.

INCOTERMS is like the pivot in international trade, if you are a freight forwarder, an importer or exporter, if we regulate international trade and you do not understand INCOTERMS you have not started and this why this is very crucial.

It defines the responsibilities, the obligations of exporters, buyer and also the shipping company, he said.

He also said that Nigeria was blessed and had a big role to play in international trade, and as biggest economy in Africa there was need to put its acts in order. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Polycarp Auta

Stakeholders from Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State has commended the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) for promoting peaceful coexistence in Southern Kaduna.

Maj. Ibrahim Shittu, the Media Officer of the operation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Jos, saying the stakeholders made the commendation when they visited its troops in Gon Gora community of the area.

Shittu said that the visit followed the recent protest by some women demanding the withdrawal of the military from the community.

Following the protest staged by women and misguided youths of Gon Gora in Zangon Kataf local government area on March 23, the leadership of the community has visited our troops in the area to tender their unreserved apologies for the misconduct.

The delegation included the community leaders, religious leaders, local government officials, traditional rulers, youths and women leaders, retired permanent secretaries, and other eminent citizens of the locality.

Leading the delegation, chairman of the council, Dr.Eliaz Manza, during the reconciliation visit, dissociated themselves and the whole community from the activities of the protesters, noting that troops presence was for their safety and security of lives and prosperity.

He said that OPSH is doing much towards bringing the lasting peace in Southern Kaduna in general and Zangon Kataf in particular.

He assured that such violent act would never reoccur again, therefore pleaded that OPSH should remain in their locality, Shittu said.

The media officer said the chairman further assured the operation of their support and cooperation towards achieving peace in the area.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, has lauded the leadership of the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association (NAOWA) for their commitment to improvement of livelihood of the women in the barracks.

Attahiru gave the commendation when the President of NAOWA, Mrs Fati Attahiru, led the leadership of the association to pay a courtesy call on him on Thursday in Abuja.

He said that NAOWA had shown strong commitment in the area of provision of quality education to barracks children in the past decades, adding that more needed to be done.

The COAS, however, urged the leadership of NAOWA to ensure more improvement in the quality of NAOWA schools across the country.

I am equally impressive with the quality of education the NAOWA schools provide for our children.

I have noted with interest your significance achievements in this regard and I want to implore you to do more because it is common knowledge that most of the things the children know today are learnt from school.

Therefore, I task you to improve and ensure that all NAOWA schools teach the right values to our children.

If we can collectively achieve this, it will help reduce incidences of drug abuse and other social vices that is on the increase among our youths today, especially with our youths and children in the barracks, he said.

Attahiru also commended the women for their unwavering support for the officers and soldiers to diligently perform their assigned tasks as well as empowerment programmes to support the barracks women and children.

He pledged to provide the association with the needed support to expand its scope while urging them to start thinking about international collaborations to broaden their activities.

According to him, there is need for NAOWA to expand its scope so that the beneficiaries of its programmes can be competitive in todays technology driven world.

Let me seize this opportunity to say that as you plan your programmes, I intend to put NAOWA activities on the global stage.

In this regard, I want NAOWA to start international collaboration first by visiting India and countries that will be of benefit to the association.

Therefore, I have had discussion with my counterpart the chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army for members of NAOWA to visit India to see what their own sister organisation is doing with a view to learning a few things that will improve the activities of NAOWA, he said.

Earlier, the President of NAOWA, Mrs Fati Attahiru, said the visit was to further strengthen the existing synergy between the Nigerian Amy and the association.

Mrs Attahiru said that her vision for NAOWA was to envisione a barrack community with self reliant women and youths that actively seek opportunities to achieve their fullest potential.

She said that her mission was to improve the quality of lives of women and youths in the barracks through the provision of sustainable livelihood opportunity, cleaner and greener communities and superior health facility that cater for both mental and physical wellbeing.

On empowerment, she said that the association had been able to access the NIRSAL Covid-19 palliative, a Federal Government intervention programme that provides start up grants to boost the businesses of small and medium scale entrepreneurs.

Mrs Attahiru, however, called for more support from Nigerian Army to enable the organisation to do more and ensure the realisation of its vision.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Segun Giwa

The Ondo State Government says it will construct more roads to reduce the number of accidents caused by bad ones in the state.

Gov.Rotimi Akeredolu said this on Thursday in Akure when the Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), RS11,Osogbo, Assistant Corps Marshal Emmanuel Abe, paid him a courtesy visit

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that offices under the command watch extend from Osun to Ondo and Oyo States.

Akeredolu, represented by his deputy, Mr Lucky Ayedatiwa, said his government had contructed more roads than any government had done, in his first four years.

He said that his second term was not for resting as believed in some quarters, but for him to continue to work hard for the people of the state

The governor promised to continue collaboration with the FRSC for enabling environment to carry out their duties.

We have constructed old and new roads to avert accidents. With the records on ground, no government has been able to achieve the kilometres of roads this government achieved in the first term.

More roads will still be constructed with road furniture being put in place as requested, he said

Abe, on his part, said that 49 people had died from road accidents from January till date, while no fewer than 200 were injured.

He also said the state did not have enough drivers licence issuing offices, as it had only have four.

Abe urged the government to create more licensing offices to ease access to licences and boost the states internally generated revenue. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ibironke Ariyo

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has said that a total of 126 Nigerians across 14 states in Nigeria were sentenced to various jail terms for drugs-related offences between January and February 2021.

The Agencys Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that of the convicts, Musa Ibrahim who was prosecuted for trafficking 40 kilogrames of cannabis sativa in Akure, Ondo state was sentenced to 16 years, eight months imprisonment by a Federal High Court in the state capital.

He gave the convicts charge number as FHC/AK/10C/2021.

Another convict, Ibrahim Haladu bagged 15 years imprisonment after he was found guilty of trafficking 6.7kg of cannabis in Bauchi in charge number FHC/BAU/CR/22/2010.

Also in Bauchi state, Haruna Aliya was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for trafficking 609kilogrames of cannabis.

In Jos, Plateau state, Eke Chibuke was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment for trafficking Tramadol and Diazepam.

Idan Kenneth was charged with unlawful possession of 220 grammes of cannabis, 4.3 grammes of Tramadol, 3.3 grammes of Rophynol, and was convicted on all three count charges and sentenced to two years on each count

Other states (where convictions were got) include Lagos, FCT, Kaduna, Edo, Adamawa, Katsina and Oyo respectively, he said.

Babafemi said that a breakdownof conviction records across some other states in February shows that 18 persons were sent to jail in Kano, five each in Imo and Abia and four in Gombe.

He, however, added that others convicted were not mentioned noting that their convictions were less than five years jail terms.

Reacting to the record of conviction, the Chairman, NDLEA, Retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa commended the agencys Directorate of Prosecution and Legal Services for the diligent prosecution of the cases.

Marwa charged them to do more so that such convictions could serve as deterrent to those who might want to be attracted to the illicit trade of drug trafficking. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Lizzy Okoji

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), alongside stakeholders, on Thursday, in Abuja, organised a consultative meeting to develop an ECOWAS roadmap 2050 to address the challenges confronting woman and youths in the sub-region.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organized by ECOWAS in conjunction with its partners, including the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Nigerian government.

Mrs Finda Koroma, Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission, said the regional roadmap 2050 aimed at building on the successes of the ECOWAS vision 2020, and to chart a new development path for the next 30 years.

Koroma said that the new ECOWAS Vision 2050 would be based on the aspirations of community citizens, with a focus on tackling youth unemployment, women empowerment and inclusion, gender inequalities, child marriage, amongst others.

She said that the number of youths roaming the streets in Member States, without gainful employment, was a matter of concern that could lead to instability, as the youths became vulnerable to criminal activities.

Koroma noted that building a brighter future for the region would require addressing issues affecting women and youths.

It is, therefore, imperative as we develop the ECOWAS regions vision for the next 30 years, to see how we can best address youth unemployment.

It is a basic fact that no country or region can develop, if the majority of the working population is unemployed.

A recent study done, as part of ECOWAS Integrated Human Capital Strategy (2021-2026), reveals that offering jobs and educational opportunities to youths, will reduce unemployment by 6 percent every year.

It would put an additional 10 million young people in the workforce or skilled-labor pipeline by 2030.

Gender inequalities continue to persist in our region, despite the progress made by most countries in terms of women participation in the economic and social sectors.

In terms of employment, women participation in the work place is good, but there is significant room for improvement, especially around the quality of jobs and advancement to leadership for women.

On the social front, Africa has the highest average maternal mortality rate of any region, at four times the global average and West Africa is a major contributor to those results, Koroma said.

Koroma urged stakeholders to take a critical look at the issues and propose concrete solutions that would address the challenges women and youths faced in West Africa.

Mr Ludwig Kirchner, ECOWAS Cluster Coordinator, GIZ, said that with the vision 2050, ECOWAS and its partners were committed to developing policies that will promote women and youth empowerment.

He added that GIZ shared the same conviction with ECOWAS that now is the time to invest in the people, particularly the young people of the region, so that they can become agents of growth and economic stability.

Mrs Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, said that women remained the foundation of every society, hence issues regarding women empowerment should always be prioritised.

Tallen urged stakeholders on the need to develop concrete plans and policies that would, now more than ever before, effectively tackle poverty, youth unemployment and the many challenges confronting women in society.

Mr Gabriel Aduda, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that although a lot had been achieved under the ECOWAS vision 2020, launched in 2021, a more comprehensive plan for the future would effectively address pending challenges.

Aduda, who was represented by Mr Joseph Oyi, Head, ECOWAS National Office in the ministry, said that the transformation of ECOWAS from an ECOWAS of STATES to an ECOWAS of PEOPLE remained non-negotiable.

He stressed that on this note, emphasis should be directed towards regional engagements and programs that would ensure direct impact on the people of the community, especially the youths and women. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Ibukun Emiola

The Ekiti Government says it is committed to creating an enabling environment for intervention of donor agencies towards improving the well-being of the people of the state.

The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon, Funminiyi Afuye, stated this on Tuesday in Ibadan at the opening of a three-day training workshop for the Ekiti State Executives, and legislators.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on implementation of the conflict sensitive approach to development programme, budget formulation, monitoring and reporting.

Afuye said that the state Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi subscribed to the UNDP programme to promote peaceful coexistence in the state in a bid to make Ekiti indigenes live a life of dignity.

He noted that UNDP had been a friend of Ekiti and had intervened in different areas which had made the organisstion indeed a huge supporting partner to the state.

He noted that the UNDP had engaged Security personnel in the state in a six-day capacity building training on early warning and early response to conflict prevention and also conducted assessment on victims of violent conflict.

They would be trained in different skill acquisition programmes of their choice all in a bid to ensure that Ekiti State is at peace, thereby engendering development.

You will agree with me that for any meaningful development to occur in any society, efforts must be intensified towards prevention of crisis and revolution of conflicts of any nature in such society.

Business thrives only in societies where peace avails. Nigeria in recent times is faced with a lot of crises resulting in insecurity thereby being a clog in the wheel of the countrys development.

Hence, this sensitisation workshop involving the critical stakeholders and civil society groups in Ekiti State is a relevant and timely intervention which will give a strategic direction to the state development.

The UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, Mr Lealem Dinku, represented by Mr Mathew Alao, Team Lead, Governance, Peace and Security Unit, UNDP Nigeria, said that the workshop was aimed at capacity building on conflict resolution among the stakeholders

He stressed on the imperative of peace, justice and strong institutions to the collective well being and advancement of the countrys development in line with the SDG 16 of the UN.

As you are aware, SDG 16 aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all level.

One major way to promote sustainable development, build community cohesion, build/strengthen citizens trust and confidence in government, enhance inclusive governance, and guarantee local ownership of development programmes and projects.

And, protection is through constructive engagement with all stakeholders particularly the project beneficiaries and communities in all governments programmes that impact them, he said.

He said that to achieve the SDG 16 required some level of investment that build and strengthen capacities of government institutions and functionaries.

He added that it also required provision of the same to citizens for enduring peace, justice and strong institutions and imbuing them with the right attitude to development programming and budgeting for maximum results.

The government and stakeholders deserve a deeper understanding of the interplay between humanitarian, peace and development nexus, hence the significance of the training and at this crucial time, Dinku said.

He expressed the hope that the training would help achieve the primary essence of development programmes, which among others is to enhance human lives, to improve human dignity and wellbeing.

Dinku said this would promote peace, justice and strong institutions with capacity for engagement and improved service delivery.

Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning in the state Femi Ajayi, lauded UNDP for initiating the programme which he said would help in conflict prevention and inter-agency cooperation in the state.

Ajayi said that the UNDP had also initiated a conflict prevention and peace building programme to help build a society free of conflicts and chaos through strengthening national capacity for prevention.

He said that the UNDP did this through building the skills of stakeholders in programme development, budget processes, monitoring and reporting for all inclusiveness and closer collaboration between them.

This, he said, was with a view to facilitating immediate response to conflicts to give room for rapid development in the society.

He, therefore, described the workshop as relevant and timely, especially at a time that insecurity was a major challenge bedeviling the nation.

Conflict is nothing but a major distraction in any society which prevents the achievement of meaningful development; if at all any could be achieved.

UNDP in this regard could therefore be best described as a right step towards a right direction.

UNDP had been a friend of Ekiti and had intervened in different areas which had made the organization indeed a huge supporting partner to the state.

We are today witnessing another project which is expected to address and focus on implementing the activities that will deepen the culture of conflict prevention and peace building through peace infrastructure in Ekiti, he said

According to him, this will include supporting the government to formulate a legal framework for the establishment of peace infrastructure.

And, putting in place mechanisms to support a violent free society by strengthening the capacity of the lawmakers, key stakeholders and Civil Society Organisation (CSOs) operating in the state on a conflict sensitive approach to conflict prevention.

This training is to sensitise participants with a more robust strategy towards implementation of the conflict sensitive approach to development programming, budget formulation, monitoring and reporting, Ajayi said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

By Olawale Akinremi

An artist, Adebowale Ajibade, on Thursday told a Mapo Customary Court in Ibadan to dissolve his 21-year-old union to his estranged wife, Motunrayo, on alleged serial adultery.

Ajibade stated this in his counter-argument against his wifes accusation of irresponsibility and insincerity she levelled against him.

He further said that he was fully committed to loving Motunrayo, but for her unfaithfulness over a long period of time, which God kept revealing to him.

Immediately after our marriage, Motunrayo and I got a teaching job in a private school in Ibadan and she started dating the husband of my friends younger sister.

I got to know through some of the text messages sent to her mobile phone by that guy.

One of the love messages sent to her reads: Motunrayo, I have missed you a lot; can you find time to come and see me in my office?

My lord, that concubine of hers kept calling her at around 5.30 a.m. and 11.00 p.m. every day after which I reminded her that she was a married woman.

As if that was not enough, Motunrayo did not see any evil in dating and sleeping with the husband of her childhood friend.

Unknown to her, I overheard the conversation between my wife and the man that Motunrayo should come around for some romantic time because his wife was not around.

Worst still, Motunrayo is into an extra-marital affair with a lawyer, whom she used to go and meet in Lagos State after lying to me that she was going elsewhere, Ajibade said.

Motunrayo had earlier informed the court that she sued for separation due to her husbands habitual inhumanity towards her.

She alleged that she suffered 20 separate miscarriages during the process of childbearing with Ajibade and that he still treats her as a nonentity.

Ajibade abandoned me when I needed him most while I was ill and I dont know what he had done with my first sexual contact with him as a virgin.

This is in addition to the fact that he made no contribution to the education and general sustenance of the only child between us, Motunrayo said.

Delivering judgment, the President of the court, Chief Ademola Odunade, pronounced the marriage dissolved, citing the absence of love as the reason.

He granted custody of the child in the union to Ajibade and advised the duo to avoid anything that could bring about a breakdown of law and order. (NAN)

Source: NAN News