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Oil Palm, Coconut Stakeholders Pledge To Improve Productivity

Lateefat Ibrahim
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Beneficiaries of the Anambra state government oil palm and coconut seedlings distribution have pledged to support the initiative for optimal productivity across the state.

The stakeholders such as principals of secondary schools and heads of Institutions, where these seedlings were planted made the commitment during inspection by the team from the state Ministry of Agriculture to assess the performance of distributed seedlings across the state.

In their separate comments, the Vice Principal of Community Secondary School, Ajalli, Mr Ben Madu said that the school has recorded success using the correct planting techniques, applying organic manure and constant watering of the plants.

According to Madu, constant care for the plants will guarantee survival of the plants as they hoped to make income from the produce.

For the Principals of Holy Cross High School, Umuawulu/Mbaukwu, Mrs Amaka Anekwe and that of Community Secondary School, Ms Stella-Mary Nwafor, they will sustain strategies to ensure the survival of the seedlings at all cost.

Massive Coconut Production

They appreciated government for supplying them with the seedlings in its bid to move the people from oil to agriculture economy, noting that in less than four years, there will be massive coconut production in the state which they never witnessed in the history of the state.

Commending them for their efforts so far, the state Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Foster Ihejiofor, who spoke through his Technical Assistant and leader of the Inspection team, Mr. Ifeanyi Nwaegbo, reiterated government’s commitment to strengthen measures aimed at boosting the productivity of the produce.

He lauded schools, Institutions and communities that have recorded immense success so far, and called for more effort from other beneficiary to ensure survival of the seedlings as government spent so much to procure them.

 

Lateefah Ibrahim

Algeria Agrees To Build Energy Pipeline With Italy

Confidence Okwuchi
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Algeria and Italy have greed to build a new pipeline to carry Algeria’s gas and electricity to Europe.

At a joint press conference with visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said the project would make Italy “a key distributor of Algerian energies to Europe”.

Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni said in the light of the energy crisis in Europe, Algeria can “become a pioneer supplier at the African and global levels via Italy to all Europe,”

She  noted that Algeria is Italy’s first trading partner in Africa.

the Prime Minister also expressed Italy’s aspiration to diversify partnership with Algeria, especially in the areas of digital infrastructure, communications, biomedicine, industry and renewable energies.
Earlier in the day, Algeria and Italy signed several cooperation agreements during a ceremony co-chaired by Tebboune and Meloni.

The Italian prime minister arrived on Sunday in Algeria for a two-day working visit.

 

NAN/Confidence Okwuchi

PAN Seeks Lasting Policy To Sustain Poultry Sector

Lateefat Ibrahim
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Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has appealed to the government of Nigeria to formulate lasting policies that will ensure sustainability of the poultry sector of the economy.

Mr Pius Aminu, Chairman, PAN, FCT Chapter made the call in an interview with the media, in Abuja explained that implementation of such policy would enable the country to harness full potentials inherent in the sector.

Aminu further said that the policy would save the industry from imminent collapse.

The chairman, who frowned at the present state of the poultry industry with regard to hike in prices of eggs, meat, feed and drugs among others, blamed it on lack of sustainable industry policy.

He listed the key areas the policies should address to include: Biosecurity, hike in poultry drugs, reversal of import duties, challenges facing the breeders, hatcheries and portfolio farmers, among others.

According to Aminu, the breeders and hatcheries need such policies to reduce cost of production as a day-old chick at the moment was sold at the rate of N500 and above.

The chairman further suggested that such a policy should identify core poultry farmers that bear the grunts of the challenges in the industry.

Aminu said: ”Not traders or portfolio farmers that would use the policy to boost their income and ruin the nation’s economy.”

He said that such measures would enable core farmers to benefit maximally from the industry and in the long run enhance the national economy.

“The policy should be such that poultry farmers are involved directly, not portfolio farmers, real poultry farmers that their farms can be verified not traders. Government should separate between farmers and traders.

“Their farms should be visited. A practicing farmer knows what it takes to care for birds, when there is mortality in his farm, he knows the implications,’’ Aminu said.

According to him, once supply is low, demand will go higher and that would lead to price hike generally not only in the poultry sector

Aminu said: “In the past, we were buying 100kg bags of maize at N10,000 translating to N100, 000 per tonNE, but at the moment, it is over N20,000 per bag, amounting to N200,000 per tonNE and above.

“Therefore, by the time you factor it in your production of course, it will affect the cost of your eggs.

“When you cost your egg, what it costs you to produce an egg to sustain production, you must factor it in your profit margin, and who pays for that? the consumer.

He said they all have no options than to do the needful so that farmers remain in business.

 

NAN/Lateefah Ibrahim

Brazil Airlifts Starving Yanomami Tribal People From Jungle

Shakirat Sadiq
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Brazil has airlifted 16 starving Yanomami tribal people to receive urgent treatment, after the government declared a medical emergency.

The indigenous people live in a reserve in Brazil’s northern state of Roraima.

“President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has accused his predecessor, far-right Jair Bolsonaro, of committing genocide against the rainforest tribe.”

The government declared a ‘medical emergency’ after hundreds of Yanomami “children died from malnutrition.”

The deaths are linked to water pollution caused by mining and logging in the densely forested area, where food insecurity is rife.

On Saturday President Lula visited Roraima, which borders Venezuela and Guyana, following reports of severe malnutrition among Yanomami children and said he was “shocked” by what he found.

“More than a humanitarian crisis, what I saw in Roraima was genocide: a premeditated crime against the Yanomami, committed by a government insensitive to suffering,” he said later. “I came here to say we are going to treat our indigenous people as human beings.”

“An estimated 28,000 indigenous people live in the Yanomami reserve.” They hunt, practise small-scale slash-and-burn agriculture and live in small, scattered, semi-permanent villages.

In his four years in power, Mr Bolsonaro often criticised the size of the indigenous reserves and promised to open some of them to agriculture and mining. His government ‘weakened environmental protections,’ and critics said “his rhetoric emboldened illegal activity in the region.”

Today, some 20,000 illegal miners are estimated to operate inside the Yanomami reserve, which is rich in gold, diamonds and minerals. In 2021, “miners in the area opened fire on the Yanomami using automatic weapons.”

The new Lula government says more than 500 indigenous children have died in the past few years from drinking water contaminated with mercury, which is directly linked to illegal gold mining.

Lula was sworn in as president on 1 January after narrowly defeating Jair Bolsonaro, and Brazilian society is deeply polarised.

Sonia Guajajara, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples, said: “We must hold the previous government accountable for allowing this situation to get worse to the point where we find adults weighing like children, and children reduced to skin and bones.”

The Interior Minister, Flavio Dino, also “accused the previous government of abandoning the indigenous community and promised an investigation.”

Besides airlifting some of the most seriously ill members of the tribe, Brazilian authorities announced that the health ministry would create a field hospital and send supplies and health professionals to the area.

 

 

 

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq

Stockbrokers Optimistic About Nigeria’s Ecomomic Growth

Confidence Okwuchi
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Some stockbrokers have assured the investing public that the Nigerian economy has strong potential to bounce back they year, 2023.

The Stockbrokers said this in Lagos at an event organised by Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, CIS on “The Nigerian Economic Review of 2022 and Outlook for 2023.”

The Capital Market

The stockbrokers x-rayed the state of the Nigerian capital market in 2022 and forecast recovery in 2023 despite the headwinds and uncertainties associated with the economy.

The stockbrokers said the Nigerian economy was going through a tough period with headwinds, including imported inflation, huge debt service-to-revenue ratio, high exchanges rates, forex scarcity, currency depreciation, N12 trillion 2023 budget deficit, among others.

President of Association of Capital Market Academics Professor Uche Uwaleke, who spoke on the “Macroeconomic Performance and the Capital Market,” said contrary to projections in several quarters, government’s fiscal position was likely to improve in 2023.

Uwaleke said that would be based on the account that there would be improvement in crude oil revenue from increase in crude oil production.

He, however, said that would also be on the assumptions that crude oil price would not change and incidence of oil theft continued to go down.

“Savings from fuel subsidy removal will increase government revenue.

“Implementation of Finance Act 2022 and unification of exchange rates will boost economic growth and development,” said Uwaleke.

Also, Chairman, Research and Technical, CIS, Mr Ayo Ebo who spoke on the Nigerian Economic Review of 2022 and Outlook for 2023 corroborated Uwaleke’s view.

Ebo said expected higher crude oil would increase government revenue in the year.

He said, “Goods account balance is expected to recover in 2022, due to higher crude oil prices.

“In 2023, the goods account is expected to benefit from reduced forex outflow on petroleum motor spirit (PMS).

“Importation, following the coming on stream of Dangote’s refinery and promotion of non-oil export.”

According to him, increased spread of working-class Nigerians in the diaspora is expected to continue supporting the strong performance of the transfers account, especially the remittance component.

“Political stability post-2022 and more market-oriented policies of the new administration are expected to drive a steady recovery in portfolio inflows over the medium term.

“An optimal growth rate for Nigeria is between five per cent and seven per cent per annum,” Ebo said.

Also, President and Chairman of Council, CIS, while presenting the CIS scorecard, explained that the Nigerian economy would experience growth during the year.

Adeosun, while listing the achievements of the institute in the reviewed period, stated that the institute would pursue its advocacy roles with renewed vigour.

“In 2023, we shall be working to increase the number of Nigerian universities offering both post-graduate and Bachelor’s degree courses in Securities and Investment/Capital Market Studies.

“We shall be pursuing more vigorously, activities to promote Capital Market Literacy across the entire geo-political zones of Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, in furtherance of CIS ‘Catch Them Young campaign,’ the institute shall make deliberate efforts to penetrate the university campuses more rigorously and effectively.

He noted that the CIS Academy would work harder to bring affordable world class training to its members in emerging areas like derivatives, among others.

 

 

NAN/Confidence Okwuchi

Government Trains 50 Farmers On Agroforestry Model In Edo

Lateefat Ibrahim
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The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has trained 50 Coconut farmers and processors on agroforestry system-based plantation model, to improve the livelihoods of the farmers in Edo.

The capacity building was organised under the Coconut value chain of the ministry, in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) in Benin.

Declaring the training opened, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, said the exercise was part of efforts of the Federal Government to attain food security and self-sufficiency in Nigeria.

Represented by Chukwuemeka Ukattah, a Director in the ministry, Abubakar said President Buhari was determined to turn around the nation’s economy through agriculture by its unwavering support for farmers and empowerment of women and youths.

Food Security

He said it was an effort to attain food security, self-sufficiency as well as improve the livelihood of Coconut farmers and processors.

“The government, through the Coconut value chain, decided to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to establish and maintain a successful Coconut plantation.

”We will cover topics such as nursery establishment, field development, harvesting and processing to meet local and international markets standard and demand.

“With the right training, coconut value chain has the potentials to contribute significantly to the nation’s GDP and generate employment,” Abubakar said.

The Executive Director of NIFOR, Dr Celestine Ikuenobe, who welcomed participants to the workshop, said Nigeria’s coconut production was far below the demand.

“I am sure that if the National Coconut Producers Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN) work with this agroforestry based plantation model, the value chain will be on a scale to contribute significantly to our economy.

“We suddenly got a huge demand for coconut seedlings in the last three to four years and we were caught napping because we did not prepare for the fact that there was going to be an upsurge in the demand for coconut seedlings,” he said.

Ikuenobe explained that NIFOR was strengthening it’s capacity to meet the sudden upsurge in the demand for the seedlings.

“We are working to invigorate our coconut gardens in addition to other identified seed trees,” he stated.

According to him, in the last two years, “we have replanted our coconut germplasm and in the next five years.”

He added that there would be enough to provide nuts and materials for the industry.

 

NAN/Lateefah Ibrahim

California: Reeling From Its Second Mass Shooting in Days

Shakirat Sadiq
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California: Reeling From Its Second Mass Shooting in Days

The US state of California is reeling from its second mass shooting in days after a man shot dead seven former co-workers south of San Francisco.

“The attacks took place in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay. The victims were all Chinese-American farm workers.”

Suspect Zhao Chunli, 67, was arrested after driving to a police station.

It comes as the state mourns the death of 11 at Monterey Park – about six hours south east of Half Moon Bay – during Lunar New Year celebrations.

California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was at a hospital meeting with victims of the earlier mass shooting when he was pulled away to be briefed about the second attack, describing it as “tragedy upon tragedy.”

The latest bloodshed to hit the state took place at two farms around the Half Moon Bay community.

Four victims of the shooting attack were discovered at a mushroom farm while the other three were later found at a nearby trucking business. An eighth victim is being treated in hospital and is in a critical condition.

A number of children who had recently been let out of school and lived on the rural property saw the attack take place, San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus said.

Horrific
“This kind of shooting is horrific. It’s a tragedy we hear about far too often, but today it’s hit home here in San Mateo County,” the office said.

“For children to witness this is unspeakable.”

After carrying out the killings, the suspect drove to a local police station where his arrest was caught on camera.

US news channels showed Zhao Chunli being pinned to the ground and arrested by police.

He was found with a semi-automatic pistol that may have been used in the attack, and was co-operating with police, Sheriff Corpus said.

Zhao Chunli, seen in an undated driver’s licence photo
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine told the Associated Press news agency that the attacks were committed by a “disgruntled worker.”

“We are sickened by today’s tragedy in Half Moon Bay,” Mr Pine said in a statement. “There are simply too many guns in this country and there has to be a change.”

The attack in Half Moon Bay is the 37th mass shooting in just 24 days according to US not-for-profit Gun Violence Archive.

They define a mass shooting as four or more people injured or killed.

Even as details of the deadly attack in Half Moon Bay were coming in, detectives in the south of the state were still hunting for a motive for the killings in Monterey Park.

There, an elderly Asian immigrant murdered 11 people in a suburban dance hall, before killing himself as police closed in.

 

 

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq

Kwara State SDP House of Reps Candidate Inaugurates Campaign Committee

Confidence Okwuchi
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0

The Social Democratic Party, SDP member representing Ilorin East/ South Federal Constituency from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, Abdulganiyu Saka Cook-Olododo has inaugurated his reelection bid campaign council .

The inauguration took place at the lawmaker’s constituency office located at GRA, Ilorin.

While addressing the campaign team, led by a former Chairman of Ilorin East Local Government, Alhaji  Tunde Saad and Alhaji Ishola Mashood Abiola, who were appointed Deputy Chairman of Campaign Council and Director General respectively, Olododo said “It will be recalled that about four years ago, some respectable individuals were assembled to constitute my campaign council to actualize my ambition to contest for the seat of Ilorin East/South Federal Constituency in the House of Representative of the National Assembly, Abuja. 

According to him , to the glory of God and collective resolve of our people, he won that election.

While upon his  swearing-in, he hit the ground running in ensuring that his  campaign promises were fulfilled and dividends of democracy were drawn to his constituency.

He says, “Without sounding immodest, I have been able to break an unprecedented record in my constituency in terms of legislation, constituency projects I had facilitated and empowerments programmes I had executed”. 

The Lawmaker disclosed that in due course, the list of all these projects and his other political activities compiled and contained in his  book titled “SO FAR, SO GOOD” will be in circulation.

Olododo who is also the Chairman, House committee on National Planning stated that “As another general election are fast approaching, where I will be seeking re-election into the House of Representatives under the platform of SDP, to continue the good works I had started, I need to emphasize and implore members of the Campaign council and all other members of our campaign team to conduct their activities in an orderly manner. 

He stressed that “Campaigns should be issue-based and not insult or attack on personalities. I abhor violence and thuggery and I don’t encourage anyone to engage in them in the name of politics. Our campaigns should be devoid of politics character assassination and political violence.” 

Olododo urged members of his Campaign Council and Campaign team to go all out and canvass vote for all SDP candidates in Kwara state, particularly in Ilorin East/South.

The Director General (Operations) of the Hakeem Lawal Campaign Organization, Mr. Kale Belgore in his remarks said “Olododo is a leading politician and public administrator of note, not just in Kwara but Nigeria, whom Ilorin East/South is proud to have as a representative. 

“I congratulate you all on this noble assignment because it is a great opportunity to be nominated into the campaign team of  Olododo, who is one of our very formidable candidates in SDP.”

Belgore added that “Comparing what other representative members in Kwara has done with Oladodo, his delivery is visibly unmatched and his re-election will be of great significance to the development of our Federal Constituency.”  

Representative of the Kwara state SDP Chairman, Tajudeen Ojolowo, financial secretary of the party implored the members of the campaign council to be steadfast and have strong faith in the party, noting that the waiting days would soon be over and the long walk to Kwara’s freedom will manifest soon.

He also urged them to appease aggrieved members and enjoin them to join hands to work with the party.

The Director General of the Campaign Council, Alhaji Ishola Mashood Abiola  in his remarks, promised to run a family-like campaign organisation, in tandem with the collectivist ideology of our principal, Honourable Olododo.

He urged members of the campaign council to work as a team of equals working towards a common goal adding that they would have cause to celebrate come February 25th and beyond.

The Director General thanked Olododo for the opportunity given them to serve in the campaign team and assured him of outstanding delivery for him and the entire SDP.

 

Confidence Okwuchi

Edo State IGR Hits N4b Monthly Target 

Confidence Okwuchi
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0

The Edo State Internal Rvenue Service, EIRS says the state’s internally Generated Revenue, IGR collection has hit the N4 billion monthly target.

The Chairman, Taskforce on Internally Generated Revenue, TF-IGR, Mr John Inegbedion said this at the January 2023 Management Performance Review, MPR Meeting and Award Ceremony held at the EIRS Corporate Head Office.

The meeting was meant to review the performance of the service in revenue generated in the preceding month and year 2022 as well as appreciate EIRS branches, ministries that exceeded target.

The taskforce chairman stated that the N4 billion was achieved in the last quarter of 2022 after meeting the N3 billion target in the first quarter of same year.

He attributed the achievement of the feat to the leadership and support provided by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu.

According to Inegbedion, it is imperative to note that the current management of the revenue service broke two records in 2022.

“The feat was first achieved in the first quarter of 2022 while the second record was the generation of N4 billion monthly IGR without special inflow from Abuja in the last quarter of 2022.

“These feats achieved for the first time by the revenue service could not have been possible without the leadership and support provided by Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

“This has been evident by their attendance of our MPR, other meetings and their belief in the staff of the service which has transformed into today’s success story,’’ he said.

 

NAN/Confidence Okwuchi

President Buhari To Commission Power Project In Kano State

Confidence Okwuchi
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0

Nogeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari is set for a two day visit to Kano state, where he will commission the 10 megawatts Independent hydro power project and the multi-billion naira ultra modern Cancer center.

The state commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs comrade Mohamed Garba stated this in a chat with Newsmen in Kano state.

He said the power and cancer center projects were among seven projects expected to be inaugurated in the two day presidential visit to the ancient commercial city beginning from 30th to 31st of this month.

According to him, the Tiga dam 10 megawatts power project when commissioned will improve power supplies to “cottage industries,  water projects in the state, especially the Tambrawa water treatment plant and improve security, as it will be used to lighten Street lights across the city.”

He said the Multi-billion naira ultra modern Cancer center, which is the biggest in West Africa, after inauguration by the president would improve easy access to cancer treatment at reduced cost within and outside the state including neighbouring countries.

“It will also reduce medical tourism for Nigerians who travel abroad for cancer treatments and conserve foreign exchange for the country,” he said.

New Bridge

Comrade Garba also stated that the state’s biggest and newly constructed  bridge/ interchange named after president Mohamadu Buhari, meant to ease traffic congestion, as it is the gateway to West, Central and Eastern Africa  countries  patronising the commercial city of Kano, will also be unveiled by the president.

“The Mohamadu Buhari interchange is meant to ease tragic congestion in the state and for easy access for African countries patronizing Kano through road networks,” he said

President Buhari will also commission the Kano state 700 teachers’ housing estate to alleviate their housing challenges.

Other projects to be commission during the visit includes: the Dangote ultra-modern Skills Acquisition Center, the Dala Dry Inland Port and Solar power projects.

 

 

Confidence Okwuchi

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