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The Nigerian Government has inaugurated an Interim Management Board for the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), as part of efforts to restructure the bank. Speaking on Monday in Abuja, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who inaugurated the board, directed it to begin the recovery of loans owed by farmers and other customers within 90 days.   Chief Audu Ogbeh Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ogbeh charged the board to find ways of making the bank proactive, strong and capable of sustaining the needs of farmers who require credit facilities to enable them to contribute to food security in the country. The minister urged the board to work toward reducing the interest rate on loans to a one-digit level so as to encourage more farmers to patronise the bank. He expressed optimism that the bank would be one of the largest banks in the country, with branches in all the local government areas of the country to facilitate its interaction wit

Lagos State government yesterday stated that necessary effort have been put in place to boost rice production from 2.5 metric tonnes per hour to 16 metric tonnes per hour. Mr. Suarau Isiaka, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture Mr. Suarau Isiaka, Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, who said this at the ongoing ministerial press briefing at Secretariat, Alausa, encouraged private sector operators to invest in rice processing to meet the demands of the people. He noted that a total of 100 farmers through the FADAMA 111 additional financing programme are producing rice in Itokin in Epe Local Council. He said: “Rice cultivation has so far improved in the state from less than one tonne per hectare with double cropping in some areas where irrigation facilities are provided. “The Agric Youth Empowerment Scheme has trained over 500 youths in courses 1-V. 300 trainees in courses 1, 11 and 111 have been settled on various farms while courses 1V and V are waiting for

Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has said 37,000 young graduates in Nigeria who would be given $50,000 each from the $280 million approved by the bank to encourage the Nigerian youth to venture into agribusiness.   Dr Akinwumi Adesina President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) Adesina who was represented by Dr Chiji Ojukwu, a Director in AfDB, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ibadan at the African Youth Agripreneurs (AYA) Forum organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan. He said AfDB is working with 33 countries to give assistance to youths in agriculture. “The $280 million that we have approved for Nigeria cannot be enough; we need $1.8 billion to accommodate the 37,000 youths. This is why we are giving 80 per cent of the money to commercial banks so that they can lend from their own balance sheet and we expect that every dollar we put in would generate five dollars,’’ he said. Adesina sa

Enhancing mechanisation in sugarcane farming in Africa, trade and investment opportunities in Africa’s sugar sector as well as sustainability and corporate social responsibility among major players in the sector were the focus of intense debates among delegates at the recently concluded Annual Africa Sugar Conference in Nairobi, Kenya. The two-day event which attracted hundreds of participants from across the world including senior decision makers in government, industry bodies, millers, traders, advocacy groups and service providers discussed the future of the industry and proferred solutions, particularly on mechanization of sugarcane farming by farmers on the continent. Speakers at the event included Ian Allen, General Manager of the agricultural division of Case IH distributor in Kenya, TTEA. He presented Case IH’s approach to supporting producers on their path to higher productivity and sustainability and introduced the brand’s new corporate farming division focused o

In a bid to meet its preset objectives and achieve sustainable food security in line with Vision 2030, the government of Saudi Arabia has announced plans to hold an agricultural exhibition in October this year. A statement by the organizing company, Riyadh Exhibitions Company, disclosed that preparations for the 36th edition of the Saudi Agriculture Exhibition, which will be held between October 8th and 11th at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre are at advanced stage. The Saudi Agriculture Exhibition offers an ideal platform gathering industry experts, to discuss the latest trends and the lucrative investment opportunities that this sector has to offer. It also facilitates knowledge and experience transfer among local and international participants, while showcasing products, services and new technologies that support the growth of this vital industry. The exhibition has reinforced its position as a leading specialized tradeshow contributing t

Amid concern of looming food crisis in the North-East, the Federal Government is to promote a private-driven agricultural mechanisation programme to boost food security in the country. This is in line with the agricultural promotion policy of the government to achieve self-sufficiency in food production, encourage value addition to local materials and diversify the economy. Bukar Hassan, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, stated this in his opening remark at the 42nd regular meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday. President Muhammadu Buhari Hassan said as part of efforts to boost food production and guarantee food security, the private-driven mechanisation programme would operate a machinery hiring enterprise scheme to also facilitate manufacturing of durable farm machinery that can withstand the varied geographical terrain and climatic condition of the country’s diverse ecosy

Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has said the Federal Government will hold a national conference to discuss and proffer solutions to farmers/herdsmen clashes currently ravaging the country. Ogbeh who disclosed this while addressing members of a joint dialogue set up to analyse the root causes of the crisis while submitting their report in Abuja on Monday said the proposed conference would enable cattle breeders and farmers to discuss and analyse the situation with a view to finding a lasting solution to the crisis.   Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development The minister listed other stakeholders to be involved in the conference to include policy makers, the security agencies, Ministry of Interior and the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN). "The issue of herdsmen and farmers clashes and the big question of grazing reserves and ranches done by the committee is supported by th

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu As part of the drive to ensure that Ondo State maintains its position as the leading cocoa producing area in Nigeria, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has declared a state of emergency in cocoa production. Akeredolu disclosed the state government’s plan on the cash crop while delivering his welcome address to a delegation of the Yoruba Patriot Movement (YPM), a socio-political group, who paid him a visit in Akure, the state capital, recently. While acknowledging that most of the cocoa trees in the state are ageing, the governor said there are plans to introduce different species of cocoa to replace the ageing ones and revive the dwindling fortunes of cocoa in Ondo State and Nigeria in general. He urged farmers in the state to embrace all-year round farming in order to ensure food security, adding that there is an urgent need to restructure the federal system of government so that state governments can be empowered to do more to enhance the

President Muhammadu Buhari Members of the Nigerian League of Journalists in Plateau State have called on the Federal Government to invest 80 percent of stolen money recovered through the whistle-blower policy in agriculture, health, education, tourism and revitalisation of moribund, but viable industries in the country. According to a statement signed by the League’s Chairman Dr. Gideon Barde and Secretary Chief Tunde Oladapo, the approach is bound to reduce restiveness and unemployment among the youth and help the nation to quickly get out of the economic recession. The League also applauded the bold step adopted by Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong to revolutionise agriculture, tourism and ailing industry in the state.

Some entertainers in Nigeria’s Nollywood and the music industries were on Friday excited about the soon-to-be-aired Agriculture Reality TV Show by the International Institute of Research (IITA) and Corporate Farmers International (CFIL). Some of the actors, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said the show would be a combination of entertainment, education and information. According to Rykardo Agbo, a popular actor in the movie “Strong Men at Work’’ fame, the show would be best known as “infojutainment’’ because there will be something exciting about agriculture to captivate the youth. Mr. Agbo told NAN that with the synergy between the entertainers and the organisers of the programme, youths would see beyond agriculture as an act but understand the enormous benefits therein. He said: “For people to learn, we must have some kind of incentives, something to excite them about what we are here for. “As entertainers, through our little craft, w

Brethren Disaster Ministries and the Global Food Initiative recently worked together to send representatives from Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN, the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria), representatives from South Sudan, and a Church of the Brethren representative from the United States to Kenya to receive training in a programme called Farming God’s Way with an organization called Care of Creation, Kenya. Those who took part from EYN were James T. Mamza, director of ICBDP; Yakubu Peter, head of the agriculture department; and Timothy Mohammed, head of the crop production unit. Participating from South Sudan were Phillip Oriho, Kori Aliardo Ubur, and James Ongala Obale. Christian Elliot, a pastor and farmer from Knobsville (Pa.) Church of the Brethren, represented the Church of the Brethren in the US. According to Mamza, participants learned that health problems in Africa are the same in Southern Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Kenya. “We learned how to care for God’s creat

Young people from all over Africa have converged in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, to take part in the first-ever African Youth Agripreneurs (AYA) forum starting tomorrow 25th and ending on26th April. The forum will provide an opportunity for about 200 young people from across Africa to showcase their skills, creativity and innovativeness in agribusiness while networking, development partners and stakeholders in attendance.   Poster of African Youth Agripreneurs Forum   The forum, hosted by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) at its headquarters, is organized by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in collaboration with IITA, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), Africa Agribusiness Incubation Network (AAIN) and Africa 2.0. Participants are mainly young people who are active in agribusiness or related value chains, promoting their own innovation for increased production and marketing. They can also be young people who are

 A team of science students from Purdue University in the US including a Nigerian, Olubunmi Babajide, has created and deployed a three-wheel multipurpose utility vehicle that can help farmers in remote areas to transport up to a 2,000 pound load in off-road conditions. The vehicle, known as Ag Rover, was specially designed for Nigerian farmers and is also capable of plowing fields for cultivation.   Ag Rover The students developed the project to assist farmers who would otherwise find it difficult to gain access to the kind of sophisticated farming tools available to farmers in more developed regions of the world. The project later developed into a startup called Mobile Agriculture Power Solutions (MAPS). Also, large, expensive tractors would require service at some point in time, and in remote areas like the ones that are the focus of MAPS, people qualified to do so simply don’t exist. The primary feature of the Ag Rover, however, is its ability to be manufactured by peop

Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture, has urged agricultural research institutes in the country to intensify their research efforts and commercialise their findings in order for the Federal Government to realise its economic blueprint. Ogbeh who stated this while declaring open the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State, 2017 annual research review, said the institutes need to play key roles in the country, stressing that the role of NRCRI remains critical.   Audu Ogbeh, Minister of Agriculture Represented by Dr. Rasak Oyeleye, he said the Federal Government is very much committed to ensuring food security in the country. “Farmers face difficulties in obtaining knowledge and services that could improve their cultivation practices, increase their production outputs, reduce drudgery, reduce post-harvest losses and provide them with access to reliable market and policy information.” The acting Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research C

‎Following the low production of tilapia fish supply in the country, an aqua firm, Premium Aquaculture has disclosed that it is set to boost tilapia fish production supply with more than 20, 000 MT in next five years. Speaking at the inaugural harvest of tilapia fish at Oyan Dam in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, the Farm Manager, Mr. Govin Daraju said the company was incorporated in 2014 to develop tilapia, catfish and shrimp farming projects across Nigeria. Senator Heineken Lokpobiri Minister of State for Agriculture He said the aim was to produce food fish locally and make Nigeria self - sufficient in line with federal government's agricultural transformation agenda. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri who inaugurated the first harvest of ‎the tilapia fish disclosed that the nation's fish demand stood at 3.1 metric tonnes per annum. He added that the country is currently ‎hovering around 1.1 metric tonnes per annum, leaving a

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat has 274,000 hectares of land have been set aside for agricultural development as part of efforts to boost food production and reduce prices of foodstuffs in the territory. Dr. Musa Aliyu, Acting Secretary of the secretariat, who disclosed this in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists recently called on all interested farmers in the territory to take advantage of the expanse of land provided by government to cue into the Central Bank of Nigeria's Anchor Borrowers' Scheme to better their lives. Aliyu said the secretariat is already in a partnership with Leventis Foundation to train young people who have shown interest in agriculture. He added that the secretariat would embark on the rehabilitation of facilities at the Integrated Agricultural Development and Training Centre in Yaba, Abaji. "The agriculture secretariat has put in place an implementation committee to mobilise

Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina President of the African Development Bank Group  Mr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of African Development Bank (AfDB) has predicted that based on observed trajectory, Aliko Dangote, Chairman of Dangote Group and currently the richest man in Africa, will become the world’s largest rice exporter by 2021. Adesina who gave this prediction at the Mo Ibrahim Forum in Morocco recently urged African governments to focus on agriculture as a veritable means of creating wealth as well as driving growth and employment on the continent. He based his prediction on Dangote’s decision to invest $1 billion in production and processing of rice in Nigeria from the initial $300 million investment. "If they continue that policy, he would probably be the single largest producer of rice in the world in about four years. "The reason I was so excited about that is that agriculture is cool; agriculture is a business and agriculture pays," Adesina said.

 Governor Rochas Anayo Okorocha of Imo State has said the state government is prepared to give out loans to journalists, commissioners and top government officials who wish to get involved in agriculture in the state. Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo State Okorocha who said this while addressing newsmen at the NUJ Press Centre in Owerri, the state capital, explained that in order to boost food production in the country, loans would be provided for people engaged in agriculture business in whatever form. On a personal level, the governor said the 200 hectares of land which he cultivated in Awara in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area would be ready for harvest next month. He disclosed that the Federal Government has constructed a N7 billion gas plant in Awara in Ohaji/Egbema.

 Dr. Samson Odedina, Provost of Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), has said more than 7,500 entrepreneurs graduated from the college after being successfully trained and empowered on profitable agro-business ventures from September 2008 till date. NBTE HQ in Kaduna Odedina who disclosed this recently in Akure said the quality of staff members in practical agriculture helped the college to accomplish the feat, adding that the college’s facilities and manpower are among the best in Africa. He explained that FECA pioneered the establishment of a new value-chain curriculum in schools of agriculture across the country. He said, “Based on what we do in FECA, we got a support from the Government of Australia and some institutions and we introduced value-chain studies into the curricula of schools of agriculture in Nigeria. “By the end of last month, we got an approval from the Federal Government through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) that the cur

One of the biggest – but most easily debunked – lies we've been told about GM agriculture is that the technology is necessary to feed a steadily increasing world population. Monsanto and other GM agriculture companies would like for us to believe that their methods increase crop yields and are therefore essential in fighting world hunger, but it simply isn't true. Many people who might otherwise be skeptical about GMOs have been led to accept the idea that the supposed increase in yields justifies the widespread planting of GM crops, so they tend to overlook the dangers associated with the technology. GM agriculture often decreases overall regional crop yields But there has been no real increase in crop yields due to GM agriculture – in fact, the opposite is often true, when all factors are taken into consideration. Not only are the yields from GM crops typically only marginally larger than those from conventional farming methods, but the technology actually

As part of the effort to ensure that farmers in the country gain access to funds at affordable interest rates, the Federal Government has said an additional N3 trillion will be invested in the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) within the next few years. Senator Heineken Lokpobiri‎  Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Heineken Lokpobiri‎, Minister of State for Agriculture, who gave this indication while speaking at the inaugural harvest of a Tillapia fish farm by Premium Aquaculture Limited in Oyan Dam, Ogun State, said the government decided to recapitalise BOA in order to help farmers who are increasingly finding it difficult to access funds from commercial banks in the country. He disclosed that demand for fish in the country is estimated at 3.1 metric tonnes per annum while supply currently stands at about 1.1 metric tonnes per annum, leaving a deficit of 2.1 metric tonnes. He said: "When this administration came on board, the supply was around 800,000 metric to

Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere, Chairman, Best Foods Group is one of Nigeria’s most eminent businessmen with extensive experience and interests across the banking, finance and agricultural spectrums. His national assignments have included chairmanships of the Agriculture and Food Security Commission and the Modified Value Added Tax Committee. He was a member of Agricultural Transformation Implementation Council (ATIC) under past President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's chairmanship. He served as resource person on agriculture to the Buhari Transition Committee.  He is currently the National co-ordinator of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NAGB), the umbrella body for Agriculture in Nigeria.  Mr. Ijewere, in this short interview speaks on how the prices of food items in the market can come down. He advocates the active participation of local governments in the agriculture sector in order to build trust and confidence between farmers and primary buyers of farm produce.  Mr. Emmanuel Ijewe

The focus of the Federal Government today is clearly on the agriculture sector based on the belief that the sector is capable of getting the country out of its current economic doldrums. Although this approach has significant merits, the pang of hunger biting millions of Nigerians, especially people living in urban areas, needs urgent attention before it gets out of hand.   President Muhammadu Buhari Recently, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), an agency of the United Nations, had to appeal to the rest of the world to come to the aid people in the North-East of the country to prevent them from dying as a result of hunger. Even if this was an extreme scenario that arose as a result of devastation wrought on the region by the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents, the situation in the rest of the country is just marginally better as millions of Nigerians can no longer afford to feed themselves.    But as Nigeria’s population continues to grow and feeding the population

 Mr.  Onajite Okoloko, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer  of Notore  Chemical Industries Limited, has listed challenges facing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain to include the inability of small holder farmers to access financing, lack of high-quality quality farm inputs, insufficient and ineffective processing and storage methods, among others. Lamenting that the agriculture sector accounted for a mere three percent of total lending in commercial banks, Okoloko said the company has created a mobile platform that will ensure that farmers gain access to finance and market value for their operations. Onajite Okoloko, GMD/CEO,   Notore    He disclosed this while receiving the management team of Media trust Limited led by the  Chief Operating Officer, Mr  Abahay Desai who were on a facility tour to the expansive Notore Onne corporate office recently. He said the low quality of farm inputs like fertilizers and seeds as well as issues in crops protection a

The Edo State Government has inaugurated 1,000 hectares of cleared field in Sobe farm settlement in Owan West Local Government Area for maize production in partnership with Saro AgroSciences Limited, which would provide technical support for the programme.   Governor Obaseki displaying improved seeds Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the weekend, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, Governor of Edo State, said the mechanisation centres would be situated close to the planned 5,000–hectare maize field to enable the 1,000 beneficiaries to manage the five hectares that would be allocated to each of them effectively. Obaseki noted that the maize cultivation, which could directly empower 200 agripreneurs to become millionaires, was part of his administration’s Accelerated Agriculture initiative to create jobs in the state. Explaining the rationale for the initiative, the governor said “Today is the first step towards actualising the 200,000 jobs promised by my administration. W

Making farming in Nigeria profitable and an attractive livelihood can break the cycles of poverty and unemployment that leave young people vulnerable to extremism, according to the head of a social enterprise working with small farmers. Audu Ogbeh, Agric Minister Low yields and lack of market access trap many smallholder farmers in poverty and drive young people into cities in the hope of finding jobs, putting them at risk of being lured by extremists, said Kola Masha, managing director of Babban Gona. Nigeria's north-east, which is dominated by farming, has been poor for decades and an Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram has exacerbated problems with the region facing a severe lack of food as many farmers have been unable to plant crops. To break that cycle Babban Gona - which means "great farm" - aims to turn thousands of subsistence farmers in northern Nigeria into commercial growers by giving them with everything they need from training and credit to se

 On April 5, with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) project, through the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative launched its 2017 round of Gender in Agribusiness Investments in Africa (GAIA) competition.  The competition entailed a rigorous selection process that saw over 200 applications, selected winners from 18 countries gathered in Accra to pitch ideas to investors and strengthen their business skills.  From April 3-4, a group of 31 agribusiness entrepreneurs from across West and North Africa participated in an intensive entrepreneurship program, and then on April 5 these entrepreneurs presented their research and innovations to potential investors. In attendance were USAID/Ghana Mission Director, Andrew Karas and AWARD Director, Dr. Wanjiru Kamau-Rutenberg. The entrepreneurs learned about the current investor landscape, how to raise funds, and networke