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Dangote Group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Niger State Government for the establishment of a N166 billion ($450 million) state-of–the-art and fully integrated sugar complex.   Aliko Dangote President, Dangote Group Aliko Dangote, President of the Group, the project will generate over 15,000 jobs and bring about a complete economic turn-around for Niger State when completed. The pact, which was signed at the Government House in Minna, will see the company producing raw sugarcane on 16,000 hectares of land at Lavun Local Government Area, through an out-grower scheme. The Company, which is currently operating out-grower scheme in rice production in a number of states, currently owns Africa’s largest sugar refinery in Lagos, and a sugar cane plantation in Numan, Adamawa State. Dangote said his investment was informed by a firm belief in the potential of the Nigerian economy, adding that the new outlay will add value and create jobs for Nigeri...

Ten thousand farmers in Edo State cannot access the N350 million donor fund, Edo North Coordinator of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Alhaji Mohammed Oshiobugie has said. Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State Oshiobugie, in an interview in Benin, said the government failed to pay the N94 million counterpart fund for Fadama III and Rural Finance Institution Project (RUFIN). He noted that while other states enjoyed additional financing from FADAMA III , this doesn’t apply to Edo. The AFAN coordinator said a similar thing applied to RUFIN where government had not remitted the N12 million counterfund. “The challenge this poses to farmers is that they have been denied access to about N350 million. “The effect of this is that 10, 000 farm families have been left on their own. “I wonder if this is the government’s plan for farmers; its plan to create 200,000 jobs in next four years,” he said. According to Oshiobugie , majority of those being planned ...

Kaduna State government and Hebei Province of China have signed a bilateral agreement for the establishment of agro allied industries, solar power plants as well as steel and cement manufacturing factories in the state. The partnership deal which was signed by Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Acting Governor of Hebei Province, Mr Wang Xiadong at the Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna State, North-West Nigeria was witnessed by the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian and the President Worldwide of China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), Zhad Dianlong, among other officials of the Kaduna State government and visiting Hebei Province. In his address, Governor El-Rufai commended the team for reciprocating his government’s visit to China two months ago, adding that the state and Hebei Province have a lot in common and would benefit immensely from any partnership. “We invited our private sector because we believe it is the private sect...

Corporate Farmers International Limited (CFIL) and International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, have unveiled plans to launch the first agriculture reality show in Nigeria by September. The show, which will feature 20 contestants, aims to showcase the agricultural potential of young Nigerians. In a statement, Akin Alabi, Co-Founder of CFIL, disclosed that the TV reality show will also address perception problems in the agribusiness sector. He said “This show will showcase the talents of the Nigerian youth to the government in terms of agricultural potential, as it works to diversify the economy. We decided to partner with Tony Elumelu Foundation because we want to create a standard with entrepreneurs in the agribusiness sector so as to push youths to believe that they can develop the African economy. The programme will run for four weeks at IITA premises in Ibadan and the contestants will be engaged in several act...

Lagos State Government is set to begin the sales of LAKE Rice across the state in preparation for the muslim Eid-El-Kabir celebration in September. Oluwatoyin Suarau Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture The sales of rice will begin on Thursday, 24 August 2017. Oluwatoyin Suarau, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture, said the state government is committed to ensuring that the state remained a food secured place and has since inception, implemented policies and programmes that would ensure regular supply of food in the state. He said the state government would continue to ensure adequate production and a fair distribution of the rice across the state by making it available to the masses in the various accredited centres in the state. Suarau said sales of LAKE Rice will take place in the 57 Local Government and Local Council Development Areas, the Agricultural Development Area Complex Oko-Oba, Agege; LTV Blue Roof Complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja, and other designa...

In Nigeria, the Government of Katsina State on Friday said it has signed a pact with Mahindra Group to purchase 225 tractors worth N2bn ($5.8million). This aims to boost food production in the state. According to the Deputy Governor of the state, Mannir Yakubu, the tractors would be distributed to farmers on a loan basis. He said under the agreement, the state government in collaboration with the Nigeria Incentive Based Risk-sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) and Access Bank will serve as guarantor and would provide the sum of N1.6 billion ($4.7 million) while “the 225 benefitting farmers will provide N400 million ($1.1 million), which will serve as their 20% contribution, before collecting the tractors.” “The company has supplied the tractors through its agent, Spring Field Agro Nigeria Ltd., based in Ibadan. The tractor scheme we are launching today will be in phases, and we intend to procure about 361 tractors on the long run, which will translate to on...

Nigeria’s acting president will open a $1.5 billion fertiliser plant in the southeastern city of Port Harcourt on Thursday, highlighting efforts by Africa’s largest economy to boost its agriculture industry. Nigeria has for decades been dependent on exports of oil to support its economy, but as global crude prices have dropped and production has been hit by militant attacks the government has sought to diversify, embracing sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing. The new factory has an annual production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes of urea fertiliser and was built by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer and Chemicals Limited, the president’s office said in a statement on Wednesday giving details of the visit by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. He is leading Nigeria while Muhammadu Buhari is in Britain on medical leave for an undisclosed ailment “Besides making fertiliser available to farmers nationwide at affordable cost, the plant will also boost crop yield for farmers,” ...