Plateau Government converts mining ponds to reservoir for irrigation farming

Plateau State Government has commenced the conversion of some mining ponds in the state to water reservoirs for irrigation farming.

The Commissioner for Water Resources and Energy, David Wuyep, who disclosed this during an interaction with the News Agency of Nigeria, said the mining ponds were undergoing tests to check for heavy metals and ensure that water stored in those converted ponds pose no health hazard.

According to Wuyep, “to mitigate the effect of the heavy metals which can be found in such ponds, comprehensive analyses have been conducted on these ponds to ensure that they are free from heavy metals which can be carcinogenic”.

He also expressed that ponds converted have been certified fit and the water that will be reserved in them for the irrigation farming are safe and healthy.

Speaking on the benefits of the conversion, the Commissioner affirmed that it would boost food production, as farmers would farm all seasons, while reducing the expenses incurred in procuring facilities to enable farmers pump water from rivers and streams.

He also added that the conversion of the mining pounds would help mitigate erosion in such places.

Wuyep however opined that the reservoirs would be ready before the end of 2017.

Nigeria to host continental summit on bee-keeping

Nigeria has been awarded the honour to host the next edition of Africa’s apex bee-keeping stakeholders’ event – Apiculture Expo (ApiExpo) in 2018.

The award was accorded during the recently concluded ApiExpo Africa 2016, held in Kigali, Rwanda.

Speaking during a visit to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development in Abuja, the Chairman of the Nigeria Apiculture Platform, Ademola Adeshina, described the hosting right as a huge opportunity to boost local and international trade which will in turn increase the Gross Domestic Product of the country.

According to Adeshina, “There will be diversification of the apiculture industry with the introduction of new and relevant technologies and exposure to global trade platforms as the various participating countries and manufacturers that will come into the country will link up with local producers, processors and bee-keepers and this will generate foreign exchange for us”.

Also commenting on this development, the Director, Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services of the Ministry – Dr Dooshima Kwange lauded the current attention being given to Nigeria’s Apiculture for the first time in an effort to diversify the economy by the present administration.

She however added that to formalise the hosting rights, Nigeria was required to pay the bid fee of $50,000, sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and set up an APIEXPO Africa Organising Committee.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbeh has applauded the planned initiative to boost honey production in the country.

Ogbeh noted that Nigeria’s import bill on honey per annum from China stands at about a $100,000,000 yet the quality of some of the honey imported was questionable.  

The Minister also challenged the Platform to explore new knowledge in Bee keeping that could help boost the honey and Bee business in the country adding that there are plans to distribute Bee hives to farmers in the country.

Climax of the visit was the presentation of the ApiExpo Africa flag to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development followed by the signing of the MoU with the ministry on Nigeria’s ApiExpo hosting right. The event is scheduled to hold in Abuja.

Lagos Assembly approves N350m for Agriculture in 2017 budget

The Lagos State House of Assembly has approved N350 million as budgetary allocation to the State’s Agriculture sector in 2017.

The House yesterday, passed the 2017 budget proposal of N812.99 billion presented by the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, into law.

Ambode had on November 29, 2016, presented an appropriation bill of N812.99 billion to the lawmakers for approval.

However, the assembly had on December 1, 2016, after receiving the budget, directed all its standing committees to invite all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to defend their budgets.

The assembly approved N650 million for education, N350 million for agriculture, N360 million for LASIEC, while the capital expenditure of LASIEC was increased from N2.5 billion to N3 billion to cater for election matters.

Ambode, who christened the 2017 budget “The Golden Jubilee Budget”, as it coincides with the State’s 50th Anniversary, said it would focus on physical infrastructure, while social sectors especially health, education, youth and social development will be given adequate attention.

The Assembly passed the sum of N305.28 billion as total recurrent expenditure and N507.82 billion as the total capital expenditure for the year ending December 31, 2017.

Manufacturers urge FG to increase Forex for production

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate foreign exchange to enable the sector to boost production.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ota, Ogun state, Chairman MAN, Ogun State Chapter, Wale Adegbite, expressed the availability of foreign exchange would boost the productivity and enhance the economy.

“The ability of the Federal Government to provide adequate foreign exchange for manufacturers in 2017 would help the sector to produce at the optimal level. 

This would create job opportunities for the unemployed youths and boost the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” he said.

Adegbite lamented that the real sector was facing numerous problems such like lack of sufficient dollar, higher interest rate and poor infrastructure that had hindered them from producing at the optimal level.

He also added that the instability of Naira and dollar was affecting most of manufacturers from importing raw materials and machinery into the country.

Highlighting other factors impeding local production, Adegbite appealed to the Federal Government to also ensure lower interest rate and provide infrastructure, especially roads network to enhance productivity of the real sector in 2017.

FG APPROVES IITA'S AGRO PROGRAMME - ENABLE YOUTH

The Federal Government has approved a Pan-African programme, tagged ENABLE Youth, designed to engage and create gainful employment and wealth for African youth along the agricultural value chains.

According to a report by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the programme is expected to create 1,000 jobs per state.

It revealed that the programme concept note, which has now been approved after tough negotiations among concerned stakeholders was initiated in 2014 during the Youth in Agribusiness Development Initiative (YADI) conference which took place in IITA, Ibadan.

The report revealed that the programme, which is based on the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) model, is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to give African youth the opportunity of tapping into the vast resources in agriculture.

It stated that building on the experience of IYA, 31 African countries including Nigeria indicated an interest in outscaling the IYA model and so far, the programme has been approved in DR Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, and Cameroon.

“Considering the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, the ENABLE Youth Nigeria program will bridge the gap by equipping youth with various skills, values, attitudes, and orientation that will impact on their lives, the lives of others, and the society in general”

The project is expected to provide decent employment by making agriculture attractive to the youth. It will also influence institutional changes in terms of access to finance particularly for youth.

The programme, which will be implemented in the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory for five years, is targeting young, unemployed Nigerian graduates from any field of study who have finished their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program (Greenfield) and graduate youth who are already successfully engaged in agribusiness, but have no access to commercial loans to grow their businesses (Brownfields). 

These youth will be provided loans to start up identified agribusiness enterprises in any value chain.The report revealed that the programme, which is based on the IITA Youth Agripreneurs (IYA) model, is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) to give African youth the opportunity of tapping into the vast resources in agriculture.

It stated that building on the experience of IYA, 31 African countries including Nigeria indicated an interest in outscaling the IYA model and so far, the programme has been approved in DR Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, and Cameroon.

“Considering the rate of unemployment in Nigeria, the ENABLE Youth Nigeria program will bridge the gap by equipping youth with various skills, values, attitudes, and orientation that will impact on their lives, the lives of others, and the society in general”

The project is expected to provide decent employment by making agriculture attractive to the youth. It will also influence institutional changes in terms of access to finance particularly for youth.

The programme, which will be implemented in the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory for five years, is targeting young, unemployed Nigerian graduates from any field of study who have finished their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program (Greenfield) and graduate youth who are already successfully engaged in agribusiness, but have no access to commercial loans to grow their businesses (Brownfields). 

These youth will be provided loans to start up identified agribusiness enterprises in any value chain.