Author: Isah Mukhtar

FERMA assures of zero potholes on federal roads – Official

NAN-H-2
Roads
By Aledare Akinwale
Lokoja, Oct, 20, 2017(NAN) Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has assured the people of Kogi of zero potholes on federal roads in the state before the Christmas.

The Agency’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Segun Aluko, gave the assurance in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Friday.

He said that the agency had compiled reports on all dilapidated roads in the state.

He noted that the agency was making arrangements to begin patching and rehabilitating of all federal roads within the state.

He said the repair became imperative due to the heavy vehicular movements during the period of Christmas.

“We do not want anything that would make motorists miserable during the Christmas,” he said.

While stating that there would be zero potholes during the Christmas, he urged communities involved to cooperate with the agency during the cause of repair.

Aluko commended the Federal Government for ensuring that major highways are maintained and rehabilitated as and when due.(NAN)
WAL/OSA/AFA
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Felix Ajide
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IOM advises Nigeria on tackling irregular migration

NAN-H-34

Migration

By Victor Asije

Lagos, Oct. 19, 2017(NAN) Enira Krdzalic, Chief of Mission, International
Organisation for Migration (IOM) in Nigeria, on Thursday said
that the country needed national partnerships and engagements to tackle
the challenges of irregular migration.

Krdzalic made the remark at a two-day National Consultation
on Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, Regular Migration(GCM) in Lagos.

“We have a large number of Nigerians migrating to other countries
seeking better opportunities.

“This migration is often irregular, as legal channels opportunities
are limited and could be time-consuming and bureaucratic.

“Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders need to come together to
discuss issues associated with migration while minimizing its
consequences, ” she said.

The IOM, who noted that the country’s migration challenges was yet
to be addressed in spite of ongoing Federal Government’s efforts at
enhancing regular migration.

According to her, there is an increasing number of Nigerian
young girls and women arriving in Italy alone.

Krdzalic said that the Global Compact on Migration(GCM) would be the
first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement prepared under the
auspices of the United Nations to cover all dimensions of
international migration.

“The GCM will set out a range of principles, commitments and
understanding among member-states regarding international migration.

“The GCM would make an important contribution to global governance and
enhance coordination on international migration,” she said.

Hajia Sadiya Farouq, Federal Commissioner, National Commission
for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMI), said
that Nigeria was prepared to participate in the initiative.

Farouq said that GCM was an outcome of the first United Nations High
Level Summit to address the large movement of refugees and migrants.

“It is aimed at shifting the attitude to migration from that of
problematic to one of immense potential for national development and
well-being of the individual migrant.

“Nigeria joins this global consultative initiative these two days to
generate a common position that will inform Nigeria’s participation.

“Nigeria shares in the global migration dynamics and plays a
significant role at the different levels of in migration discourse,
“she said.

The two-day event is organised by NCRMI, IOM, United Nations High
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation, and the European Union (EU). (NAN)
AVU/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)

NAN-H-82
Regulations
By Yemi Adeleye
Lagos, Oct. 18, 2017 (NAN) A United Kingdom based Health Economist, Dr Damilola Olajide, on Wednesday called for a regulation that would enhance effective operations of tobacco industry in Nigeria.

Olajide made the assertion in a paper entitled: “Balancing Regulation with Product Health Hazards: Case for Tobacco Use in Nigeria” at a Policy-Dialogue event.

It was organised by the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis (IPPA) in Lagos.

According to him, the objective of any regulatory policy is to ensure that regulation works effectively and in the public interest.

“For highly regulated products, such as tobacco industry, a fair balance has to be made to all areas involved in the public interest, that is, those who consume the products and those that don’t.

“Sovereignty also plays a critical role as regulations takes different shapes dependent on various factors such as capacity, economy, infrastructure and funding among others.

“The role of regulations for products and services is always critical to the success of any economy.

“This means foreign laws should not be copied into Nigeria without considering the local peculiarities,’’ he said.

Olajide, who is also Senior Research Fellow with the IPPA, said in a developing economy agenda, each economy has a right to protect the jobs and livelihoods it provides to its citizenry.

“Tobacco industry employs lots of Nigerians and in economic sense the triple of those employed have dependents.

“Frustrating legal tobacco producers in Nigeria will be to the advantage of illicit traders who will take advantage of the unintended consequences to perpetrate their illegal.

“In this circumstance, the regulators will totally lost control,’’ the health economist said.

Olajide added that policies and laws should always be implemented before the consideration for new policies to plug whatever gaps that may exit in the laws not necessarily creating new one without “test-running” the old law.

According to him, laws have to be tested, evaluated, gaps identified and addressed before new policies/laws are introduced.

“It should not just adopt the guideline provided by other developed economies which have different challenges and gaps and instead drive for an economy that works for the peculiarities of that locality.

“Undue influence by lobbyists and non-governmental organisations that have insufficient experience in managing governmental affairs needs to be managed accordingly.

“They have a role to play as possible conscience of the society, but some of them are plagued with corruption that makes them vehicles to further the interests of others through the source of their funding,’’ he said.

Also, a legal practitioner, Mr Jiti Ogunye, urged the Organised Private Sector (OPS) to be involved in governance to ensure good laws were enacted while the bad ones were abrogated.

In a paper entitled: “Lawmaking and Execution in Nigeria: The Roles of Private Sector”, Ogunye said that OPS should be interested in the business of lawmaking and governance as it would impact on them.

“The Organised Private Sector should be interested in getting bad laws killed, even if it warrants lobbying the legislators. OPS should also take self-regulation more seriously,’’ he said. (NAN)
AYO/ENN/GOK
========
Edited by Edwin Nwachukwu/Olagoke Olatoye

Titi Ogufere, President, Interior Decorators Association of Nigeria (IDAN) (centre) on Wednesday addressing journalists at the official announcement of the African Culture and Design Festival slated for Lagos . She is flanked by IDAN”s Board Chairperson, Ekuah Abudu (left) and Tola Akerele, IDAN Secretary-General.

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Festival
By Wale Ojetimi
Lagos, Oct.18, 2017 (NAN) No fewer than 500 world famous designers and interior decorators would converge on Lagos for a four-day African Culture and Design Festival slated for Nov. 9 to 12.

The President, Interior Designers of Association Nigeria (IDAN), Titi Ogufere, made this known to newsmen in Lagos on Wednesday.

Ogufere said that the event organised by the association and co-hosted by the Lagos State Government, would feature video clips, showcasing Nigeria’s progress in celebrating arts and culture 40 years after FESTAC ’77.

She said that it would also feature the World Design Congress and 28th General Assembly of International Federation of Interior Architects/ Designers (IFI).

Founded in 1963 as a non-profit organisation to expand the international network of professional interior architects/designers, IFI represents close to 250,000 designers, educators and industry stakeholders.

Theme of the festival is: “This is Africa’’ and it would hold at the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Ogufere said: “World Design Congress is the largest biennial congregation of interior designers with over 500 foreign delegates expected from all over the globe at the festival.

“IDAN is proud to be hosting key personalities from the design world here in Nigeria.

“We are passionate about building a viable identity that can promote the exportation of Nigerian Art, Culture and Design.”

She said that the festival would celebrate the 100 years of African art and design with Nigeria in the spotlight.

“The festival will not only establish Lagos as a cultural hub, it will promote the continent by exposing, redefining, rebranding and creating awareness of Africa’s home grown creative talents,’’ Ogufere said. (NAN)
WOJ/GOK
Edited by Wale Ojetimi/Olagoke Olatoye

NAN-AE-4
Cooperatives
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 18, 2017 (NAN) Mr Benson Lawal, the General Manager, Operations, Nigeria Commodity Exchange, has advised farmers to form cooperative societies to enable them to tackle post-harvest challenges facing them.

He gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

Lawal said that the construction of facilities like warehouses by cooperative societies would enable the farmers to address their post-harvest losses.

‘‘Basically, farmers need to have cooperatives in place and they must be very strong to make them work.

“The Nigeria Commodity Exchange has come out with an idea of warehouse system.

“There is a bill before the National Assembly which has been passed by the Senate.

“The bill is waiting for concurrence at the House of Representatives and the assent of the President to become a law,’’ he added.

Lawal said: ‘‘We are gravitating to an era where commodities will be traded the way they trade at the Nigerian Stock Exchange.

“We will be trading with papers and warehouse receipts as those in Nigerian Stock Exchange trade with share certificates.

“The exchange is taking the agricultural marketing space to the next level; the exchange is promoting financial inclusion and capacitating the Nigerian farmers.

“The exchange is empowering Nigerian farmers through appropriate pricing; the exchange is promoting the standard of living of Nigerian farmers.

“We need to educate farmers, crop processors and producers on the standard and grade of their produce to meet the demand and quality of local and international consumers, and this will earn us foreign exchange,’’ he said.

Lawal said that forward contract would help to minimise post-harvest losses suffered by farmers.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a forward contract is a customised contractual agreement where two private parties agree to trade a particular asset with each other at an agreed specific price and time in the future.

The general manager identified some of the post-harvest challenges as labour, transport from farms to stores, produce sorting and grading, storage facilities and problems associated with middlemen.

Lawal, however, underscored the need for the farmers to abide by the rules and regulations of the forward contract to enable them to benefit maximally from the agreement.

He also urged produce buyers and marketers to learn how to honour the terms of contract for overall good of their endeavours.

He advised farmers to strive to form cooperative societies without waiting for incentives like the provision of inputs, among others.

“Agriculture is a business and for that reason, loans should be made available to farmers with reasonable interest rates, while the value chain must be properly developed.

“There must be a synergy between farmers and input providers; and farmers need to work with Federal Ministry of Agriculture which is expected to provide extension services to enable them to engage in best agronomic practices that will improve yield.

“We have different companies around that have come up with several improved crop varieties and with time, we will begin to see huge improvement in agricultural production in our country,’’ he said. (NAN)
ROK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

NAN-H-56
Partnership
Abuja, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) Institute of African Studies, China, on Tuesday expressed its readiness to partner with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on research, training and exchange programmes between Nigeria and China.

Dr Michael Ehizuelen, the Executive Director of the Institute, made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Bayo Onanuga in Abuja.

Ehizuelen said that the choice of NAN as a key partner was carefully considered by the institute.

He said that the institute was looking for a credible agency in Africa which could best interpret its policy of cooperation  and research in Africa’s rich culture.

According to him, China is looking for opportunities to work with Africa and expand historical ties through collaboration in research and exchange of programmes.

“Africa needs the rich experience of China for development through research and innovative thinking.

“China’s policies and programmes come from research and innovative thinking; Africa can also begin to invest in research through the media and research centres.’’

Ehizuelen expressed optimism that through the collaboration with NAN, the institute would have a platform to spread research projects to Africa.

He commended the agency for accepting to work with the institute, saying that the benefits would further address the  gaps existing in the reportage of events from both countries.

He also solicited the support of the agency for its maiden International Conference on Poverty and Security holding in Abuja in 2018.

“China would be using the conference to celebrate the 50 years of Sino-Africa relations,’’ he said.

Responding, Onanuga said that the training of staff through  the exchange programmes would sharpen their skills and provide the training required for the profession.

He said that an agreement with the centre would further strengthen bilateral ties between two countries through media and cultural cooperation.

He said that he visited China for the first time in the 80s, and  since then, the Asian country had recorded giant strides because of its huge investments in research and innovative thinking.

According to him, both parties stand to benefit a lot through such cooperation in information sharing, media collaboration and exchange programmes.

He said that Nigeria’s development would definitely be driven via media cooperation and research with the support of agencies like the Institute for African Studies.

“We need to do a lot of literature review on China, UAE and other developing countries for us to be able to key in into their visions for development, ’’ he said. (NAN)
JIE/GY
======

Edited by Julius Enehikhuere/Grace Yussuf

NAN-H-49
Warning
Lokoja, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) Kogi chapter of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), has warned Fulani herdsmen to desist from destroying farmlands or be ready to face the law for their action.

The association gave the warning in a communique made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Lokoja.

The communiqué, the outcome of a one-day stakeholders meeting of the association held on Oct. 16 in Lokoja, said it was wrong for herdsmen to lead their cattle into peoples’ farm.

It warned that any cattle rearer who fails to heed the warning should be ready to face the full wrath of the law.

The communiqué was signed by Alhaji Sulaiman Mohammed, Secretary of the association in the state.

The association commended security agencies for their efforts to reduce crime in the state.

It appealed to the security agencies to focus attention on Kogi East senatorial district where not less than 31 of their members were killed between January and October this year.

It urged the state government to incorporate its security wing into the Kogi State Vigilante Service to further strengthen the outfit.

Stressing that fighting crime was a collective responsibility of all citizens; the association urged corporate organisations, community leaders, traditional rulers and well-meaning individuals to join the fight against crime in the state. (NAN)
KKA/AEA
========

NAN-AE-4
FADAMA
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) Some beneficiaries of FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) programme in Kogi have commended the World Bank and FADAMA Coordination Offices for the positive impact of the programme on their lives.

A statement by Mrs Josephine Ali, FADAMA Communication Officer for Kogi, in Abuja on Tuesday said that the farmers gave the commendation when the pre-mission team of FADAMA visited Kogi on Monday.

The farmers lauded the support given to them in the areas of inputs (cassava stems and rice seeds), agrochemicals, fertilisers and assets such as sprayers and personal protective equipment.

They acknowledged that the support had gone a long way in boosting their production.

Speaking during the visit, a farmer, Mr Shata Yusuf, who is the Chairman of Akpamoba Farming Cluster, said that the farmers had been trained on best agronomic practices that would increase their yield.

Mr Usman Musa of Kungbani Farming Cluster gave an assurance that the beneficiaries would make the best use of the opportunities given to them.

Earlier, the pre-mission team, led by Dr Bernard Herbert, went to some intervention sites to see the level of implementation of FADAMA III AF projects in the places.

The team visited Kungbani production cluster, which comprises 60 hectare-rice farms, and Akpamoba production cluster, which contains 40 hectares of cassava farms.

Herbert commended the Kogi FADAMA Coordination Office for its feats in cultivating 3,000 hectares of rice farmlands, using the Faro 44 rice variety.

He said that the state, which got approval for rice cultivation during the recent Mid-term Review Mission, had done well in the area of rice production.

He also commended the efforts of the state in the area of cassava cultivation.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kogi is one of six core states benefiting from the FADAMA III AF programme and it is involved in cassava and rice value chains. (NAN)
ROK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

NAN-AE-3
Farmers
By Kudirat Musa
Abuja, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) The Climate Adaptation  and Agribusiness Support Programme (CASP), a programme of International Food and Agriculture Development (IFAD), is targeting 1,547,000 farmers in seven northern states to revive their livelihoods.

Dr Sunday Edigbo, Director, Agricultural Land Resources and Climate Change, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, made this known to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of the 10^th Agric. Show in Abuja on Tuesday.

Edigbo said that IFAD-CASP was targeting 1,547,000 direct farmers and 4,362,000 indirect farmers in its implementation of adaption strategies to equip farmers, young men and women in the seven states that were benefiting from the programme.

“The IFAD-CASP is tackling climate change effects in Nigeria; you can see floods, desertification and farmers-herdsmen conflicts; herdsmen in search of pasture, as there is no pasture in the North, they are moving to the South and in the process, they are clashing with farmers.

“We want to teach farmers how to do the business of farming and provide support for them in terms of high-yield crops and implements; we want to educate them on how to go into farming as early as possible.

“We are providing them infrastructure that will allow them to engage in double or triple farming, pest control, crop processing and marketing, while adding value to their produce so that they can be in the business.

“We have also provided 9,159 jobs for the youth in those areas, these include financial service associations (5,000 managers, cashiers and security officials), 3,535 enterprises and 624 pilot enterprises,’’ he said.

Besides, the director said that the programme, which was operating in 104 local government areas and 727 villages in Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states, aimed at facilitating market and economic development.

“We assist the farmers to produce high-quality crops and link them with off-takers. There are lots of off -takers and we sell ourselves everywhere we go.

“We are partnering with Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) and some other organisations to solve the challenges facing the beneficiaries and increase their income.

“NiMet is helping us to provide weather information to our farmers and we utilise the information, and this has really helped our farmers in many ways.

“We are grateful to NiMET; this year, the agency has gone down to the villages, so that our farmers are aware of the onset of the rains to enable them to plan their cropping calendar,’’ he said.

Mr Muhammed Idah, the National Programme Coordinator of IFAD-CASP, who was represented by Mr Modu Shugaba, Agricultural Development Coordinator of IFAD-CASP, said that the programme had provided farmers with advice, while mitigating climate change effects on farming.

“We are bringing to the notice of farmers the effects of climate change. Climate change is real; people need to take cognizance of climate change in whatever they are doing, particularly in agricultural activities.

“We are partnering with many organisations and research institutes, especially NIMET, to predict rainfall.

“Our farmers now know when the rain will start and when it is going to end, so they are able to plan with this knowledge and achieve their crop calendar,’’ he added.

Idah said that the schemes of IFAD-CASP for farmers included climate change mitigation programmes and desertification control measures.

Others are encouraging the establishment of woodlots, shelterbelts, agro-forestry, community nursery, participatory land use planning (PLUP), reducing land degradation and promoting tree crops for increased income.

Idah said that they also included the agency’s collaboration with NiMET to downscale seasonal rainfall prediction (SRP) to all the participating local councils and villages, in concert with International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), to boost agricultural production.

He said that IFAD-CASP had also developed rangelands to reduce farmers-pastoralists conflict, boost linkages to existing market information platforms as well as conduct farmers’ profiling, using ICT and GPS to capture biodata, farm size, location, value chain crop and BVN registration.

He said that IFAD-CASP also encouraged youths and women to participate in crop growing and agricultural enterprises to enable them go into value chain that would generate more income and employment.

“We are promoting seven value chains of cowpea, groundnut, millet, maize, sorghum, wheat and rice; each of the seven states has three value chains to support.

“We are working seriously to reduce poverty, increase food security and accelerate economic growth on a sustainable basis,’’ he said.

NAN reports that the development objectives of IFAD- CASP include increased incomes, enhanced food security and reduced vulnerability for smallholder farmers, particularly women and youths, in the participating states.

The programme, which started in 2015, has a six-year life span. (NAN)
ROK/MOL/OOK
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi and Dayo Komolafe

NAN-AE-1
Biotechnology
By Sam Oditah
Umuahia, Oct. 17, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Benjamin Ubi, President of Biotechnology Society of Nigeria, has advised the Federal Government to invest massively in Biotechnology to achieve food security and avert the impending food crisis across the globe.
Ubi gave the advice in his keynote lecture at the Biotechnology awareness week and capacity building workshop in Umuahia.

The occasion was organised by the Centre for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Abia.

The president of the society said that the rising global population and the growing impact of global warming and climate change posed serious adverse effect on agriculture production all over the world, hence the need to check the development.

Ubi, a Professor of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, Ebonyi State University, said that sub-Sahara Africa “is highly threatened by hunger and malnutrition.”

He said that although Nigeria was not yet in the danger zone, “the country is presently at moderately high hunger.” adding that urgent measures became imperative to develop the nation’s diverse food crops through biotechnology.

He said, “Nigeria is lucky because it has a diversity of food crops but we should not be lazy.Rather, we should find ways to develop and harness the crops for greater economic benefits and nutritional value.”

The professor said that with biotechnology, Nigeria could achieve improved crop variety with the resultant high agricultural yield.

In an address of welcome, the Acting Director of the institute, Dr Emmanuel Ekundayo, said that “Biotechnology is changing the world of science and the way of life of human beings around the world.”

Ekundayo further said, “Modern biotechnology is creating breakthrough products and technologies to combat debilitating and rare diseases, feed the hungry, reduce environmental footprint, use less and cleaner energy.’’

According to him, modern biotechnology also ensures ‘’safer, cleaner and more efficient industrial manufacturing processes.”

He said that at least, “13.3million farmers around the world used agricultural biotechnology to increase yields, prevent damage from insects and pests and reduce farming impact on the environment.

Ekundayo, however, expressed concern that the level of knowledge and capacity to achieve breakthrough in producing biotechnology was pitifully low in Nigeria.

He listed the challenges limiting progress in biotechnology in Nigeria to include “intellectual apathy, paucity of facilities to do research in biotechnology and the low level of awareness about the potentialities of biotechnology.”

He also called for investment in biotechnology, especially in the establishment of functional centres of excellence in biotechnology in the universities and research institutes across the country.

Ekundayo, who said that forward-looking nations of the world were investing massively in biotechnology, called on the government to take cue from such countries toward the development of modern Biotechnology.
“Capability in modern biotechnology will be a major factor for economic competitiveness in the 21st Century.”

He said that the workshop was “designed to stimulate interest and promote knowledge about biotechnology in MOUAU and its environs in line with the mandate of the centre.”

In a goodwill message to the workshop, Prof. Joseph Ukpabi, the Acting Executive Director, National Root Crop Research Institute, Umudike, described the potential of biotechnology as enormous.

Ukpabi was represented by a Director in the institute, Dr Ifeoma Ukwuonu.

He said that the institute had acquired “decades of experience in the application of modern biotechnology tools in breeding, seed multiplication, disease diagnosis, food chemistry and industrial applications.”

He also said the institute was ready to collaborate with MOUAU and other institutions in research on biotechnology that would be of mutual interest and for the nation’s economic viability.
The Vice-Chancellor of MOUAU, Prof. Francis Otunta, expressed the hope that the workshop would come up with recommendations that would help in the development of biotechnology in the university.

He was represented by the Deputy VC (Academic), Prof. Madu Iwe.

The Chairman of the opening ceremony and Director, MOUAU Extension Centre, Prof. Ike Nwachukwu, commended the centre for organising the programme.

He said that the recommendations that would emanate from the workshop would be beneficial to farmers, Nigeria and humanity in general.

Nwachukwu described the theme of the workshop, ‘’Biotechnology: Key to sustainable food security,’’ as apt, in view of the current challenges facing agriculture and the environment. (NAN)
USO/DUA
Edited by Dada Ahmed