Author: Iliya Rita

Nigeria requires N348trn to address infrastructure deficit -ICRC D-G

Infrastructure

By Rita Iliya7

Minna, June 26, 2024 (NAN)  Mr Michael Ohiani, Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC),  says Nigeria requires N348 trillion to address infrastructure deficit in the country.

He said this during a presentation at the 2nd Quarter 2024 Nigeria PublicPrivate Partnership Network (NPPN) meeting in Minna on Wednesday.

The theme of the meeting was ‘Using PPPs in Infrastructure Delivery in the States to ensure National Food Security and Economic Growth’.

Ohiani disclosed that going by the Medium-Term Development Plan, the country required over N348.1 trillion investment in infrastructure.

He said the private sector would be able to provide the chunk of this investment to the tune of about N298.3 trillion while the sub-national governments can provide N49.7 trillion.

“This goes to show the importance of the private sector in infrastructure development,”  Ohiani said.

He added that the revised National Infrastructure Investment Master Plan for the next 23 years envisaged that the country would require $2.2 trillion to bridge the infrastructure deficit in the country.

Ohiani said the various options available through which the government can raise funds were through borrowing, further repatriation of national funds and seeking further foreign intervention.

Other options, he added were to raise more bonds, Sukuk, tax credit schemes, Public-Private Partnership (PPP), both through solicited and unsolicited proposals.

In his keynote address, Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), commended state Governors for embracing the benefits and opportunities of PPP as an alternative procurement method.

Akume, represented by Simon Tyungu, a Director in his Office, said the meeting was timely given the infrastructure deficit in the country and government’s efforts to invest in renewal and modernisation.

In his remarks, Gov. Umaru Bago, said his administration was focusing on farming, thereby taking advantage of the vast arable land in the state.

Bago, represented by Alhaji Abubakar Salisu, Head of Service, added that the state would continue to partner with the Federal Government and international agencies in respect of agricultural development. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

FG sensitises Niger residents to hazards of child labour

Labour
By Rita Iliya
Minna, June 14, 2024 (NAN) The Federal Ministry for Labour and Employment, in conjunction with other agencies, has organised a road walk in Minna, Niger to sensitise the public to the hazards of child labour.

The Minister of State, Labour and Productivity, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha, in a remark, said the road walk was to commemorate the 2024 World Day Against Child Labour.

The minister was represented by Hauwa Zakariya, Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, in Niger.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the road walk, which started at Obasanjo complex in Minna, terminated at Labour House.

Onyejeocha said the day was set aside to sensitise the public on the dangers associated with child labour.

She called on the public to intensify to eradicate the menace and the need for the stakeholders to join hands in the fight against child labour bedeviling the society.

“Our expectation is to see that all children are given the right to education,right to live,and right to recreation,” she said.

The minister disclosed that some communities had been identified for depriving children from going to school, adding that the event has been used to sensitise the parents.

Onyejeocha said the ministry would leave no stone unturned in the efforts to enroll out-of-school children to school and engage them to acquire skills.

She lauded Niger government and the stakeholders involved in accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in the state.

In their separate remarks, Halima Ibrahim, from the Federal Ministry of Mines and Solid Minerals,  and Ibrahim Gana, Chairman, Trade Union Congress in Niger, described child labour as ‘a cancer that must be fought vigorously .(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Food security: NANTS, AGRA inaugurate rice processing centre in Niger

Inauguration
By Rita Iliya
Minna, June 14, 2024 (NAN) The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) in conjunction with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has inaugurated a rice processing centre in Niger state.

The project was inaugurated at Gidan Mangoro, Gbamanda community of Bosso Local Government Area of the state on Friday under the AGRA/Niger state consortium.

Dr Ken Ukaoha, President of NANTS said at the inauguration and distribution of Point of Sale (POS) to corporative groups, that the centre would add value to food security and improve productivity.

He added that the centre would provide means of livelihood as more people will go into farming due to the proximity of the centre.

“Rice and maize are major commodities produced in large quality in the community, farmers will not have to travel long distance again to process their crops,” he said.

He lauded Gov. Umaru Bago for the massive investment in agriculture and advised women and youths to form cooperative groups to benefit more from the agriculture revolution.

In his remarks,  Mr Godswill Agwuyi, representative of AGRA disclosed that AGRA was working in 16 local government in rice, maize, soyabean value chain.

He said the focus was to support smallholder farmers to transform from small to large farmers, adding that the centre will help farmers process their products without traveling to another location.

In his speech, Gov. Bago commended AGRA for its intervention as it had become a household name in the state.

Bago, represented by Dr Matthew Ahmed, Permanent Secretary of Niger Ministry for Agriculture, advised various cooperative groups to take advantage of the centre to improve on their production.

“Aside processing crops, the centre will also create job opportunity and women groups are the major beneficiaries, you use the facility to create wealth,” he said.

While appreciating the donor for the facility Alhaji Sani Adamu, the Village Head of Gidan Mangoro, promised that the facility would be used to improve production and adequately maintained. (NAN)
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Edited Ekemini Ladejobi

Mining
By Rita Iliya
Minna, June 13, 2024 (NAN) Three persons were killed while one sustained injuries when a mining pit collapsed at Bazakwoi, a village in Adnun community of Niger.

The incident was confirmed by Alhaji Abdullahi Baba-Arah, Director-General of Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).

“The agency received report of a mining pit collapse at Bazakwoi of Adnun community.

“The incident occurred on Thursday. It involved local miners who were said to be carrying out mining activities illegally.

“Three persons were confirmed dead while one person was rescued alive with injuries.”

He added, however, that no one was trapped in the pit.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the incident is coming barely one week after a mining pit collapsed in Galkogo community, killing one person and trapping 14 persons who are still in the pit. (NAN) www.nannews.ng
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Niger: Stakeholders brainstorm on farmer-friendly insurance policies

By Rita Iliya

Minna, June 13, 2024 (NAN) Stakeholders have come together to brainstorm on ways insurance firms can provide friendly insurance policies for farmers to avoid total losses after natural disasters.

Dr Ken Ukaoha, President, National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS), said this during the NANTS/AGRA stakeholders workshop on “Enhancing Agricultural Resilience through Farmer-centric Insurance Products’, in Minna on Thursday.
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The theme of the workshop was” Improving farmers’ Resilience and Upscaling Productivity, Incomes, and Livelihood in Rice, Maize, Soyabean, Cowpea and Vegetable Value Chain in Niger’.

Ukaoha explained that the ongoing agricultural revolution by the Niger government necessitated the critical stakeholders to come together to brainstorm on how to protect the government and farmers’ investment.

“Niger Governor has embarked on massive investments in agriculture with the cultivation of 10,000 hectares in each 25 local government areas.

“Therefore, for the government and farmers to reap from their investments, they must be insured against natural disasters, this will also bring about food security.

“The workshop will discuss why farmers are afraid to insure their crops and why insurance firms are afraid to insure farmers, all these issues will be reviewed and refined,” he said.

In his remarks, Dr Mattew Ahmed, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Agriculture, described the workshop “as apt”, saying that the state government was investing about N50 billion in agriculture in the wet season.

He said the workshop would sensitise the farmers on the importance of insurance in case of disasters like flood, droughts, fire and pests’ infestation of which only insurance can cover their losses.

Ahmed disclosed that only 2 per cent of the farmers in Niger were insuring their crops and called on them  to key into the insurance policy.

Similarly, Mr Godswill Agwuyi, representative of Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), said the organisation was working to improve the lives of smallholder farmers through access to credits and finance.

Also, Malam Idris Abini, the Chairman of Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) in Niger, disclosed that its members benefited N16 million from an insurance firm in 2018 and 2019.

He promised to sensitise RIFAN members on the importance of insurance, its benefits and the need to key into it. (NAN) (www.nannews,ng)
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Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani