Business

Russia’s Putin Orders Investment, Labour Shake-Up

Published

14 years ago

May 8, 2012

Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s government to boost investment and shake up state-run industries in a flurry of decrees issued after he returned to the presidency on Monday.

The initiatives are part of Putin’s call for a “new economy”.

Putin set out his long-term economic and social goals in the orders, issued on the first day of a six-year presidency during which he will face pressure to improve Russia’s business climate, shrink the state’s role and ease reliance on energy exports.

The president ordered the government to take measures to raise capital investment to no less than 25 per cent of GDP in 2015, from the current level of 20 per cent, and to create 25 million high productivity jobs by 2020.

He also called for a 50 per cent increase in labour productivity by 2018 and a 30 per cent increase in the share of high tech products in GDP in order to lessen Russia’s dependency on natural resources.

Putin, who has repeatedly spoken out against corruption and red tape, with little obvious success, during his 12 years in power, also said he wanted Russia to climb from the 120th place it occupies now in the World Bank’s Doing Business index to 50th place in 2015, and 20th place in 2018.

The orders from Putin, who ran Russia as president from 2000 to 2008 and then as prime minister until Monday’s inauguration ceremony, reflected an acknowledgement of the need to attract more investment and diversify the economy.

In his address after taking the oath of office, Putin said that “the lives of future generations, the historic prospects of our state and nation depend on real successes in creating a new economy and modern standards of living”.

After the ceremony, Putin sent a letter to the speaker of the State Duma lower house of parliament, asking legislators to approve the candidacy of former President Dmitry Medvedev as prime minister.

He is expected to be confirmed on Tuesday.

Putin’s decrees formalise ideas and goals he expressed in speeches and articles during the presidential election campaign.

The decrees set tough goals for Medvedev, who is expected to be a much weaker prime minister than his predecessor Putin, with many insiders predicting Medvedev’s time on the job is limited.

Putin and Medvedev are yet to announce their choices for ministerial jobs.

Medvedev would like to squeeze political heavyweights like Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin out of the government and bring in his loyalists.

In line with the law, the government resigned on Monday, with Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov becoming an acting prime minister until Medvedev’s appointment.

Medvedev will have two weeks to form the new cabinet.

In the decrees, Putin said he wanted the government to sell its stakes in firms which do not belong to natural resources or defence sectors and are not natural monopolies.

That would require a change to the state’s privatisation programme which he wanted in place by Nov. 1, he added.

During Medvedev’s presidency Russia drafted an ambitious 32 billion dollars privatisation plan but little progress has been made while the role of the state in the economy has continued to grow.

Putin also wanted to limit acquisitions by state-controlled companies, which should also come up with schedules for non-core asset sales by Dec. 1.

The decree asked the government to analyse the efficiency of three “state corporations” whose activity is regulated by special laws and which receive capital injections from the budget.

Putin also asked the government to present proposals by June 1, 2012 on the reform of the government procurement system with obligatory public hearings on all state orders exceeding one billion roubles ($33.63 million).

Putin called for an increase in real wages by 40 to 50 per cent by 2018 and said average mortgage rate should not exceed inflation by more than 2.2 percentage points.

Business

Customs Seek Support To Curb Smuggling In Ogun

Published

12 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), Ogun 1 Area Command, has solicited support in fighting smuggling and other economic crimes at the Nations border.

The Area Comptroller, Olukayode Afeni made the appeal in an interview with Newsmen in Idiroko, Ogun.

The comptroller stressed the need for the public to provide timely and reliable information to the Service, saying noting that fighting smuggling is a collective effort

“I urge the general public to join hands with NCS by providing timely and credible information that would help toward suppressing smuggling and other economic crimes.”

“Together, we can build a prosperous nation where compliance is the norm, and criminality has no place,” he said.

Afeni reiterated the command’s commitment to combat smuggling, and facilitating legitimate trade, as well as generate revenue for national development.

Chinedu Wosu

Business

IFAD: Nigeria Leads Global Push For Youth, Women Investment In Agriculture

Published

13 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The 49th Session of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Governing Council has concluded in Rome, with Nigeria taking a prominent leadership role in advancing global agricultural development priorities, particularly strategic investment in youth and women.

The biennial meeting, themed “From Farm to Market: Investing in Young Entrepreneurs,” underscored the growing recognition of young people as critical drivers of job creation, innovation, and inclusive economic growth across global food systems.

The session opened with the election of Nigeria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, as Chairperson of the IFAD Governing Council.

Having previously served as Vice Chair, his emergence as Chairperson reflects the strong confidence reposed in Nigeria by Member States, recognising the country’s constructive engagement and leadership in promoting global food security.

In his acceptance remarks, Senator Kyari expressed deep appreciation to Member States for the trust placed in him, pledging to serve with humility, diligence, and a strong commitment to improving the livelihoods of rural women and men across the world.

Addressing delegates during the session, the Chairperson emphasised that prioritising youth and women in agriculture is key to unlocking economic opportunities, accelerating innovation, and driving inclusive growth.

He noted that such investments would ultimately strengthen global food systems while helping to reduce hunger and poverty.

Senator Kyari also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for placing food security at the centre of Nigeria’s national priorities.

He noted that Nigeria’s leadership role at IFAD aligns with the President’s directive to boost agricultural productivity, expand economic opportunities for youth and women, and build resilient food systems capable of withstanding climate and market shocks.

The Minister further praised the IFAD Nigeria Country Office, led by Country Director Ms Dede Ekoue, for translating global development commitments into measurable outcomes for rural communities.

He highlighted the office’s role in strengthening agricultural value chains, empowering youth and women, and improving resilience among smallholder farmers nationwide.

Business

Expert Tasks FG On Food Imports To Protect Farmers

Published

14 hours ago

February 13, 2026

The Tide

The Federal Government has been urged to balance consumer protection with farmers’ sustainability by ensuring timely food imports, input subsidies expansion and price stabilisation mechanisms to secure investments across the agricultural value chain.

An agriculture expert, Dr Fatai Afolabi, gave the advice at a forum organised by the Plantation Owners’ Forum of Nigeria (POFON), in collaboration with the Oil Palm and Other Oil Seeds Value Chain, themed ‘Current Government Food Strategy, the Concomitant Effects and Implications for Food Security in Nigeria’, and held in Lagos, Wednesday.

Afolabi cautioned that the recent food import policies, while easing consumer prices, could undermine local farmers and long-term food security if not carefully managed.

He noted that Nigeria’s food system was navigating an exceptionally difficult period, marked by inflationary pressures, climate variability, insecurity in major food-producing regions, and rising energy and logistics costs.

He said the Federal Government’s decision to temporarily relax restrictions on selected food imports was understandable, noting that the market had responded swiftly with a reduction in prices of major staples.

However, the convener observed that while the policy had brought much-needed relief to consumers, it posed significant challenges for local farmers and agriculture value chain investors.

“While output prices have fallen, the cost of producing food in Nigeria remains stubbornly high.

“Farmers continue to contend with expensive fertilisers, rising transport costs, costly improved seeds and agrochemicals, limited access to affordable credit, poor electricity supply, weak road infrastructure, and inadequate storage and processing facilities, which result in significant post-harvest losses.

“This situation, where farmers sell produce at declining prices while production costs remain elevated, has created widespread distress across agricultural ecosystems,” he said.

Afolabi said the effects were being felt across all segments of agriculture, with rice farmers among the hardest hit.

He said reports from producing states indicated that about 3,500 rice farmers were considering exiting rice cultivation after incurring estimated losses of over N93 billion.

He added that cassava farmers were selling produce at prices that barely covered harvesting costs, leaving them unable to recover their investments.

According to him, vegetable and edible oil producers are also under pressure as imported vegetable oil brands reduce demand for locally processed alternatives.

He added that cocoa farmers continue to battle price volatility in international markets amid rising domestic labour and maintenance costs.

Afolabi noted that tree crops such as oil palm and cocoa, which require long gestation periods, were particularly vulnerable to sudden market disruptions that undermine investor confidence and discourage new investment.

He said the effects extended downstream to agro-processing and value addition, with soybean farmers supplying vegetable oil processors experiencing reduced demand and lower prices.

He said the development threatened not only farm incomes but also rural employment and agro-industrial growth, raising concerns about national food security.

According to him, sustained losses could force farmers out of production, increasing Nigeria’s dependence on food imports and exposing the country to global supply shocks, foreign exchange pressures and long-term vulnerabilities.

Afolabi cited India and the Netherlands as countries offering useful lessons in balancing consumer protection with farmer sustainability.

He said India deploys food imports strategically during shortages, while complementing them with strong domestic support systems.

He added that the Netherlands, despite being one of the world’s leading agricultural exporters, supports farmers through input subsidies, tax incentives, affordable energy, strong cooperatives, and close integration with research and extension services.

He said agricultural students in both countries also benefit from subsidised tuition, transportation and meals, as well as grants and start-up support for farm enterprises.

“This approach ensures generational continuity and innovation in the agricultural sector,” he said.

Afolabi said Nigeria’s current food import policy could play a stabilising role if complemented by deliberate measures to protect local producers.

He recommended carefully timed imports to avoid peak harvest periods, strengthened price stabilisation mechanisms, aggressive subsidies for critical farm inputs, and support for agro-processors to remain competitive.

He also called for clear communication of policy intentions to reassure farmers that import measures were strategic and temporary.

“Food imports should function as a strategic shock absorber rather than a permanent market feature.

“Government should develop and publish a national crop production and harvest calendar for major staples and align import decisions with documented supply gaps.

“Affordable food and profitable farming are not mutually exclusive goals. With thoughtful coordination and sustained support for farmers, Nigeria can achieve both,” he said.