Business
Katsina Revives Agric Marketing Board
Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State has announced the revival of the Agricultural Marketing Board as part of measures toward boosting agricultural productivity.
Shema made the announcement at Kafin-soli in Kankia Local Government Area at the closing ceremony of the 2013 Agricultural Show.
He said that the government had appointed Justice Mamman Nasir as Chairman of the board.
Shema said that the decision would help create market for farm produce by enhancing agricultural productivity, adding that many people would engage in commercial farming.
He added that another show on irrigation farming and animals rearing would also hold in Daura and Funtua Local Government Areas respectively every year.
The initiative, he said, would engender healthy competition and exchange of ideas among the farmers.
Shema also said that his administration would continue to accord agriculture top priority because of its importance in nation building.
According to him, the state has potential for both food and cash crops for domestic consumption and commercial purposes.
He said that the government would continue to design programmes that would make people engage in commercial agriculture, so as to create job opportunities and alleviate poverty among people of the state.
Alhaji Rayyanu Dandume from Dandume local government area emerged the overall winner at the show and was turbanned as ‘’Sarkin-noma’’, meaning the leader of farmers.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.
