Business
Labour Ministry Resolves 174 Trade Disputes In 2012,
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said recently that the ministry had resolved 174 trade disputes out of the 213 labour complaints received in 2013.
He said this at the ongoing 2013 Ministerial Platform in Abuja.
Wogu said that the 174 cases were resolved through mediation and conciliation, 25 through arbitration while 14 similar cases were at various stages of resolution.
‘’During the period in review, we received hundreds of labour disputes from all the states of the federation, from all the unions operating under the labour administration system.
‘’Out of the total complaints received, 213 were labour complaints and trade disputes which we have handled properly and in conformity with the labour law and trade disputes Act.
‘’Out of the 213 cases, 174 of the declared trade disputes were resolved through mediation, conciliation and apprehension by the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. ’’
He said the ministry had also established an e-library assisted by the Bureau of Public Service Reform and the World Bank where it issued 150 new Recruiters Licences.
The minister said his ministry also launched a Code of Conduct for private employment agencies during the period under review.
He said that a total of 139,371 employed candidates participated in various skill acquisition training in vocational, technical and agric trades.
“It also provided 75,640 entrepreneurial skills acquisition for graduate of tertiary institutions and artisans; provided 4,379 trainees with soft loans to set up micro and cottage enterprises, provided 3,255 transient jobs for graduates of tertiary institutions.
“A job fair was undertaken in conjunction with National Directorate of Employment (NDE) during the period under review and offered 54,847 employment counselling services to the unemployed at various job centres.
“It engaged 100 participants on Enterprise and Finance Counseling Clinic (EFCC) while 150 women were trained under the Lady Chauffeur Training Scheme flagged by the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.’’
According to Wogu, the NDE has also constructed three Agric Skills Training Centres (ASTCs) in Jigawa, Zamfara and Cross River States.
The directorate, he said, also rehabilitated 10 Agric Skills Training Centre in Abia, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Benue, Oyo, Kwara, Taraba, Delta, Ogun and Kano.
Wogu said that as at May 2013, the ministry had reduced job lost due to industrial accidents, injuries and sickness resulting in absenteeism at the work place by 9.5 per cent.
“This improvement was as a result of increased workplace inspection of 7,846 facilities as against 7,207 targeted for 2012.
“Consequently, 8.9 per cent increase in inspection was recorded. The number of accidents reported was 72 as against 360 targeted as benchmark. ’’
Business
NASS Engages Agric Minister On Food Crisis
The National Assembly through its joint committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development has engaged the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on an urgent solution to food inflation bedeviling the country.
The committee chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC Kwara Central), at an interface with the Minister, interrogated him on plans being put in place to arrest high cost of food prices in the country and make it affordable and available to the poor masses.
In his response, the Minister said the Federal Government has commenced distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to some focal points of state capitals nationwide.
“We have received directive and approval from Mr. President to distribute for immediate impact 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains free of charge to the Nigerian population.
“This was received in mid-February, as we are speaking, we have a record of the distribution being carried out, but I will want to plead with the honorable house and distinguished senators that some of the movements can’t be made public but a lot of states have started receiving their grains.
“We are distributing to state capitals in the first instance as you all are aware of the risk involved in the vandalism of foodstuff so we are working with the office of the national security adviser and other national security agencies.
“Furthermore, 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation”, he said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the interactive session, Senator Mustapha expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the federal government.
He said: “From our interactive session, we are on the other side of the parliament; we are fully in the picture of what is happening, we are convinced that the steps being taken by the federal government are in the right direction.
“All we did again is to further emphasise on the need for certain things to be done on time, I think from this collaborative approach by the grace of God, Nigerians will have a better feel of the government policy on food security”.
Business
Obj Harps On Cheap Credit, Policy Consistency For Food Production
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on the government to provide cheap credit and ensure policy consistency to enable farmers increase food production in the country.
The former President made the call as food inflation and nutrition security concerns grow in Africa’s most populous country.
Obasanjo’s made the call at the 9th Agrofood & Plastprintpack conference in Lagos recently, where he said farmers in the country were yearning for consistency in policy and single-digit interest loans to drive growth in the sector and attain food security.
“Policy sustainability and predictability is what farmers want. It helps them to plan. Availability of finance is also what farmers want. They cannot survive on the double digital interest rate”, Obasanjo, who is also a farmer, said at the conference.
According to him, food and nutrition security start with availability, then affordability by ensuring that everyone who needs food can get it.
He noted that food was one of the major imperatives in life, adding that “there cannot be food without agriculture and agribusiness”.
Obasanjo further stressed the importance of agriculture in changing the fortunes of the economy, with attendant exponential gains by way of earnings, employment, food security and other spin-offs.
He noted that agriculture must be made attractive to the country’s teeming youth population, saying this would address the rising unemployment, worsening insecurity and youth migration through the Mediterranean.
“We have to make agriculture attractive to the youths. We have to think within and outside the box to make it attractive to the youths so they are willing to get their hands dirty and feet wet”, he advised.
He continued that “Part of the security issue is owing to our inability to get them engaged. The need for agro-food and agribusiness is for food security, employment, wealth creation and income generation, particularly foreign exchange”.
Speaking also, Wouter Plom, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said his country had faced challenges similar to those Nigeria confronts – feeding a growing population with limited resources.
He said as partners with a joint vision, the Netherlands and Nigeria recognise that the agricultural sector was one of the prominent drivers for economic growth.
He noted that the Netherlands has further strengthened its partnership with Nigeria to boost the agriculture sector in three main areas- economic growth, improved diets and youth employment.
The ambassador noted that all the challenges in driving growth through the sector, improving diets and tackling unemployment can be addressed when food production is efficient.
Paul Maerz, Managing Director of Fairtrade Messe, said with more investment in agro-food & plastprintpack solutions, products and technologies, brighter days were ahead for Nigeria’s agriculture.
Business
Abuja Farmers, Others Lose N12bn To Ginger Disease
The Federal Government, has confirmed the outbreak of ginger blight epidemic in four States in Nigeria, saying ginger farmers have lost over N12 billion due to the disease.
The government disclosed this at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, revealing that the fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nassarawa Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers, but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.
“Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12bn.
“Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land”, he stated.
Abdullahi, however, stated that the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch a N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.
He said the ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services and farmer support systems, “we can build a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector”.
On his part, the Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi, said there was no doubt that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.
“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects”, he stated.
Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to salvage the situation, as he pleaded with the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
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