Business
RSUST, Diamond Bank To Partner On Managerial Ability
The Management of Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Nkpolu, Port Harcourt said they are willing to synergise with Diamond Bank for managerial ability as dependable allies.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Barimene Fakae dropped the hint during a colloquium organised by the Faculty of Management Studies, Department of Management at the school’s Amphi-theatre, last Thursday.
Professor Fakae, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Howell Hart said with the school attaining greater heights in educational career, such collaboration would help in research and other services and described the occasion as unique.
He said despite the high level of unemployment in the society, such synergy would be a stepping ground for the students of the department to acquire better and practical knowledge of the sector.
The Vice Chancellor disclosed that the Senate of the school had approved the re-introduction of appointing technocrats into the Board, adding that the move would further boost the academic prowess of the school, and lauded the initiative of the department, describing the theme of the colloquium, “Students-Industry Interface; Consolidating the Gown-Town Relationship,” as appropriate.
In his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Professor Augustine Ahiazu said the event would afford the students real life after their career, pointing out that it would give them an insight and motivation in preparation for the future.
Professor Ahiazu, who was represented by the chairman of Okrika Local Government Area, Hon Tamuno Williams described the occasion as apt with actualities in the industry with Diamond Bank to impact real life knowledge to them, admonishing that with hard work and determination, the sky would be their limit.
He later declared the colloquium open. In his speech, the Special Guest and Dean, Faculty of Management, Professor Sete Accra-Jaja hinted that they would mobilise the workforce to achieve desired results through efficient managerial life, adding that the colloquium was aimed at bridging the gap of managerial life after their career.
Professor Accra-Jaja enjoined the students to learn how to develop themselves, and build them emotionally for a healthy mind and body adding that energy management thinking can be solve through positive thinking as “Positive thinking is the panacea to achievement of goal.”
Also speaking, Diamond Bank Plc, Mr Joe Anaele charged the students to start designing their career with the information at their finger-tip and highlighted some benefits of saving with the bank.
Mr Anaele said the bank is also ready to partner with the students to enable them have interest in their career in mostly accounting and thanked the orgnisers of the colloquium for a job well done.
Earlier, the Head of Department, (HOD) Department of Management, Dr Isaac Zeb-Obipi in his proloque said the colloquium was an academic exercise involving experts to widen their scope of knowledge as it was aimed at bridging the gap between the students and the industry.
Dr Zeb-Obipi said it would further enable the students to interface with professionals in management outside their school environment and have a practical knowledge of the sector, rather than theory and expressed optimism that the students would be better acquainted with the practicals at the end of the day.
He thanked all for making the occasion a huge success and recalled a similar occasion that was held in 2010 by the Chartered Institute of Management.
lectures presented at the occsasion include, “Employers Expectations of potentials graduates; imperatives for young graduates,” “Developing a successful career, starting point is now,” and overview of Nigerian Labour Laws; important knowledge for potential employers and employees,” with chief Chris Biriowu as Guest Speaker.
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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