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Fadama 111:Farmers Adopt New Farming Techniques

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Nigerian farmers have adopted 57 new farming technologies under the FADAMA 111 programme, Dr Adetunji Oredipe of the World Bank has said.
Oredipe, the World Bank FADAMA Team Leader, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, recently.
He said the technologies were adopted by 30,300 farmers across the FADAMA 111 implementing states, adding that the beneficiaries were made up of 23,153 males and 7,143 females.
Oredipe said that the North Central embraced the highest number of 18 new technologies, while South West had two.
“Some of the new technologies include waste to wealth, liquid organic manure preparation and usage as well as solar powered board scare and dryers.
“A total of 40,062 farmers also received extension services from the Agricultural Development Prorammes (ADPs) and the North West region had the highest number of 16,640 and the North East with the lowest of 3,630,’’ he said.
The team leader, who commended the Federal Government for the proper implementation of FADAMA 111, said that plans were ongoing to support the National Seed Council (NASC) to undertake seed regulatory activities.
Oredipe said that the programme would also support the National Agriculture Research Centre (NARC) to upgrade the existing Seed Genebank in Zaria.
Seed Genebank Unit is one of the major units of National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB).
The unit is saddled with the responsibility of acquisition, managing, conservation, distribution, regeneration, characterisation and utilisation of orthodox seeds.
He said there would also be renovation of the council’s seed laboratories in Zaria, Sheda, and Abuja, as well as the construction of five space unit’s office block in Zaria.
Oredipe told newsmen that there was also a synergy between the project and the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) to establish community base seed system to bridge the gap of supply and demand.
Tayo Adewumi, who also spoke to newsmen, said that the National Project Coordinator, Fadama III Project, noted that the World Bank had commended implementation of the North East Food Security and Livelihood Support Project (NEFSLAP).
He said that the direct beneficiaries of the project across the six states of Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi and Gombe were the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPS).
According to Adewunmi, on the average, the project is expected to reach out to 24,000 household’s direct beneficiaries with 192,000 indirect beneficiaries within 600 communities across the six states.
He said the 50 million dollars project being executed through the Fadama III Project-Additional Financing was aimed at encouraging North-East IDPs to go back to their base in order to continue to farm.
The national coordinator said the project had assisted in building the capacities of the beneficiaries, while adequate training on rehabilitation in terms of training provides improved seeds and application of modern technologies is ongoing.
“Women are also part of the major targets of the project, as the funds would support the women in areas of agro-processing equipment and the necessary support for good agronomy practices.
“To ensure effective application of modern day technology and capacity building, the project has provided in house consultants,’’ he said.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure  and equipment  modernization drive  with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the  clearing  of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying,  “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President  of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of  NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the  Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu
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