Business
Flood: AFAN Tasks FG, States On Farmers’ Compensation
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has appealed to the federal and state governments to compensate farmers who are affected by flood in different states across the country.
The Vice-President of AFAN,Chief Daniel Okafor, made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja yesterday.
Okafor, who is also the National President of Potato Farmers Association of Nigeria (POFAN), lamented that many farms had been submerged by flood, while crops worth millions of naira were consequently destroyed.
He said that farmers in Delta, Anambra, Kogi, Niger states, among others, were badly affected by the flood, adding that the development would hinder food production in the states.
He noted that crops in many farms across the states were washed off by floods, causing the farmers to lose a lot of money.
He said that potato, cassava, fish and rice farmers were largely affected in the states.
“As we speak, some farmers and our members are dying because of frustration. Government should go to these places to assist and compensate them because they have lost a lot.
“The standard of living of farmers is decreasing. Some of the farmers have packed out from their houses, while others have abandoned their farms because of the havoc which the floods wreaked on the farms,’’ he said.
Okafor also appealed to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) to live up to their expectations by coming to the aid of the afflicted 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.