Business
Bayelsa Farmers’ Bodies Resolve Differences
The lingering supremacy tussle between the Bayelsa State branch of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (ALFAN) and Bayelsa Farmers Association (BAFA) has been resolved.
A group of elders that goes by the name, Bayelsa Conciliators Forum (BCF), made the reconciliation of the two antagonistic bodies possible.
The two bodies had been at each other’s neck in the past four years over which faction should be in a better position to protect farmers’ interests in the state.
Officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources capitalised on the crises to lock out the two unions from its activities.
Leading the pack of mediators, are Chief Thompson Okorotie, a former Political Adviser to Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, and the traditional ruler of Ovom, Chief Simeon Arab.
The Tide gathered that the fend and non-recognition of BAFA, which the state government favoured, by federal authority robbed farmers of the benefits of accessing federal government loans.
With the reconciliation process completed, both groups have come under the umbrella body of All Farmers Association of Nigeria and are now ready to benefit from the state’s agric scheme in 2010.
Presenting the reports of the settlement to the Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chief Diekwii Ikiogha in Yenagoa, Chief Okorotie noted that ALFAN was riddled with internal crises which have now become a thing of the past.
This has made accessing loans impossible, and pleaded with the state government to inaugurate the new harmonised body and involve them in its policies and programmes.
Receiving the reports, Chief Ikiogha said farmers in the state would have been better off but for their internal crises, and thanked the elders for intervening. He, however, stated that the report would be considered, after which government decision would be communicated to them.
“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.