Business
Adamawa Farmers Charge Govt On Agric Inputs
Some farmers in Adamawa have appealed to the state government to provide them with fertilisers, pesticides and improved seeds to enable them engage in commercial farming.
A cross section of the farmers told newsmen in Yola that they had yet to receive the farming inputs the state government said it had given farmers.
During the first All Nigerian Farmers meeting held recently in Yola, by Governor Murtala Nyako said the government had made “giant stride’’ to achieve its food security programme.
He said that rural farmers had been provided with the necessary training and agricultural inputs to actualise their dreams to go into commercial farming.
But one of the farmers, Malam Hamidu Chigari, from Gurin ward in Fufore local government area, described the governor’s assertion as “political talk’’.
“ Last year, our farms were devastated by locust, some government officials from Yola and Abuja visited us and promised us emergency assistance, but up till this moment we are yet to receive the assistance,’’ he said.
He said the only way farmers could access agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, pesticides and high breed seed was through the local markets and private agricultural suppliers who sold them at exorbitant prices.
Mr Yohanna Pwal, a farmer from Demsa local government area, said the agricultural inputs supplied by government to farmers were insufficient.
He said that he would need not less than six to seven bags of fertilisers for this year’s farming season.
“Four of us were given one bag of fertiliser to share, which is inadequate for a farmer like me,’’ he said.
He urged the governor to hand over distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers’ cooperatives and organisations who, he said, know the real 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.