Business

INEC Deploys 108 Staff For Imo Guber Poll, Today

Published

15 years ago

May 6, 2011

No fewer than 108 staff of Independent Nationa Electoral Commission (INEC) from Enugu State will be deployed for the conduct of the Imo governorship supplementary election rescheduled to hold, today.

Mr Josiah Uwazuruonye, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Enugu State told newsmen yesterday in Enugu that the directive came from INEC headquarters in Abuja.

Uwazuruonye said: “As a result of what happened in the country concerning youth corps members, most of them are no longer eager to continue as ad-hoc staff in respect of the election.

“Most of them still nurse the morbid fear that what happened in the North might also be extended to them in the East.

“INEC does not want to take chances in case we do not have full complement of corps members.

“We were given directive to deploy our competent staff to conduct the supplementary election in Imo State.’’

“If the situation arises where the corpers are not eager to participate, so INEC can as well make use of its staff.

“That is why staff from Enugu and other neighbouring states are being invited to report at Owerri for the exercise, if we do not have full complement of corps members to take part in the supplementary election.’’

The REC said that deployment of the staff to different local government areas in Imo rested solely on the INEC office in Owerri.

Uwazuruonye, however, enjoined INEC staff in Enugu State to live up to expectations and replicate a peaceful election just as they did in Enugu.

“We conducted a peaceful election in Enugu State. They should go and showcase that thing they did in Enugu,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Imo State, Chief Eze Duruiheoma, said yesterday that the governorship position in the state was still open.

“The party is working hard to retain it,” Duruiheoma further said in an interview with newsmen in Owerri.

The chairman was speaking on the party’s level of preparedness for the May 6 supplementary governorship election in four local government areas and a ward in the state.

“The governorship position in Imo is still open and that is why all hands are on deck for PDP to win the seat,” Duruiheoma said.

He added that the party was fully prepared for the exercise, adding that the resolve by INEC to organise the supplementary election in the affected areas was at the behest of the party.

“The decision for a supplementary election was canvassed by PDP.

“We demanded for an election in local government areas where it did not take place and that is what democracy is all about.

“You cannot say that a local government like Ngor Okpuala with 70,000 registered voters does not have a say.

“So, we canvassed that election must be conducted in the area. Good a thing, the INEC listened to the voice of reason,” Duruiheoma said.

He said the party could not have been ill-prepared for the supplementary election when its members demanded for it.

He further explained that as a law-abiding party, PDP would accept the result of the governorship election, provided it satisfied the basic requirements of the Electoral Act.

“PDP is a law-abiding party, we believe in due process, we believe in legal process and the rule of law.

“So, if the outcome of the election satisfies all these beliefs of ours, we will happily accept the result,” Duruiheoma said.

He argued that PDP remained the most popular political party in the state, adding that it acquitted itself creditably in the presidential, national and state assembly elections in the state.

The chairman said that the party won the majority of seats allotted to the state in the National Assembly and won 15 seats out of the 27 House of Assembly seats in the results already declared by INEC.

Duruiheoma described as “unfortunate” the protest by some APGA supporters, who demanded the release of the governorship results, shortly after the Collation Officer, Prof. Enoch Akobundu, declared the election inconclusive.

“”The action was unfortunate and antithetical to democracy,” he said.

He said that it was wrong for anybody or group to pre-empt the result of an election that was yet to be concluded.

He described the violent protest and threat to the peace in Owerri, the state capital, by some youths, who threatened to burn down houses of some prominent politicians in the state as “unnecessary”.

“It is not necessary to resort to violence. Four years are not eternity.

“And, of course, we are all qualified to govern Imo but the person that will govern the state is already ordained by God,” he said.

He argued that even though “there are people we wished to be winners of the election, we should not elevate our wishes that it must come through.”

“If wishes were horses, beggars would ride,” Duruiheoma said.

He also took a swipe at “any leader that encourages that type of attitude,” saying that such a person “is doing a great disservice to the people of the state.

“Every candidate contested to win, you do not have to proclaim yourself a winner.

“This is very wrong,” he said, while appealing for calm and restraint by politicians ahead of the outstanding polls.

In a related development, INEC says it has put everything in place to ensure that the supplementary governorship and State House of Assembly elections in some parts of Imo today are free, fair and credible.

The new Supervisory Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the State, Mr Aniedi Ikoiwak, gave the assurance in Owerri on Wednesday.

Ikoiwak addressed a meeting with representatives of the participating parties, security agencies and other stakeholders.

It will be recalled that INEC ordered the supplementary polls in four local government areas and a ward in Imo because the April 26 elections in the state were inconclusive.

“We are here to conduct elections in Ohaji/Egbema, Oguta, Mbaitoli and Ngor Okpala local government areas as well as Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government area and we have set upon ourselves to do just that.

“It is not our duty to elect who should govern the state or represent the people; it is the duty of the Imo electorate to do that”, he said.

Ikoiwak said that to ensure a level playing field for all the parties, the commission had drafted four new RECs, national commissioners, electoral officers, collation officers and Returning officers to organise the elections.

He appealed to the candidates to caution their supporters against violence during the exercise, adding, “INEC alone cannot make the election credible; we need the support of everyone to succeed.”

He noted that some youths lost their lives in the course of the general elections, saying that such people paid the supreme sacrifice for the sustenance of democracy in the country.

“Their death is enough for us to agree that there will be no more bloodshed during elections,” he said.

The supervisory REC told the parties that materials for the elections would arrive in the state yesterday and that their representatives would be invited to inspect them.

He restated that the parties were allowed to be represented by only one agent in a polling unit during the elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, also gave the assurance that the today’s rescheduled polls would be free, fair and credible.

Jega, represented by a National Commissioner in INEC, Mr Ishmael Igbani, said the commission attached importance to the supplementary election in Imo.

The Commissioner of Police in charge of election in the state, Mr Tambori Mohammed, said security agencies were fully prepared to ensure security before, during and after the elections.

Mohammed warned that any person caught violating the electoral laws would be arrested and prosecuted, no matter how highly placed.

Heads of security agencies, party chieftains, APGA governorship candidate, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and PDP Chairman in the state, Mr Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) attended the meeting.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

18 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi

Business

Industrialism, Agriculture To End Food Imports, ex-AfDB Adviser Tells FG

Published

19 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Former Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, has urged the Nigerian government to urgently industrialise the agricultural sector as a pathway to food security, economic diversification, and sustainable job creation.

Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka made the call while speaking at the Oyo State Economic Summit held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, during a lecture titled “Industrialising Agriculture for Economic Development and Food Security: Enhancing National Economies and Sub-National Entities.”

He cautioned that despite Nigeria’s vast arable land and its position as a leading global producer of crops such as cassava and yams, the country remains food-deficient and heavily dependent on costly food imports.

He highlighted that Nigeria spends over one trillion naira annually importing wheat, rice, sugar, and fish, a persistent trend that drains foreign exchange, undermines local farmers, weakens industrial competitiveness, and fuels unemployment.

The development economist argued that the solution lay in transforming agriculture from a subsistence activity into a modern, industrial enterprise capable of producing surplus, supporting manufacturing, and driving broad-based economic growth.

He explained that industrialising agriculture does not mean replacing rural communities with factories, but rather empowering farmers with technology, skills, infrastructure, and market access to raise productivity and incomes.

According to Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Nigeria’s low agricultural productivity reflected deeper structural challenges, including weak education systems, limited skills, and inadequate investment in technology and infrastructure.

He noted that countries that successfully transitioned from low-income to middle-income status did so by modernising agriculture alongside industrial development, creating strong linkages between farms, processing industries, and markets.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka highlighted stark yield disparities between Africa and Asia, noting that cereal yields across African countries remain less than a third of those achieved in East Asia.

This gap, he said, explains why African economies struggle to compete globally and why industrialisation efforts have stalled.

Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka outlined key pillars of agricultural industrialisation, including mechanisation, value addition, integrated supply chains, access to finance, improved seed systems, and targeted investment in human and technological capabilities.

He stressed that farms must be treated as “factories without roofs,” capable of feeding into agro-processing, manufacturing, and export industries.

The visiting professor at The Open University in Milton Keynes said the economic benefits of such a transformation would be far-reaching, including reduced dependence on oil, large-scale job creation, significant foreign exchange savings, and stronger national food security.

Drawing lessons from Vietnam, he described how deliberate agricultural modernisation helped transform the Southeast Asian country from a food importer into one of the world’s leading exporters of rice, coffee, cashew, and seafood.

Vietnam’s agribusiness exports, he said, now generate tens of billions of dollars annually and underpin the country’s wider industrial success.

He attributed Vietnam’s success to consistent policies, heavy investment in agro-processing, strong farmer–industry linkages, and the use of special economic zones to drive value addition and export competitiveness.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka noted that similar models are emerging in Nigeria, including in Oyo State, but warned that they require reliable infrastructure, policy stability, and empowered governance to succeed.

The professor called on state governments to prioritise power, roads, and logistics, strengthen agricultural extension services, and create efficient special agro-industrial processing zones that attract major domestic and international investors.

He also urged the private sector to view agriculture as a profitable business frontier rather than a social obligation, noting that Nigeria’s future prosperity depended less on oil and more on harnessing the productive potential of its land and people.

“We are a nation that can feed itself and others, yet we remain food-insecure and overly dependent on imports. This paradox is holding back our economy.”

“Industrialising agriculture does not erase our rural roots; it transforms them into engines of productivity, wealth creation and national development.”

“Subsistence agriculture is both a cause and a consequence of technological backwardness, and no country has reached middle-income status without first modernising its agriculture.”

“A farm must be treated as a factory without a roof, connected to processing, logistics, finance and markets. Vietnam shows that agricultural transformation is not accidental; it is the result of deliberate policies that link farmers to industry and global markets.”

“The seeds of Nigeria’s prosperity are not buried in oil wells; they are sown in the fertile soils of our ecological zones,” he said.

Lady Usendi

Business

Cashew Industry Can Generate $10bn Annually- Association

Published

19 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Dr Ojo Ajanaku, has said Nigeria could earn $10 billion annually from cashew production, with $3 billion coming from cashew sales alone.

Ajanaku made this known during a press conference organised ahead of the 4th National Cashew Day, scheduled to hold from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 in Abuja, with the the theme: “Unlocking the Full Potential of Nigeria’s Cashew Industry”.

He said that poor export documentation and weak repatriation of proceeds were causing major losses to the Nigerian economy.

“A substantial volume of cashew exported from Nigeria leaves the country without proper export proceeds forms, as exporters allegedly avoid bringing earnings back into the country,” he said.

He said during the last export season alone, Nigeria reportedly exported over 400,000 tonnes of cashew valued at about $700 million.

Ajanaku noted that deliberate investments in production and processing could unlock far greater potentials.

“If Nigeria produces just two million tonnes of cashew annually, which is achievable in less than five years, and sells at an average of $1,500 per tonne, the country would earn about $3 billion yearly,” he said.

He added that beyond raw cashew exports, enormous value lies in processing and by-products such as Cashew Nut Shell Fluid (CNSF) and cashew cake, which are largely wasted locally.

“In Vietnam, cashew cake alone sells for about 95 cents per kilogram, while in Nigeria processors pay to dispose of it as waste,” he noted.

Ajanaku explained that full local processing of cashew and its by-products could generate not less than $10 billion annually for Nigeria while creating thousands of jobs across the value chain.

He stressed that Nigeria has the production capacity, while countries like Vietnam possess advanced processing technology.

The NCAN President further disclosed that the association is strengthening partnerships with key government institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, NEXIM Bank, and other agencies to reposition the sector.

He added that a landmark Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Nigeria and Vietnam to facilitate technology transfer and deepen cooperation in cashew processing.

He expressed optimism that with sustained government support and effective regulation, the cashew industry could become a major driver of economic growth, foreign exchange earnings, and industrial development in Nigeria.

“Producing states should be given priority. For example, Kogi State, which has the highest cashew production in the country, has no factory. A lot of potentials can come from Kogi State for the country,” he said.

Also speaking, NCAN National Secretary, Augustine Edieme, said strategic plans are being made to showcase Nigeria’s potentials during the 4th National Cashew Day, which he described as a key opportunity to attract bigger investments and investors into the industry.

“We are not just talking about the cashew seeds. We need to crack the fruit shell and discover the value in cashew shells. Industrialisation of the cashew industry is key to driving the Nigerian economy,” he said.

The representative of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Sunday Ojonugwa, pledged that FACAN would optimally support the cashew association to ensure the sector reaches its full potential.

Lady Usendi