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Cassava Value Chain Development: Centre Hails Taraba

Published

13 years ago

on

As the ‘Cassava Plus’ project gradually winds down, the
Taraba Government has received commendation for pioneering the development of
the cassava value chain.

Cassava Plus is a public-private partnership to
commercialise cassava production by linking farmers to value-added markets. The
three-year project (2010-2012) is being financed by the Schokland Fund,
established by the Netherlands’ Directorate-General for International
Cooperation .

The project is being implemented by International Centre for
Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) and the Dutch Agricultural
Development and Trading Company (DADTCO), a private enterprise specialising in
large volume commercial agricultural products with high trade potential.

The aim of Cassava Plus is to strengthen the market
capacities of 164,000 cassava farmers in Nigeria.

A statement issued by the IFDC and made available to The
Tide in Abuja on Sunday, commended the Taraba Government for promoting
smallholder cassava farmers in the state to key into the project.

It said that the project had been working with producers,
agricultural extension agents, input dealers/service providers and marketers,
including about 1,500 cassava producers comprising 52 farmer groups in the
state.

The Tide reports that cassava is one of the target crops
that the Federal Government is working toward harnessing their full potential
under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).

The Federal Government is currently driving the
implementation of the inclusion of 10 per cent cassava flour in bread with a
view to reducing the huge foreign exchange spent on the importation of wheat.

The statement noted that the Taraba Government had since
2009, worked with the IFDC to support its farmers by increasing accessibility
and affordability to agricultural inputs, improving dissemination of
agricultural extension messages to farmers and linking producers to markets
such as DADTCO.

Established in 2002, DADTCO has a wide experience working
with farmers in the developing world, supplying them with agricultural inputs,
and selling their produce in domestic and export markets.

DADTCO has its headquarters in the Netherlands with
subsidiaries in Nigeria and Mozambique

According to the statement, not less than 1,000 farmers
involved in the Cassava Plus project received subsidised fertiliser through
trained agro-dealers while 500 others also bought improved cassava stem
varieties.

Furthermore, the IFDC, under the project, facilitated the
training of a total of 1,500 farmers in best agronomic practices and also
monitored them to ensure the adoption of modern methods in their farming
activities.

DADTCO also designed an Automobile Processing Unit (AMPU), a
“factory on wheels” to target smallholder cassava farmers in the state, the
statement said.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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2 weeks ago

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June 27, 2025

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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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