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Group Floats Prizes For Farmer-Friendly Banks

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13 years ago

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The National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN),
organisers of the annual National Agricultural Show, says that this year’s
edition of the show will witness innovations such as the award of prizes to farmer-friendly
banks.

Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the foundation, Sen.
Abdullahi Adamu, who disclosed this at a forum in Abuja said that the
innovations were aimed at enriching the show and to attract greater
participation.

The 2012 edition of the show is scheduled to hold from Oct.
12 to Oct. 16 at the show ground at Km 28, Abuja-Keffi Road, Tudun Wada, Karu
Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.

According to him, more structures are being provided at the
show ground just as innovations are being introduced in this edition to enrich
the show with a view to attracting increased participation.

“We will be giving prizes as we’ve always done. This year,
there is some innovation. We are going to introduce a prize for the most
farmer-friendly bank in Nigeria.

“These are all innovations that we are introducing to make
sure that we cover better and more grounds.’’

On the impact of the show in attracting agricultural
investments into the country, Adamu, who was also a former governor of Nasarawa
State, said he could not measure the level of impact the show had had on
agricultural investment in the country.

This, he said, was because the foundation had not been able
to create adequate feedback mechanism to track the impact of the show on
participants.

He said, however, that the foundation had embarked on an
advocacy campaign to sensitise farmers on how to add value to their produce
before bringing them for exhibition.

Describing the show as the flagship agricultural show in the
country, the senator said it was deliberately planned to coincide with the UN
World Food Day celebrated annually on Oct. 16.

“When we started the show, we discovered that the World Food
Day is celebrated in hotels, unfortunately; and it didn’t quite bring the kind
of farmers in terms of number and it was more or less symbolic as far as we
were concerned in the foundation.

“And we decided to advise and we are happy that the Federal
Ministry of Agriculture accepted our advice because they are co-trustees in
this foundation; we started it together and since then we have been having the
two shows running back-to-back.

“The last two days is the World Food Day. Nobody can change
that date. It’s fixed. It’s a United Nations programme. No country can change
it; every member of the UN Charter participates in that.’’

According to him, the show is the foundation’s own way of
promoting agriculture in the country.

He said that the show had provided farmers, the platform to
exhibit agricultural produce.

Adamu added that the foundation had also informed all states
to mobilise youths and women to participate in this year’s show, stressing that
the two groups were critical to food production in the country.

The theme of this year’s show is: “Promotion of Investment
in Agriculture in Nigeria’’.

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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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Business

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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