Sports
GES’ll Create 8.7m Jobs -Firm
The Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme will create 8.7 million jobs and earn rural farmers N289 billion in 2013. the Managing Director, Maslaha Seeds Limited, Mr Ibrahim Abdullahi, has said.
Abdullahi said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.
According to him, the scheme will not only create jobs and increase the livelihood of farmers but has already increased the production of seeds companies from 1,500 tonnes to 5,000 tonnes.
“ In seeds production, we normally engage out-growers; out-growers are farmers carefully selected and trained on seeds production by the seeds companies to produce certified seeds.
“Before this programme, we used to produce between 1, 500 tonnes to 2,000 tonnes of seeds per annum but with this programme, we have increased our production to 5,000 tonnes; so we employed more out-growers.
“So many people were employed because when you produce the seeds from the farm, you load the seeds to the collection centre and you offload it there.
“From the collection centre, you load again to the seeds factory and then you put it in the stores; from the stores, you load it again to the factory for processing and after processing, you now load it to the warehouses.
“From warehouses, you load it again to supply the respective states and redemption centres; so, you discover one bag of seeds employs about eight to 10 people.
“For 2013 GES, this programme is expected to distribute 54,000 tonnes of maize seeds and 34,000 tonnes of rice seeds.
“For the maize, it amounts to 602,000 bags and each bag employs eight people; so the 602, 000 bags will employ 4.820million people; there is no sector in this country that employs people like this.
“To take the seeds from the farmers to the factory and process it and to start distributing for this 2013, we are expected to employ 4.8 million people just for seeds handling for maize.
“And for rice, we are going to employ 3.8 million people; so if you put these together, we are talking about 8.7 million people.’’
Abdullahi, however, observed that farmers would have increased yield, if they adopted the best agronomic practises in planting the improved seeds given to them by the government and applying the right quantity of fertiliser.
“Fertiliser is also given to the farmers in the required quantity; so we are expecting that these farmers will use the best agronomic practises of using improved seeds and the right quantity of fertiliser.
“The average yield for farmers in Nigeria is 1.2 tonnes per hectare but with this programme, we are expecting an increase of 1.3 tonnes on the average.
“On the low side, we are expecting that farmers will get at least 2.5 tonnes to three tonnes per hectare which amounts to 1.3 tonnes increase from what they used to have.
“When we looked at the maize seeds for this 2013, about 2.738 million hectares will be planted and if you take a yield increase of 1.3 tonnes per hectare, what farmers are going to get is 3, 560, 000 tonnes.
“If you convert this into monetary terms, you are talking about N234 billion.
“When you take the rice, we are expecting that we are going to plant 497, 000 hectares.
“That amounts to 646,000-tonne yield increase and when you convert that to money, you are talking about N54 billion.
“If you put these two together you are talking about N289 billion going to the farmers pocket for just 2013.’’
The managing director explained that his organisation had been able to pay the wages and salaries of its employees through the Public-Private-Partnership with the government.
He said that the scheme had created a huge market for his company, adding that he had been involved in subsidy programmes in the past but none had been fruitful.
According to Abdullahi, there are some little challenges but the government is working hard to address those issues.
He urged the Federal Government to assist seeds companies in accessing long-term loans.
“What we are getting now is short-term loans that we repay after four to six months of seeds production.’’
Abdullahi stressed that long-term loans were needed for the growth and development of the seeds sector.
Isaako All Stars FC of Opuoko and Khana Khana AllStars Football all in Local Government Area of Rivers State will tomorrow engage in a friendly football match at Opuoko Mini Stadium.
Chatting with Tidesports in a telephone interview yesterday the Chairman of Khana All Stars Saro Tap-le said that the encounter is not going to be an easy game in spite it is an AllStars game.
He express his side readiness for the encounter stating that the opportunity as come for them to showcase their talents.
However, the chairman explained that AllStars game is not about winning but the excitement, love, unity and friendship it creates is more important.
” Tomorrow game is not going to be an easy one despite is a AllStars game. We are going there in a full force to do what we know how to do best and to showcase our talents.
“As Chairman of Khana All Stars I believes we have an edge over the Isaako All Stars be we are training so hard for the encounter” Tap-le said.
Also speaking the Chairman of Isaako All Stars Mina Zaasi Iloori sees the match as an opportunity to build relationships.
” My brother it is an AllStars friendly game I think winning is not important but the paramount thing is the relationship we are going to create among both teams and my community at large
” We are training hard because of the encounter because I will not be in my house and somebody will rob soap in my eyes.
” As I speak with you we are just coming from back training ground to ensure all my players are fit for the match.
” I am using this medium to call on football fans to come en mass to Opuoko Mini Stadium tomorrow and enjoy the best of round leather game.
I promise the game will be an exciting display of football talents and sportsmanship”, Iloori said.
Kiadum Edookor
Thierry Henry has called for the return of the away goals rule in the aftermath of the bombastic Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona.
The visitors at the Estadio Olimpic Lluis Companys came within milimeters of clinching the first leg of the final-four clash after former Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted late in the second-half.
But the linesman was quick to raise his flag, and semi-automated offside ruled out what would have been a thrilling conclusion to the high-octane 3-3 draw.
The hosts came from behind twice to share the spoils, chasing Inter Milan from the first minute of the game after Marcus Thuram stunned the Barcelona faithful into silence with his neatly flicked goal.
Denzel Dumfries doubled Inter’s lead 20 minutes later, but it took just three more for the Blaugrana to finally get on the scoresheet courtesy of a moment of magic from teenage starlet Lamine Yamal.
Ferran Torres drew Barcelona level ahead of the break, but Lamal was forced to play catch-up again in the second-half after Dumfries scored his second.
In light of the impressive effort from Inter, Henry wondered if the team should have got more from the fixture ahead of the second-leg at the San Siro.
‘I know it’s been like that for a very time, and we have to accept it,’ Henry said of the removal of the away goals rule, ‘But off air I was talking to Jamie (Carragher), and I was like, “how can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?”
‘Away goals for me were massive, you score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage 0-0 at home,’ Henry shrugged.
UEFA took the decision to scrap the rule which gave goals scored away from home the ability to act as a tiebreaker in the case of level scorelines ahead of the 2021-22 season.
Current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger claimed during his time as Arsenal manager in 2015 that the away goals rule ‘encouraged the team at home not to attack’ and that ‘the weight of the away goal (was) too big today’.
Without the rules, the tie at San Siro will go to extra time and penalties to decide which teams books their spot in the Champions League final.
But based on Wednesday evening’s performance, Henry seemed to give Inter a fighting chance against the newly minted Copa del Rey champions.
The 2025 London Marathon set a new world record for the number of finishers despite hot conditions on Sunday for its 45th edition.
A total of 56,640 runners crossed the finish line at the end of the 26.2-mile route, Guinness World Records has confirmed.
The number surpassed the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York Marathon in November.
Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, said he hoped the high number of finishers inspired people to apply for the 2026 race ballot.
“The London Marathon was already the most popular in terms of ballot entries, with 840,318 people applying for the 2025 race,” he said.
“It is also the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event with more than £1.3bn raised for charity since 1981.”
The number of people applying for the ballot to enter this year’s race broke the world record of 578,304 for the 2024 edition.
Of UK applicants 49% were female, while there was a 105% increase in applications from people aged between 20-29.
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa surged to victory in the elite women’s race in a world record for a women’s only field, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe triumphed in the men’s event.