Sports

GES’ll Create 8.7m Jobs -Firm

Published

13 years ago

June 5, 2013

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.

Sports

NDG: Rivers Coach Appeal To NDDC In Talent Discovery

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

Rivers State Chess coach Nnamso Umoren has appealed to relevant authorities, most especially the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), to provide funds for scouting of hidden talents at the grassroots.

He stated that lack of funds is hindering most coaches from doing what they are expected to do; hence, they don’t have enough money to travel to rural areas to discover talents.

Umoren made the appeal in an exclusive interview with Tidesports yesterday, in Benin, Edo State, shortly after the second edition of the Niger Delta Games drew her curtains closed.

According to him, without coaches no athlete can perform better, as coaches are the ones that teach athletes the techniques and rudiments of every sport.

“I appeal to the commission to support the coaches with funds to enable them to go to the areas and discover talents. Lack of funds for coaches limits the extent to which they can move around within the state in search of talents.

“I am of the general opinion that without coaches, athletes cannot perform better; hence, the coaches teach them the rudiments of the sports,” Umoren said.

The Chess coach called on the Rivers State government to organise tournaments in the State to know the strength of athletes discovered, saying that will improve sporting activities in the State.

However, he commends NDDC, who are the major sponsors of NDG, and Dumamis Icon Limited for close to perfect organisation.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Rivers Sports Director Rates Niger Delta Games High

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Rivers State Director of Sports, Obia Inyingikabo has that the just concluded second edition of the Niger Delta Games, held in Benin, Edo State, was very impressive and well organised.

She commended both the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Dumamis Icon Limited for the sponsorship and organisation respectively.

According to her, the problem of the team was the epileptic situation of shuttle buses, which was not under the direct control of the sports council.

Inyingikabo said this in a telephone interview with Tidesports yesterday; she confirmed that apart from the poor transport system for athletes, every arrangement went successfully as planned.

The director praised her athletes for making the State proud by winning gold, silver, and bronze medals during the games. She assured the people of Rivers State that in the next edition they will perform better and also used the opportunity to commend Rivers State promoting sports in the State.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Treat Bees, Silkworms As Valuable Resources – Don

Published

3 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

A Professor of Applied Entomology and Pest Management, at the Federal University of Technology Akure,(FUTA), Olufunmilayo Oladipo, has said insects such as bees ,houseflies silkworms and similar species should be seen and treated as valuable resources whose careful management could enhance food security, generate income, support industrial applications, and contribute significantly to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

Prof. Oladipo made the remark while delivering the 193rd Inaugural Lecture of the institution on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

Citing the honeybee as a prime example, Oladipo noted that beyond honey production, bees provide beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and venom used in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, while their pollination services significantly increase crop yields and biodiversity.

She also referenced silkworms, whose silk supports textile industries and export earnings, as well as black soldier flies and houseflies, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms and crickets which are increasingly used in the production of high-protein livestock and aquaculture feeds, thereby reducing dependence on expensive imported feed ingredients.

Speaking on the topic, “Six-Legged Arthropods: Food Security, Health and National Economic Development,” Professor Oladipo highlighted the multiple contributions of insects to national development in a monolithic economy like Nigeria, where over-dependence on crude oil has limited diversification.

She pointed out that insects serve as food for humans and feed for livestock, provide income for households through apiculture, sericulture, and insect-based enterprises, and supply raw materials for pharmaceutical and industrial uses. Beneficial insects also enhance food security through nutrient recycling, biological control of harmful species and weeds, and pollination of crops and horticultural plants, resulting in bumper harvests and increased biodiversity.

Professor Oladipo further mentioned termites and dung beetles for their role in nutrient recycling and soil aeration, improving soil fertility and agricultural productivity. Ladybird beetles and parasitic wasps, she explained, serve as natural biological control agents, reducing populations of destructive pests without harming the environment.

In the area of public health, Oladipo declared that though “the economic toll of insect vectors is staggering, stretching from the household to national economy, thereby undermining productivity, draining family resources, and constraining national growth, certain insects negatively affect agriculture, public health, and livelihoods”.

The professor pointed to the importance of understanding mosquitoes and other disease vectors such as tsetse flies, whose management is critical in combating malaria, yellow fever, dengue, sleeping sickness and other vector-borne diseases that weaken workforce productivity and strain national resources.

She cited data showing that malaria alone costs Africa over 12 billion dollars annually in healthcare expenditures, lost productivity, and reduced investment. Beyond mortality, she emphasized, insect-borne diseases also contribute to morbidity, chronic disability, and reduced workforce efficiency, imposing heavy burdens on families, health systems, and national economies.

She referenced maggot therapy, currently practiced in teaching hospitals in Kano, as a safe and effective treatment for chronic diabetic wounds adding that bioactive compounds from fungus-insect complexes such as Bombyx batryticatus and Beauveria bassiana, which have been developed into medicines with anticonvulsant, anticancer, antifungal, anticoagulant, and hypolipidemic properties.

Weaver ants, bee venom, and cantharidin from blister beetles, she stated, also possess therapeutic value, including immune-boosting, anti-diabetic, anti-arthritic, and antiviral applications. She maintained that strategic government investment in entomotherapy could strengthen healthcare delivery, reduce pharmaceutical import dependence, save lives, and support national economic diversification.

According to her, these examples demonstrate that insects are not merely pests to be eradicated but strategic biological assets that, if properly managed, can enhance food security, strengthen public health systems, generate employment, and support Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda.

The Agric expert noted however, that certain pest species continue to pose threats to agriculture and public health, thereby negatively affecting economic growth. She stressed that proper management, rather than indiscriminate eradication, is key to maximizing the benefits of these six-legged resources.

Professor Oladipo advocated integrated pest management strategies that prioritize environmentally friendly approaches, including botanicals, pheromones, biological control agents, growth regulators, and semiochemicals, while minimizing the use of broad-spectrum synthetic insecticides.

She warned that excessive reliance on chemicals has resulted in resistance, environmental pollution, and harm to non-target organisms. She also called for stricter regulation of pesticide importation and usage under professional supervision, and for stronger surveillance by regulatory authorities to prevent the introduction of exotic pest species.

To strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in entomology, she urged the government to support insect rearing and the conservation of beneficial species and to establish more Departments of Entomology in universities.

On the benefits of insects, she stressed the need for shifting societal perceptions and promoting sustainable practices, calling for stronger linkages between universities and industries to translate research findings into practical applications and commercial opportunities.

Professor Oladipo further appealed for increased funding for research and for targeted support for brilliant but indigent students in science-based disciplines, emphasizing that nurturing the next generation of entomologists and agricultural scientists is critical for national development.

Presenting the inaugural lecturer, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, FAS, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Development), Professor Sunday Oluyamo, described Professor Oladipo as a distinguished scholar whose research has significantly advanced the field of entomology and strengthened FUTA’s academic and research profile.

The Vice Chancellor who described the lecture as ‘timely’, given Nigeria’s challenges in food security, public health, and economic diversification, commended the inaugural lecturer’s scholarly depth, resilience, and dedication to mentoring students, reaffirming FUTA’s commitment to research that addresses pressing national development priorities.