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NAIC Boss Tasks Farmers On Insurance Cover

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10 years ago

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The Managing Director,
Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Mr Boade Opadokun has said that only about two million Nigerian farmers adequately insured their agricultural operations and out puts.
Opadokun, who expressed worry at the low rate at which Nigerian farmers embrace insurance disclosed that the corporations would introduce measures to increase the number of farmers with insurance cover to five million by the end of the current financial period.
He noted that some losses are peculiar to farmers and also hinder their production, prompting the federal government to establish the Nigerian Agriculture Insurance scheme in 1987.
The Managing Director noted that the scheme later became incorporated in 1988 and became the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation by the enabling Act 37 of 1993 with the aim of providing insurance cover for farmers.
Some of the objectives of NAIC included making investment in the sector more attractive through efficient risk management and prompt claims payment and enhancing the adoption of improved farming practices to boost total agricultural production.
He stated that the scheme also enables farmers to enjoy credit from lending financial institutions and eliminate the need for emergency assistance usually provided by government during disasters.
Stressing that for crop production, farmers were more prone to drought and flood, Opadokun said by NAIC, government guarantees support to farmers as to help them increase production and manage risk elements associated their businesses.
The Managing Director revealed that the corporation conceptualised, designed and implemented a new distribution model for agricultural insurance for small-scale crop farmers participation in the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“The operating model for this new business, which is electronically driven by a software designed for the GES programme, ensures that crop farmers entitled to subsidised inputs under the GES programme get a crop insurance cover worth at least N20,000 on their farms for a premium charge of N500,” the MD said.
He said about 500,000 farmers participated from 12 states during last dry season and that 51,300 farmers purchased the cover.
According to him, the corporation opened up series of discussions with overseas technical partners to establish the underwriting of weather index insurance in the country as part of its commitment to the research and development of new insurance products that would meet the needs of Nigerian farmers and mitigate the effect of climate change.

 

Chris Oluoh

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Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

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NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
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FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

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4 days ago

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September 22, 2025

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
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