Business

FG To Train 100,000 Graduates As Extension Workers – Osinbajo

Published

9 years ago

August 19, 2016

Vice-President Yemi
Osinbajo has said that the Federal Government will train 100,000 graduates as extension workers out of the 500,000 graduates to be engaged as teachers.
He made the declaration while launching the agricultural sector roadmap entitled: “The Green Alternative: Agriculture Promotion Policy 2016 to 2020’’ in Abuja.
The vice president also called for policy alignment of all government’s economic plans.
“This particular alignment is crucial. Just to give some obvious example: you cannot have a policy of encouraging local production of food and on the other hand have a high tariff on imported agricultural equipment.
“There is no way that we can encourage local production when we allow unbridled importation of the same things that we are trying to produce.
“There is no way we can do the scale of agricultural production both for domestic consumption and export without ensuring local improved seedling development alongside those that we import.
“And of course encouraging the work of the agencies of the Ministries of Science and Technology who have been making great breakthroughs in local development of agricultural equipment.
“Still on the issue of policy alignment, our social investment programme, which is possibly the largest in recent history, is designed to align with the design of our agricultural and other policies.
“And so, as part of the 500,000 teacher corps that we will be engaging, 100,000 of them will be trained as extension workers for our farms.’’
Osinbajo further said that the road map had identified the inability to meet productivity challenge of self-sustenance due to inefficient farming model, inadequate seeds, irrigation, and crop protection.
He said the administration met an economy in meltdown and had to take difficult decisions to repair the huge damage done by dependence on oil, not investing in infrastructure, deepening diversification and increasing reserves.
The vice president said that it became imperative to set the economy on the part of inclusive growth with job opportunities for the huge youth population through positioning agriculture as the focus of diversification.
Osinbajo said there was no doubt at all that if the administration got the agriculture right the economy would be right.
According to him, the home grown feeding programme was anchored on the use of locally produced food for primary school pupils in the country.
Osinbajo also said that financing of agriculture was also a crucial policy issue with double-digit interest rate and reluctance of banks to lend to the sector.
He said the administration must develop some funding options in the short term.
“The anchor borrowers’ programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria has proved to be extremely useful.
“Indeed the phenomenal success of the Kebbi rice programme where the farmers moved from 3.5 metric tonnes per hectre to 7.5 metric tonnes per hectre was largely the result of the single digit credit extended by the anchor borrowers’ programme which they used to purchase the right fertiliser quality and other inputs.
“The Ministry of Finance has practically concluded plans to recapitalise and re-engineer the Bank of Agriculture.
“We expect that before the end of this quarter, the Bank of Agriculture should be ready to give single-digit-interest-rate loans to farmers.’’
The vice president commended the Agriculture minister, Chief Audu Ogbeh, for developing an effective roadmap and conducting an advocacy for the revamp of the agriculture sector.
He further said President Muhammadu Buhari’s urgent call to return to the farm was one to embrace the truth of a renewed vision of an agriculture-led economy as an alternative to an oil dependent growth.
He said the agriculture revolution was a call on all to farm, even small vegetable farms.
“Interestingly, the only commercial activity that our constitution allows a public officer is farming; so we have no excuse,’’ he added.
In his reaction, the Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr Tim Nda Diche, applauded the new agriculture roadmap as a viable option for the advancement of the nation’s economy.
He told The Tide source that the political will of President Muhammadu Buhari was high and the agriculture diversification was best way to avoid over reliance on oil.

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

1 day ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

4 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi