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BOA Seeks IFAD’s Support To Boost ABP

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9 years ago

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The Bank of Agriculture
(BOA) says it is seeking support from the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) to scale up implementation of the Federal Government’s Anchor Borrower Programme.
The Bank’s Managing Director, Prof. Danbala Danju, stated this while interacting with newsmen, shortly after a meeting with the IFAD officials in Kaduna.
Danju said IFAD support to Rural Finance Institution Building programme (RUFIN) would strengthen the bank’s capacity for effective service delivery in the Anchor Borrower programme.
He explained that the bank would also benefit from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training being offered by IFAD under the programme.
According to him, the RUFIN would equally help in expanding the database of farmers participating in the bank’s credit programme currently being implemented in 13 states of the federation.
“The collaboration with IFAD will help the bank to address the challenges in capturing the biometrics of farmers, their farm sizes and locations, as well as the crops they grow.
“ It will also address the challenge of Bank Verification Number (BVN) being experienced by farmers as well as computer training for staff and building of a data bank.
“ IFAD is like a donor agency trying to help us in training our staff for effective service delivery with regards to the Anchor Borrower programme,” Danju said.
Earlier, IFAD Country Representative in Nigeria, Tsoda Asuko, said that the Fund would assist the bank in training farmers and strengthen off-takers under its RUFIN programme.
She said that the RUFIN programme is being implemented by IFAD in some 13 states of the federation to equip farmers with basic knowledge on how to access micro-financing.
Asuko said the RUFIN programme which is in its last lap after six years in the country, would also strengthen commercial banks to participate in the Anchor programme.
“I am here to discuss the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the role of BOA and how IFAD and RUFIN can support the bank.
“ BOA is critical in the implementation of the Anchor Borrower programme, reason we in IFAD are willing to assist in training farmers.
“We analyse some of the challenges the Anchor Borrowers Programme had been facing and the opportunities for the bank to strengthen its role,” Asuko said.
She said IFAD, within its last six months left to conclude it programme is willing to dedicate resources to strengthen capacity in rural micro financing to benefit more farmers and ensure loan repayment.
The Tide source reports that available statistics indicate that more than 300,000 smallholder farmers are participating in the programme.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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5 days 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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5 days 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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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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5 days 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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