Business
‘Convert Impounded Substandard Tyres To Raw Materials’
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, has urged the Federal Government to convert impounded substandard tyres into raw materials for the production of conveyor belts and other rubber-based items.
Ikpeazu made the call at a town hall meeting organised by the Federal Government in Umuahia on Monday.
He differed with other Nigerians calling for the destruction of the tyres, saying, “N5 billion worth of rubber cannot be destroyed by fire hence they should be converted into raw materials’’.
Besides, he said that because Nigeria lacked the technology to destroy the items properly, doing so with fire would pose serious environmental hazard.
The governor suggested that the government should penalise the suspected Chinese, who allegedly smuggled the items into the country, by compelling them to build a rubber company in Nigeria.
He expressed happiness over AFRINEXIM Bank’s intervention in providing the 100 million dollars needed by Geometric Power Plant, Aba, to pay the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
He said that the development meant that the problem of power in the commercial city would soon be over.
Ikpeazu also spoke on the letters reportedly written by former Gov. Orji Kalu and his former deputy, asking to be paid their pensions.
He said that the issue was politicised, and warned that politicising the matter could make it difficult for government to pay them.
He, however, said that he had directed the letters to the appropriate agencies of government to treat.
“There is no special pensioner. A pensioner is a pensioner,” he said, adding that the state government was looking into the case of pensioners.
On kidnapping in the state, Ikpeazu underscored the need to tackle the menace with the use of technology and appealed to the Federal Government to purchase 37 trackers for the states and Abuja.
He suggested that the cost of the trackers should be deducted at source from the states’ allocation at the Federation Account over a period of time.
He said that the device would make the fight against kidnapping easier and more successful, adding that no state could afford N800 million needed to purchase the tracker.
Ikpeazu further appealed to the government to expedite action on the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Ohafia-Arochukwu road so that investors could move in to harness abundant mineral deposit in the area.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor