Business
Farmers Clear Refuse Dumps In Search Of Manure
Farmers in Zaria and its environs have resorted to clearing refuse dumps in their neighbourhoods in search of manure for their crop growing.
The Tide source reports that the farmers’ resolve to use organic waste, gathered from refuse dumps, for their farming has resulted in a cleaner environment.
A Zaria-based farmer, Malam Ibrahim Mohammed, said that the practice had also reduced the burden of routine refuse evacuation on the government.
He recalled that in the past, the state and local governments used to engage contractors to clear or evacuate waste from refuse dumps.
”However, people have now resorted to collecting the waste and transferring it to their farmlands, with a view to using it as compost.
”Young children in Zaria city now have jobs because they sell a cement-bag size of refuse for between N20 and N25; this is another way of generating employment.
”If you go to Kwarin Dangoma at Tudun Jukun, Zaria, you can see even older persons and men who are involved in the business so as to eke a living,’’ he said.
Another farmer in the area, Malam Musa Dogara, appealed to the government to promote the use of manure in farming so as to reduce the people’s over-reliance on conventional fertilisers.
He said that manure enriched farmlands in a better way, when compared to inorganic fertiliser that could even reduce soil fertility over time.
”If a farmer is not lazy, he can transport refuse, as much as he can, to his farm during the dry season for use as manure in the rainy season.
”A farmer needs little or no application of conventional fertilisers to complement the use of manure to enable him to have high yield,’’ he said.
Dogara, however, called on the government to intervene and modernise the manure collection, preparation and distribution system so as to boost agricultural productivity and create job opportunities.
“If government comes in and modernise the system, it will not only boost agricultural productivity but it will also create job opportunities.
”This will also enable farmers to cultivate their farmlands very early since they don’t need to wait for the supply of conventional fertilisers,’’ he said.
A peasant farmer, Malam Mutawakkilu Rafinyashi, however, also appealed to the government to spearhead efforts to encourage and mobilise farmers to replace conventional fertilisers with organic fertiliser.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.