Business

When RSG Showcased Investment Oportunities At NBA Confab…

Published

8 years ago

August 30, 2017

The present administration in Rivers State under the watch of Governor Nyesom Wike has never missed an opportunity of promoting and marketing the corporate image of the state in any forum in terms of its boundless investment opportunities.
This is usually done inspite of the hullabaloo and desperate conspiracy of few to the contrary to demark the state to potential investors.
The State Government in its commitment and keeping to its avowal pledge to the people in terms of brining development, dividends of good governance and creating enabling environment for wealth creating seized the singular opportunity at the recently concluded Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC) 2017 held at landmark centre, Lagos as a platform to showcase investment opportunities in the state to potential investors.
The event was held on Wednesday, August 23, at the HardRock Café of the Landmark centre. As early as 7am Rivers Lawyers and potential investors had all arrived for the event due to commence by 9.00am.
On the part of the Lawyers, NBA Port Harcourt had initially informed her members that the first 300 lawyers to arrive for the event would receive a special package. This promise the chairman of the occasion and Leader of the Bar in the state, OCJ Okocha, SAN ensured the organizers gave out the items promised without delay.
The event eventually started with the Hall Filled to Capacity., The State Government His Excellency E.N. Wike was unavoidably absent but was ably represented by the State Attoerney General and Commissioner of Justice, Chief Emmanuel Aguma, SAN.
The event became more lividly and excited with the presence of NBA National President, Abubakar Mahmoud and his team, chairman of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr Jim Ovia, Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke and his amiable wife, (a Rivers daughter) Director General of the Infrastructural Concessioning Commission in the Presidency and notable investors.
Governor Wike set the ball rolling by describing himself, the Chief Marketer of the state, stressing further that Rivers State is one of the few pivotal states sustaining the Nigeria nation with its boundless blessings. That the state is truly blessed.
He said that the state has surivived the worst forms of partisan attacks and de-marketing and despite all these attacks, the state continues to not only blossom but to sustain the country’s economy.
He proudly beat his chest that inspite of the state hosting a sizeable proportion of the nation’s oil assets, there have never been any known and reported attack of any of the Nation’s oil assets located in Rivers State under his administration.
He explained that the people of the state are hospitable and that hospitality truly reflects Rivers experience.
The Governor emphasized that his administration is committed to the Nigerian Federation and the large market the federation provides for investment and trade.
He said his administration has achieved a lot within two years due to peace in the state, conceding to the fact that no society is free of crime and assured investors that the security architecture put in place by the state government to protect their lives and investments is solid as nothing is taken for granted.
He Further assured investors that the obnoxious tax regime that had hitherto been a bottleneck for businesses and potential investors had been sanitised, certificates of occupancy, and consents for both land and transactions and mortgages are now obtained with ease.
No doubt, Rivers State is the second largest economy after Lagos in Nigeria. The state is the centre of the oil and gas industry in the West Africa sub region with a total gross domestic product (GDP) of about US $21.07 billion annually, a population of about six million people, has a large area of land under agricultural cultivation including oil palm plantations and a very high literacy level.
Speaking later, the Executive Director, Bureau of Public Private Partnership(PPP) Hon Nimi Walson-Jack Esq told investors that Port Harcourt is being restored to its former glory as the “Garden City” of Nigeria.
Walson-Jack explained that the present administration in the State has under taken ambitious reforms to transform the state.
The reforms were focused on providing and rehabilitating infrastructure such as road networks to facilitate movement and case traffic congestion in the state, hospitals, schools, power facilitates, tax reforms, improved public sector performance and service delivery.
He explained that the state government policy of tax holidays for new industries, (excluding federal taxes,) abundant natural resources and the broadly improving economic infrastructure have all combined to make the state a highly attractive investment destination.
The Executive Director PPP added that the state government has enacted laws through the state House of Assembly to protect investments by the investors, that one of such laws is the Rivers State Public – Private Partnership Participation in Infrastructure Development Law 2009 (PPP Law) with the objectives to strengthen institutional governance, enhance private investments, attract private funds for investments and provide an enabling environment for private sector participation among other objectives.
He stressed that the state government PPP agenda is to create opportunities for the private sector to participate in the Infrastructural Development of the state, increase the value chain in agriculture and other sectors of the economy and seek genuine opportunities for economic growth. He listed the ongoing PPP projects to include Rivers Adama, Riv metal Recycling plant, Raddison Blu Hotel, Riv Taf hold Estate, the Reserve at Golf Estate, Sterling Ridge Estate, Reef Court Estate, Garden City Villa, Ikm Toll Road and other unregistered projects.
Walson-Jack further stated that the state PPP is currently negotiating the following projects, Port Harcourt shopping mall, Songhai Rivers Initiation Farms, Eligmbu poultry farm, poultry farm at Atali, construction of Abattoirs, Housing development, provision of site and services at Greater Port Harcourt City and Golden Jubilee Hostels and Mall. The old zoo at slaughter round about will be turned into amusement park with the building of five stars Hotel there while Greater Port Harcourt hosts the new zoo.
However, without pontification, but with accurate statistical data he said that the present administration of His Excellency E.N. Wike within two years two months in office has signed and issued 680 Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to not only individuals but corporate organizations and potential investors in the state as compared with the immediate past Administration of Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi that signed and issued 461 C of O within the period of eight years.
He said that, this is a great achievement by the present administration to assure investors that their investments are safe.
In his remarks, Jim Ovia, Chairman Zenith Bank Plc said that the state is very very investors friendly, stressing that the per capital income of the indigenes is over $3 dollars as against the national income of $2 dollars per capital.
He said if the state was to been rated as a country, its economy could have be rated favourably among 15 growing economy of countries in Africa such as Rwanda, Kenya and Ghana, adding that the state has abundant talented young well educated personalities.
Ovia who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Software Development Initiative stated that the state is safe and remains the envy of investors to invest their resources.
He commended the state Governor E. N. Wike for his administration’s determination, commitment, developmental strides, sagacity, boldness and courage to confront the challenging insecurity.
Also speaking Donald Duke Jokingly added that he is the greatest by investor in Rivers State marrying a Rivers daughter.
President of the NBA, Abubakar Mahmoud, SAN also commended the state government for organizing the event to showcase the investment opportunities in Rivers State to investors and urged other states to emulate the state in subsequent NBA activities to showcase their abundant potentials for investors to invest their resources thereby creating wealth and hard currently for such states.
In his remarks, the state Hourable Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice Emmanuel Aguma, SAN, assured potential investors that the state regulatory framework is good and urged them to share in the boundless blessings of the state.
In his closing remarks, Chairman of the occasion, OCJ Okocha, SAN, expressed happiness over the well organized event and assured investors of their safe investments in the state.
Group of lawyers at the event who spoke also commended the State Government for organizing the interaction session to showcase the abundant investment opportunities in the state that will no doubt creates wealth for the state, and job opportunities not only for the lawyers with new clients but the unemployed youths.

Philip Okparaji

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

1 hour 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

Business

Industrialism, Agriculture To End Food Imports, ex-AfDB Adviser Tells FG

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

Former Senior Special Adviser on Industrialisation to the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, has urged the Nigerian government to urgently industrialise the agricultural sector as a pathway to food security, economic diversification, and sustainable job creation.

Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka made the call while speaking at the Oyo State Economic Summit held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, during a lecture titled “Industrialising Agriculture for Economic Development and Food Security: Enhancing National Economies and Sub-National Entities.”

He cautioned that despite Nigeria’s vast arable land and its position as a leading global producer of crops such as cassava and yams, the country remains food-deficient and heavily dependent on costly food imports.

He highlighted that Nigeria spends over one trillion naira annually importing wheat, rice, sugar, and fish, a persistent trend that drains foreign exchange, undermines local farmers, weakens industrial competitiveness, and fuels unemployment.

The development economist argued that the solution lay in transforming agriculture from a subsistence activity into a modern, industrial enterprise capable of producing surplus, supporting manufacturing, and driving broad-based economic growth.

He explained that industrialising agriculture does not mean replacing rural communities with factories, but rather empowering farmers with technology, skills, infrastructure, and market access to raise productivity and incomes.

According to Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Nigeria’s low agricultural productivity reflected deeper structural challenges, including weak education systems, limited skills, and inadequate investment in technology and infrastructure.

He noted that countries that successfully transitioned from low-income to middle-income status did so by modernising agriculture alongside industrial development, creating strong linkages between farms, processing industries, and markets.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka highlighted stark yield disparities between Africa and Asia, noting that cereal yields across African countries remain less than a third of those achieved in East Asia.

This gap, he said, explains why African economies struggle to compete globally and why industrialisation efforts have stalled.

Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka outlined key pillars of agricultural industrialisation, including mechanisation, value addition, integrated supply chains, access to finance, improved seed systems, and targeted investment in human and technological capabilities.

He stressed that farms must be treated as “factories without roofs,” capable of feeding into agro-processing, manufacturing, and export industries.

The visiting professor at The Open University in Milton Keynes said the economic benefits of such a transformation would be far-reaching, including reduced dependence on oil, large-scale job creation, significant foreign exchange savings, and stronger national food security.

Drawing lessons from Vietnam, he described how deliberate agricultural modernisation helped transform the Southeast Asian country from a food importer into one of the world’s leading exporters of rice, coffee, cashew, and seafood.

Vietnam’s agribusiness exports, he said, now generate tens of billions of dollars annually and underpin the country’s wider industrial success.

He attributed Vietnam’s success to consistent policies, heavy investment in agro-processing, strong farmer–industry linkages, and the use of special economic zones to drive value addition and export competitiveness.

Oyelaran-Oyeyinka noted that similar models are emerging in Nigeria, including in Oyo State, but warned that they require reliable infrastructure, policy stability, and empowered governance to succeed.

The professor called on state governments to prioritise power, roads, and logistics, strengthen agricultural extension services, and create efficient special agro-industrial processing zones that attract major domestic and international investors.

He also urged the private sector to view agriculture as a profitable business frontier rather than a social obligation, noting that Nigeria’s future prosperity depended less on oil and more on harnessing the productive potential of its land and people.

“We are a nation that can feed itself and others, yet we remain food-insecure and overly dependent on imports. This paradox is holding back our economy.”

“Industrialising agriculture does not erase our rural roots; it transforms them into engines of productivity, wealth creation and national development.”

“Subsistence agriculture is both a cause and a consequence of technological backwardness, and no country has reached middle-income status without first modernising its agriculture.”

“A farm must be treated as a factory without a roof, connected to processing, logistics, finance and markets. Vietnam shows that agricultural transformation is not accidental; it is the result of deliberate policies that link farmers to industry and global markets.”

“The seeds of Nigeria’s prosperity are not buried in oil wells; they are sown in the fertile soils of our ecological zones,” he said.

Lady Usendi

Business

Cashew Industry Can Generate $10bn Annually- Association

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The President of the National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Dr Ojo Ajanaku, has said Nigeria could earn $10 billion annually from cashew production, with $3 billion coming from cashew sales alone.

Ajanaku made this known during a press conference organised ahead of the 4th National Cashew Day, scheduled to hold from Jan. 22 to Jan. 24 in Abuja, with the the theme: “Unlocking the Full Potential of Nigeria’s Cashew Industry”.

He said that poor export documentation and weak repatriation of proceeds were causing major losses to the Nigerian economy.

“A substantial volume of cashew exported from Nigeria leaves the country without proper export proceeds forms, as exporters allegedly avoid bringing earnings back into the country,” he said.

He said during the last export season alone, Nigeria reportedly exported over 400,000 tonnes of cashew valued at about $700 million.

Ajanaku noted that deliberate investments in production and processing could unlock far greater potentials.

“If Nigeria produces just two million tonnes of cashew annually, which is achievable in less than five years, and sells at an average of $1,500 per tonne, the country would earn about $3 billion yearly,” he said.

He added that beyond raw cashew exports, enormous value lies in processing and by-products such as Cashew Nut Shell Fluid (CNSF) and cashew cake, which are largely wasted locally.

“In Vietnam, cashew cake alone sells for about 95 cents per kilogram, while in Nigeria processors pay to dispose of it as waste,” he noted.

Ajanaku explained that full local processing of cashew and its by-products could generate not less than $10 billion annually for Nigeria while creating thousands of jobs across the value chain.

He stressed that Nigeria has the production capacity, while countries like Vietnam possess advanced processing technology.

The NCAN President further disclosed that the association is strengthening partnerships with key government institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, NEXIM Bank, and other agencies to reposition the sector.

He added that a landmark Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Nigeria and Vietnam to facilitate technology transfer and deepen cooperation in cashew processing.

He expressed optimism that with sustained government support and effective regulation, the cashew industry could become a major driver of economic growth, foreign exchange earnings, and industrial development in Nigeria.

“Producing states should be given priority. For example, Kogi State, which has the highest cashew production in the country, has no factory. A lot of potentials can come from Kogi State for the country,” he said.

Also speaking, NCAN National Secretary, Augustine Edieme, said strategic plans are being made to showcase Nigeria’s potentials during the 4th National Cashew Day, which he described as a key opportunity to attract bigger investments and investors into the industry.

“We are not just talking about the cashew seeds. We need to crack the fruit shell and discover the value in cashew shells. Industrialisation of the cashew industry is key to driving the Nigerian economy,” he said.

The representative of the Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN), Sunday Ojonugwa, pledged that FACAN would optimally support the cashew association to ensure the sector reaches its full potential.

Lady Usendi