Business
IYC Hails FG On Rice Farm Project
Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has commended Federal Government for supporting rice project undertaken by ex-militant leader, Paul Eris in Southern Ijaw creeks of Bayelsa State.
The IYC President, Mr Pereotubo Oweilaemi said “permitting Tanko Farms owned by Eris, ex-militant leader popularly known as `General Ogunboss’ to use a section of the 2500-hectare Peremabiri Rice Farm for rice farming was a step in the right direction.”
Oweilaemi gave the commendation at the Tanko Farms when he led a delegation of youth body to visit Eris at his country home in Peremabiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.
He said the rice farm which created jobs for over 100 youths, had great potential to create wealth and more job opportunities for youths from various Ijaw communities.
He added that the farm project would also help in solving youth restiveness in the Niger Delta.
The IYC president said “I want to commend Federal Government for deeming it necessary to do something tangible through our brother to ensure that our people are meaningfully engaged.
“I said it at various fora that when Niger Delta youths are meaningfully engaged, it will curb restiveness in the region and this rice farm is one key project that can solve the crisis situation in the region.”
Oweilaemi, however, appealed to government to do more by establishing more agricultural projects that would absorb more youths, noting that the swampy nature of the region’s terrain was suitable for rice farming.
He assured Eris that the IYC would stand by him in the rice farm project, noting that the former militant leader had proven to be a true Ijaw son who had shown sufficient interest in the progress of the Ijaw nation.
In his remarks, Eris said the 53.5-hectare farm currently has two rice milling machines with over 100 workers.
He said he had received 320 bags of paddy through Federal Ministry of Agriculture in the first quarter of 2017.
He also informed the youth delegation that government had also awarded him a 10-tonnage rice mill to boost production.
He, however, said the lack of access road to Peremabiri was the greatest challenge affecting businesses in the area.
“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.