Business
Food Vendors, Others Make Brisk Business In Otukpo
Food vendors in Otukpo, Benue State are smiling to the bank after a steady boom in their businesses following the return of Mark d’Ball basketball competition in the town.
The Tide source reports that the competition could not hold in December 2016 following an eviction notice served on the organisers to vacate the premises used for the event.
The competition eventually returned in 2017 following the donation of a new basketball arena by former Senate President David Mark who is the sole sponsor of Mark d’Ball.
Some of the food vendors who spoke to our source expressed appreciation to the organisers, saying that their businesses thrived in 2017 compared to 2016 when the event couldn’t hold.
A vendor, Mrs Gloria Samuel, said she sold a quarter bag of rice every day. This, she said excluded what she makes from selling other foodstuffs.
“Some days I go home with N50,000 and at times N45,000. I always rely on this competition (Mark d’Ball) to prepare for the New Year.
“Last year (2016) December was tough because the competition didn’t hold; planning for the New Year was difficult for my family but I thank God things are normal again,” she said.
She commended the organisers of the competition and pleaded for it to be sustained.
Another vendor who specialised in preparing indomie noodles with egg, but only gave his name as Simeon, told our source that he enjoyed celebrating his Christmas in Otukpo because of the brisk business during Mark d’Ball.
“I am from Plateau State. In the last five years, I have been going home on Jan. 1 because I wait till the end of Mark d’Ball.
“I couldn’t travel last year (2016) Christmas because Mark d’Ball didn’t hold and I didn’t have enough money to spend when I travel.
“In fact, I have already called my people that I am coming on New Year day because I know I can take care of expenses at home this time around,” Simeon said.
Simeon who sold a plate of two indomie noodles packs and two eggs for N350 said he sold up to four cartons every day.
The manager of Leach Hotel, Mr Malik Adejoh, situated in the Government Reserved Area of Otukpo, did not hide his joy for the competition as his hotel rooms were fully booked.
“Mark d’Ball is one tournament we rely on every year to make up for the lost periods during the year.
“I have managed this hotel for about 15 years and I can tell you what we have benefitted from this competition. People come from different parts of the country to lodge here.
“I have some basketball teams and Nigerian artists that are lodging in this hotel and we also hosted the “Miss Idoma” beauty pageant in this arena.
“As I am talking to you now, we don’t have any room that is free; they have all been booked until Mark d’Ball comes to a close on December 31 night, and this happens every year apart from 2016.
“I know what we lost when it didn’t hold in 2016 but I thank God we are here again,” Adejoh said.
Mark d’Ball is a sports and entertainment event that brings Nigeria’s most exciting basketball teams, comedians and musicians to perform live in Otukpo.
Famous musicians like Majek Fashek, Tuface Idibia, Terry G, P-Square, Ambassador Wahala, Aboki for Christ, Fred Bright and Chuks the General are some of the entertainers that performed at Mark d‘Ball events.
Others are Ice Prince, Tekno, Okey Bakassi, Ibu, Pastor Nicodemus and Klint da drunk.
Business
NASS Engages Agric Minister On Food Crisis
The National Assembly through its joint committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development has engaged the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on an urgent solution to food inflation bedeviling the country.
The committee chaired by Senator Saliu Mustapha (APC Kwara Central), at an interface with the Minister, interrogated him on plans being put in place to arrest high cost of food prices in the country and make it affordable and available to the poor masses.
In his response, the Minister said the Federal Government has commenced distribution of 42,000 metric tonnes of grains to some focal points of state capitals nationwide.
“We have received directive and approval from Mr. President to distribute for immediate impact 42,000 metric tons of assorted grains free of charge to the Nigerian population.
“This was received in mid-February, as we are speaking, we have a record of the distribution being carried out, but I will want to plead with the honorable house and distinguished senators that some of the movements can’t be made public but a lot of states have started receiving their grains.
“We are distributing to state capitals in the first instance as you all are aware of the risk involved in the vandalism of foodstuff so we are working with the office of the national security adviser and other national security agencies.
“Furthermore, 58,500 metric tonnes of milled rice from mega rice millers will also be released into the market for stabilisation”, he said.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the interactive session, Senator Mustapha expressed satisfaction with the steps being taken by the federal government.
He said: “From our interactive session, we are on the other side of the parliament; we are fully in the picture of what is happening, we are convinced that the steps being taken by the federal government are in the right direction.
“All we did again is to further emphasise on the need for certain things to be done on time, I think from this collaborative approach by the grace of God, Nigerians will have a better feel of the government policy on food security”.
Business
Obj Harps On Cheap Credit, Policy Consistency For Food Production
Nigeria’s former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has called on the government to provide cheap credit and ensure policy consistency to enable farmers increase food production in the country.
The former President made the call as food inflation and nutrition security concerns grow in Africa’s most populous country.
Obasanjo’s made the call at the 9th Agrofood & Plastprintpack conference in Lagos recently, where he said farmers in the country were yearning for consistency in policy and single-digit interest loans to drive growth in the sector and attain food security.
“Policy sustainability and predictability is what farmers want. It helps them to plan. Availability of finance is also what farmers want. They cannot survive on the double digital interest rate”, Obasanjo, who is also a farmer, said at the conference.
According to him, food and nutrition security start with availability, then affordability by ensuring that everyone who needs food can get it.
He noted that food was one of the major imperatives in life, adding that “there cannot be food without agriculture and agribusiness”.
Obasanjo further stressed the importance of agriculture in changing the fortunes of the economy, with attendant exponential gains by way of earnings, employment, food security and other spin-offs.
He noted that agriculture must be made attractive to the country’s teeming youth population, saying this would address the rising unemployment, worsening insecurity and youth migration through the Mediterranean.
“We have to make agriculture attractive to the youths. We have to think within and outside the box to make it attractive to the youths so they are willing to get their hands dirty and feet wet”, he advised.
He continued that “Part of the security issue is owing to our inability to get them engaged. The need for agro-food and agribusiness is for food security, employment, wealth creation and income generation, particularly foreign exchange”.
Speaking also, Wouter Plom, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said his country had faced challenges similar to those Nigeria confronts – feeding a growing population with limited resources.
He said as partners with a joint vision, the Netherlands and Nigeria recognise that the agricultural sector was one of the prominent drivers for economic growth.
He noted that the Netherlands has further strengthened its partnership with Nigeria to boost the agriculture sector in three main areas- economic growth, improved diets and youth employment.
The ambassador noted that all the challenges in driving growth through the sector, improving diets and tackling unemployment can be addressed when food production is efficient.
Paul Maerz, Managing Director of Fairtrade Messe, said with more investment in agro-food & plastprintpack solutions, products and technologies, brighter days were ahead for Nigeria’s agriculture.
Business
Abuja Farmers, Others Lose N12bn To Ginger Disease
The Federal Government, has confirmed the outbreak of ginger blight epidemic in four States in Nigeria, saying ginger farmers have lost over N12 billion due to the disease.
The government disclosed this at the inauguration of the National Ginger Blight Epidemic Control Taskforce in Abuja, revealing that the fungal disease had inflicted significant damage on ginger farms in Kaduna, Nassarawa Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said the blight had caused billions of naira in losses, impacting not only the livelihoods of farmers, but also Nigeria’s position as the world’s second-largest ginger producer.
“Our preliminary estimates suggested that affected farmers in southern Kaduna lost over N12bn.
“Furthermore, considering that over 85 per cent of Nigeria’s ginger cultivation occurs in this region, we can safely assume a substantial loss of cultivated land, potentially exceeding 70 per cent of total land”, he stated.
Abdullahi, however, stated that the Federal Government through the National Agricultural Development Fund would launch a N1.6bn recovery package for affected farmers in ginger-producing areas.
He said the ginger blight epidemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of preparedness in safeguarding agricultural resources, adding that by investing in research, extension services and farmer support systems, “we can build a more sustainable future for our agricultural sector”.
On his part, the Chairman of the task force committee, Abubakar Abdullahi, said there was no doubt that the blight on ginger had negatively affected the Gross Domestic Product earnings from this subsector.
“It is of necessity and great urgency that various subcommittees are put in place to forestall these negative effects”, he stated.
Abdullahi assured the minister of the commitment of the team to salvage the situation, as he pleaded with the minister to give the committee the power to co-opt members that would add value to the task force to discharge their duties efficiently and effectively.
-
Education4 days ago
Rector Gifts Best Students N400,000 As Edo Poly Matriculates 9,150
-
News4 days ago
Rivers CJ Pardons 24 Inmates Of PH Correctional Centre
-
Niger Delta3 days ago
Shaibu Impeachment: Edo Chief’s Judge Drops Two Professors From Seven-Man Panel
-
News2 days ago
RSG Approves N80.8bn For Elele-Omoku Road Project
-
Politics16 hours ago
Alleged Anti-Party Activities: Lagos PDP Group Sues Bode George, Others
-
News11 hours ago
DHQ Declares Eight Wanted For Killing Soldiers In Delta
-
Politics4 days ago
Jonathan Very Patriotic, Never Clueless As President – Ex-Minister
-
For The Record4 days ago
Can Rivers Assembly Remove Governor’s Powers To Appoint Executive Officers?