Connect with us

Business

Firm Moves To Make Youth Agribusiness Entrepreneurs

Published

on

Synergos Nigeria, an agriculture transformation supporting group, says its Farm Lab Initiative is designed to prepare youths between the ages of 18 and 35 years to become agribusiness entrepreneurs .
The Country Director of Synergos, Mr Adewale Ajadi, said this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, Monday.
He said that the Farm Lab Initiative was implemented under the State Partnerships for Agriculture (SPA) project of Synergos, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“SPA and ministry are organising an Agriculture Boot Camp on Livestock Farming to give interested young Nigerians between the ages 18 and 35 an opportunity to become agribusiness entrepreneurs at no cost.
“The policy intervention in this project is on livestock production and entrepreneurship education.
“Part of the challenges facing agriculture is how to secure the interest of young people in agriculture. How do we show them that agriculture is a viable means of getting employment and becoming an entrepreneur?
“The Youth Farm Lab Initiative is designed to target young persons in Ogun, Oyo and Lagos states,” he said.
Ajadi said that the programme would have about 150 youths, adding that it was designed to give the beneficiaries two-month training in goats, pigs and snails production via an entrepreneurial approach.
“There would be practical classes in Lagos, involving six weeks of basic education, one week of field work and two weeks of internship. The goal of the project is to let the beneficiaries understand what it takes to go into livestock and snail production.
“They will also acquire extra knowledge about the things they need in terms of health care support for the kinds of animals they breed.
“The programme will also develop plans for employment or start-up of businesses, while interacting with potential financiers who can fund the beneficiaries’ projects.
“We do not have funds to give out but other programmes like FADAMA can take up the programme and expand it; we are providing this for those that have the means to expand on it,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Victor Adejoh, Synergos Field Manager, said that the initiative was to encourage youths to engage in agriculture.
He said that Synergos was working closely with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to support these young people.
He added that the ministry was providing a linkage between Synergos and the youth, giving technical support, building the farmers’ capacity and making agriculture attractive to the youth and women.
“The 50 candidates have been selected to participate under the first batch of this agric innovation lab project. The same applies to the second and third batches; making the total number 150 candidates.
“We really want youths and women to be fully involved in developing Nigeria’s agriculture sector because they have what it takes to develop the sector.
“Besides, women and youths are obviously ready to work with any technology that is presented to them.”

Continue Reading

Business

Kenyan Runners Dominate Berlin Marathons

Published

on

Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.

Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.

The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.

Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.

“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.

“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”

Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.

In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.

Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.

Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.

 

Continue Reading

Business

NIS Ends Decentralised Passport Production After 62 Years

Published

on

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has officially ended passport production at multiple centres, transitioning to a single, centralised system for the first time in 62 years.
Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure during an inspection of the Nigeria’s new Centralised Passport Personalisation Centre at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, last Thursday.
He stated that since the establishment of NIS in 1963, Nigeria had never operated a central passport production centre, until now, marking a major reform milestone.
“The project is 100 per cent ready. Nigeria can now be more productive and efficient in delivering passport services,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that old machines could only produce 250 to 300 passports daily, but the new system had a capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 passports every day.
“With this, NIS can now meet daily demands within just four to five hours of operation,” he added, describing it as a game-changer for passport processing in Nigeria.
“We promised two-week delivery, and we’re now pushing for one week.
“Automation and optimisation are crucial for keeping this promise to Nigerians,” the minister said.
He noted that centralisation, in line with global standards, would improve uniformity and enhance the overall integrity of Nigerian travel documents worldwide.
Tunji-Ojo described the development as a step toward bringing services closer to Nigerians while driving a culture of efficiency and total passport system reform.
According to him, the centralised production system aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, boosting NIS capacity and changing the narrative for improved service delivery.
Continue Reading

Business

FG To Roll Out Digital Public Infrastructure, Data Exchange, Next Year 

Published

on

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans to roll out Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and the Nigerian Data Exchange (NGDX) platforms across key sectors of the economy, starting in early 2026.
Director of E-Government and Digital Economy at NITDA, Dr. Salisu Kaka, made the disclosure in Abuja during a stakeholder review session of the DPI and NGDX drafts at the Digital Public Infrastructure Live Event.
The forum, themed “Advancing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure through Standards, Data Exchange and e-Government Transformation,” brought together regulators, state governments, and private sector stakeholders to harmonise inputs for building inclusive, secure, and interoperable systems for governance and service delivery.
According to Kaka, Nigeria already has several foundational elements in place, including national identity systems and digital payment platforms.
What remains is the establishment of the data exchange framework, which he said would be finalised by the end of 2025.
“Before the end of this year and by next year we will be fully ready with the foundational element, and we start dropping the use cases across sectors,” Kaka explained.
He stressed that the federal government recognises the autonomy of states urging them to align with national standards.
“If the states can model and reflect what happens at the national level, then we can have a 360-degree view of the whole data exchange across the country and drive all-of-government processes,” he added.
Continue Reading

Trending