Business
Mile One Market Traders Hail Markets Reopening
Traders at the Rumuwoji Market, popularly known as Mile One Market, have commended the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, over the reopening of markets across the state on account of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The traders, who expressed satisfaction over the bounce back to business after four months of staying at home.
A shop owner in the market, Mrs Christiana George, who could not contain her joy told The Tide that life was tough for her family as her husband passed away in the midst of the pandemic and could not also be intered for lack of funds, noting that with the markets now open, plans could now be made for the interment.
Many of the traders who were seen cleaning their shops and sorting their wares, lamented that most of their stock had expired due to the unceremonious shutdown of the markets in the state. A grocery shop owner in the Mile One Market, Mrs Esther Onugna, while thanking Goveronr Nysom Wike for reopening the markets, regretted that nearly all her wares had either expired or mouldered due to the shut down for more than four months.
Onugha appealed to the government for some sort of grant to enable them restock and get back into business fully.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Mile Market Traders Association, Mr Ndubueze Enyiche, pledged the traders preparedness to support the state government in the fight against the deadly virus, adding that the traders would adhere to the COVID-19 containment protocol in the market.
Enyiche stated that the traders association would put in place a taskforce that would ensure the implementation of the prevention protocol, particularly the “no face mask no entry” protocol.
He apologized for the poor compliance level, attributing it to the fact that it was the first day that markets were reopened Tuesday after almost five months of being shutdown.
Also speaking, the state coordinator, of the risk communication and community Engagement Team for Covid-19, and one of the Pillars of the Covid-19 Rapid Responses Team, Mr Olowale Mordicai who was monitory the compliance levels in the markets, frowned at the low level of compliance in the market, observing that it was an indication that they were not prepared to have the markets.
Mordicai, charged them to not disappoint the governor by stepping up their level of compliance.
On his part, the General Manager, Rivers State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Mrs Napoleon Adah, who was also part of the monitoring teams warned the traders that defaulters would be sanctioned, and charged if they donot comply with the Covid-19 provocation protocol to protect themselves and their families.
Wash buckets were seen at the entry points of the market with the union members were enforcing the use of facemask and hand wash before entry.
Recall that the Rivers State Governor had on Monday, in a statewide broad cast announce the reopening of markets, across the state, which were shutdown at the outset of the corona virus pandemic in the state.
Tonye Nria-Dappa
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor