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We’ll Reduce Livestock Products Importation With National Dairy Policy -FG
As Nigerians continue to depend heavily on importation of various goods and services, the Federal Government, yesterday, assured that livestock products importation will be reduced with implementation of the National Dairy Policy including other issues affecting the industry.
The assurance was given by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, in an opening remark while declaring open the National Dairy Policy Validation Workshop organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, held in Abuja.
Umakhihe also described the National Dairy Policy as apt and articulate, which is in accordance with the vision of the Federal Government for the dairy industry.
“As we are all aware, policy development of this nature takes series of steps to arrive at the desired end of meeting the aspirations of all critical stakeholders that would directly and indirectly be affected by its operation. We have carefully followed all the preliminary steps to this stage which is validation of the draft policy document”.
He also acknowledged that fact that there has been a continuous drive towards meeting national sufficiency in dairy production to reduce the huge amount spent on importation of dairy products in order to bridge the huge gap between supply and demand.
According to him, while explaining pointed that policy development of this nature takes series of steps to arrive at the desired end of meeting the aspirations of all critical stakeholders that would directly and indirectly be affected by its operation, which the ministry has carefully followed all the preliminary steps to the stage of validation of the draft policy document.
He said: “This meeting cannot come at a better time than now because a National Policy for dairy and dairy products in Nigeria is long overdue.
“Successive Administrations had made efforts to close the gap through programmes such as Dairy Development Programme, National Livestock Breed Improvement Programme, among others thus creating opportunity for private sector participation.
“The draft policy will support the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Plan (NATIP) and FMARD. It will give defined direction for the country’s dairy industry where all players at whatever scale will be expected to abide by rules of operation, in terms of production, processing and marketing of dairy products in Nigeria. I am glad that we are gradually approaching the stage of finalizing the draft document by this validation workshop.
“This effort at putting in place a National Dairy Policy for the country is apt for the realization of the vision of the Federal Government articulated through the change approach and a standard practice to be applied at every level of society, public and private, towards a pragmatic national development.
“This approach is to significantly reduce importation of livestock and livestock products and at the same time stimulate exports to enhance national income generation. The private sector will remain in the lead while government will provide the enabling environment through policies, infrastructure, systems control processes and oversight support.”
However, he (Umakhihe) reminded participants to see the validation workshop as call to national duty to produce a document that will outlive the present generation, hence should give their best and expertise that would positively contribute to the dairy industry in Nigeria.
In a welcome address, the Director, Animal Husbandry Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Winnie Lai-Solarin, pointed that the role of the dairy industry cannot be overemphasised as far as quality nutrition and overall food security are concerned.
According to Lai-Solarin, the dairy subsector has been impeded with many issues and institutional challenges that have prevented its growth alongside other agricultural subsectors.
“The major issue is that of low milk yield, poor handling and post-harvest losses of dairy products. We need to continually improve the productivity of the dairy animals genetically, health and management practices to be able to respond to market-driven productivity objectives. There is need for a mechanism to effectively regulate the dairy sector at all levels starting from animal breeding, milk collection. Processing and marketing.
“The National Dairy Policy will give framework for improving productivity of the dairy sector in a well-planned and sustainable manner across the various agro-ecological zones of the country”, she stated.
In a goodwill message, Director-General, Raw Material Research Development Council, Prof Hussaini Ibrahim, who was represented by one of the directors at the council, Dr Mary Abiareye, promised to work with the relevant agencies to upgrade the country’s diary sector while emphasising the need for a national dairy policy as a formidable platform to rapidly develop the dairy industry for high productivity.
“This is a very important draft document having inputs from wider stakeholders that will direct and guide operations of the dairy sector.
“There is no doubt that validation of this workable policy catering the interest of every player in the dairy industry will stimulate and drive a viable dairy sector.
“This is a very important draft document to guide and direct the operations of dairy products in Nigeria”, he said.
Also speaking, the Registrar, Animal Science Institute of Nigeria, Prof, Eustace Iyayi, who was represented by Bisi Akinfolarin, expressed optimism that the policy would galvanise the dairy sector.
While the Managing Partner, Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Limited, Temi Adegoroye, described the policy document as timely and significant milestone for the nation’s agric sector.
Adegorye also expressed hope that the policy has the capacity to guide activities and investments in the dairy subsector, which will add value and fortify production carried out by small dairy producers.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.