Nation
Agriculture To The Rescue
Who says something good will not come out of the current economic crisis in the country? If not for anything, the dwindling oil revenue has forced many people and indeed the nation in general to consider going back to agriculture. Before the discovery of oil in 1958, agriculture was the country’s economic mainstay with different regions boasting of different cash crops like groundnut, cocoa, rubber palm oil produce and many more, thus making agriculture a main source of employment, income and foreign exchange earnings for the nation.Today, with its abundant arable land and over 160 million people, Nigeria cannot feed its citizens not to talk of exporting to other lands. Successive administrations at both federal and state levels have claimed to be investing in agriculture with little or noting to show for it. Rather, the country has become one of the largest importers of food in the world. All kinds of good items from all over the world find their way into the Nigeria. We import wheat, sugar, fish, milk, vegetables, fruits, rice and other food items which could be abundantly produced locally.
Incidentally, the constant plummeting of the naira has sky-rocketed the prices of virtually every item in the market. The result is that many Nigerians today go hungry. The recent stories of how people steal cooked food, abandon their children at shops in exchange for food items are indications of how bad the situation has become. And the only remedy is agriculture. Some stakeholders in the agriculture sector have posited that with over 79 million hectares of arable land, diversified ecological conditions, abundant water resources and adequate rainfall and sincere commitment by government, poverty, joblessness, and hunger will be completely eliminated in the country.That is why the effort of some state governments towards improving agriculture must be commended. Sometime in 2016, Benue state government approved the declaration of every Friday as a work-free day to enable workers in the state work in their farms.
The objective was to enable as many workers as possible to produce food to feed their families, given the economic downturn in the country which has made regular payment of salaries in some of the states of the federation a major challenge. This is indeed a good initiative which should be emulated by other governors. They have a lot to do to steer their states away from the monthly handouts from Abuja. Virtually every state in the country is blessed with one natural endowment or the other, which if properly harnessed and utilised will impact positively on the people. Why then do our governors wait on Abuja for handout?
The point is, now that there is no money in the country even to pay salaries, our leaders should think of ways of harnessing our natural resources to make life better for the country. It is high time we began to think of life without crude oil. We succeeded without oil before, we can do it again. Let every state governor encourage their people to go back to agriculture. Reports have it that many civil servants in Ekiti State have toed the Benue line by returning to their villages to farm. Anambra and Akwa Ibom states are also said to be presently producing tomatoes in very large qualities. That is the way to go.
Many countries had used a similar situation we are in now to turn their fortunes around and we can do it if only we are able to reduce our dependence on crude oil and focus on other lucrative sectors like agriculture.
Government should therefore, encourage farming by providing modern farming implements to farmers to boost their production. A situation where most farmers still rely on crude farming implements like hoes and cutlasses is most discouraging.
Farmers who are willing to expand their farms often complain of lack of support from banks. Unless this problem is solved and provision of soft loans to farmers is made possible, our dream of having a thriving agriculture sector may not be realised.
Recall that some Benue State civil servants at a point formed cooperatives, and loans were given to only groups that had verifiable farms. Such measures should be adopted by other states to ensure that only real farmers and those truly interested in farming received support.
Provision of power, accessible roads and good transport system is also paramount. Many farm products perish in villages due to non-availability of access roads and transport system to bring them to the cities’ consumers. And yet, there is no storage facilities.
There is indeed need for federal, states as well as individuals to show more commitment to agriculture if the on-going hunger in the land will be quelled. The time of paying lip service to agriculture ought to be over. Individual cooperative societies, clubs and other stake holders should invest in agriculture. This will not only assure on adequate food supply in the country, but will also create jobs for our teeming unemployed youths, reduce rates of social vices and crimes associated with unemployment.
However, one thing is certain, without peace and security in our rural communities there can be no development.
Farming and other agricultural activities which largely take place in the villages cannot thrive if the constant killings, kidnapping, cult war, Boko Haram activities, cattle rearers’ disturbances and other crimes perpetuated in our communities are not curtailed.
Nigeria can regain her pride as the food basket of Africa if the right measures are taken to revive the agriculture sector. President Buhari promised during his electioneering campaign that he would pay adequate attention to agriculture. The time to do that is now, so that Nigerians can have food to eat.
by: Calista Ezeaku
The Lagos State Government has disclosed that 26,592 public school students failed the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, raising alarm across the state’s education sector.
The state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, during a ministerial press briefing yesterday in Alausa, Ikeja, said that “45.7 per cent of the 58,188 students from public schools who sat for the exams did not pass.”.
This failure rate comes despite the state government’s significant financial backing N1.577 billion was paid on behalf of the students to cover WAEC fees.
“Suffice to say that the sum of N1,577,794,000 only was paid by the state government as examination fees for 58,188 students who were captured for the year 2024 WASSCE,” Alli-Balogun announced.
In a bid to tighten accountability and avoid wastage, the Commissioner disclosed that biometric and image registration was carried out to accurately determine eligible students for government sponsorship for the 2025 WASSCE.
“The exercise successfully captured and registered 56,134 students as bona fide beneficiaries of the Lagos state government’s sponsorship for the examination,” he added.
However, the Lagos State Government rolled out a bold educational intervention – the Eko Learners’ Support Programme for WASSCE and NECO candidates – aimed at reversing the tide of academic failure in the state’s public schools.
Launched on January 14, 2025, the initiative is part of a broader commitment by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to equip Lagos students with tools for success.
“This forward-thinking initiative was designed to support and empower young scholars in attestation of the ministry’s commitment to advancing interest and management of the educational system in Lagos State,” Alli-Balogun stated.
Ekiti State Government says it has vaccinated 226,429 eligible girls in the State against the Human Papilloma Virus, an infection believed to be a leading cause of cervical cancer.
The wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, said the HPV immunization exercise, which she flagged off in the State in May 2025 was a great success, noting that it reached targeted communities and protected children against cervical cancer.
The governor’s wife made the disclosure in Ado Ekiti yesterday during a one-day stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the introduction of Measles Rubella vaccines in Ekiti State.
She said, “The introduction of Measles Rubella Vaccines is a very crucial step towards protecting Ekiti children particularly the target age group of nine to 14 years from diseases.
“I urge all women in the State to regularly scan their breasts. This can be done with the aid of the Mammography machine which is available at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti”.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Oyebanji Filani, noted that the Measles Rubella vaccines would be rolled out nationally in October, 2025.
Filani said that the State was taking proactive steps to sensitise residents of the State before the date to ensure adequate awareness on the vaccines by citizens.
The Acting Ochimba of Ogida in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam, says peace remains paramount in the socio-economic development of Etche land.
Eze Azuatalam, however, called on his people to embrace and eschew violence at all times.
The Onwa Nagbara Oha made the call during the official commissioning of his palace at Ogida recently.
The epoch-making ceremony held at his palace saw the attendance of members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs; the academia; the political class; the clergy ; women as well relevant stakeholders within and outside Etche land.
The Ngbaragida of Azuafor re-emphasised the essence of peace and social harmony which he said open the window for meaningful development to take place.
He also sought the support and collaboration of his people to achieve the desired goals of development, progress and prosperity.
He noted that the peace being witnessed in the area must be sustained through collective effort, saying, contributions and sacrifices need to be made by all concerned to live in peace.
Eze Azuatalam said his aim towards building a better Ogida cannot be compromised as he and his people have no other place called home.
The Acting Ochimba said as part of efforts to build a better Ogida, he has instituted a number of development projects, adding that some of his kinsmen have been empowered through his hard-earned money and resources, saying, he will continue to assist the less- privileged around him.
He reaffirmed his desire to impact positively on the lives of his people as the engagement of the youths will help to reduce social vices in the area.
He thanked members of the Etche Supreme Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs for honouring his invitation.
He specifically thanked the Onyi Ishi Etche and Ochie of Etcheland, His Eminence E mmanuel Opurum for leading Etche on the path of prosperity, and described the revered King as a role model to the younger generation.
He said his fatherly role has been a source of hope and inspiration to his subjects.
The palace was unveiled by His Eminence with the assistance of Ochimba of Abara, Eze Jonah Nwala and other prominent Etche traditional rulers and chiefs while the Onyi Ishi Etche was represented by Eze Ken Nwala, Onyi Ishi Agwuru, Ulakwo/ Umuselem Clan.
The Onyi Ishi Etche urged other prominent sons of Etche to emulate the kind gesture of Eze Ndudiri Azuatalam as his magnanimity is being seen and appreciated by his people.
Eze Azuatalam also applauded the efforts of Prof Mekuri Ndimele, former Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education in the growth of Etche land.
According to him, during Ndimele’ s tenure, a lot of development projects were sited at the institution, including the development of Etcheland and empowerment of Etche people.
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