Business

Borno Contructs Massive Agric Production Centre

Published

10 years ago

August 14, 2015

The Borno State government
said it had constructed an ultra-modern farm centre in Maiduguri for mass production of improved seedlings to multiply farmers yields as part of its post insurgency plans.
Gov. Kashim Shettima said this on Tuesday while inspecting some equipment at the state’s Agricultural Mechanisation Department along Dikwa road in Maiduguri.
Shettima said the state also took delivery of 845 additional tractors to boost food production in the state.
He added that the state currently had about 2,000 tractors in addition to 1,416 planters acquired to enhance food production.
“All the farming equipment were imported as part of government’s post insurgency plan for commercial agriculture in rural areas as soon as the Boko Haram insurgency is brought to an end,” Shettima said.
The governor then inspected the 25 new combined harvesters acquired by the government, noting that there were only 56 combined harvesters in the country at present, out of which, the state alone owned 25.
He assessed dozens of green houses and machines installed at the seedlings production centre, equipment for drip irrigation, as well as the large cooling systems needed in nursing seedlings installed at the Seedlings Production Centre.
Shettima said the state sponsored some indigenes to India and other countries for training on the usage, maintenance and re-installation of equipment procured for agriculture by government.
He said the state planned to establish agro processing factories to take advantage of the expected high production of tomatoes, pepper and other crops in different parts of the state.
“We have taken delivery of large, medium and small scale rice mills to be allocated to farmers through cooperatives and community settlements associated with various agricultural activities.
“From what you all have seen here, Borno is set for commercial agriculture and we have so much equipment to take the drudgery out of agriculture. We are set and peace will soon return for us to achieve our good objectives.
“All that we need is a window of peace in our rural communities so that we can unveil our massive plans. Our programmes will be community-driven and we will have so much sympathy for women because they bear the brunt of the insurgency.
“They are the people taking care of orphans so we will train them to be self-reliant.
“Capacity development leads to efficient utilisation of equipment, as well as maintenance; we have invested so much in capacity development and it will be a continuous process.’’
Shettima then directed that 200 additional youths be engaged by the Seedlings Production Centre for comprehensive training.

Business

NPA Assures On Staff Welfare

Published

1 day ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.

Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.

A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.

The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.

“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”

Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.

“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.

Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

Published

1 day ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).

The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.

Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.

The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.

The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.

The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos

Business

NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement

Published

1 day ago

June 27, 2025

The Tide

In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.

Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.

He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.

Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.

The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.

“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.

Chinedu Wosu