Niger Delta

Dry Season Farming: Edo Distributes Irrigation Equipment To 516 Farmers

Published

3 years ago

November 23, 2022

Edo State Government on Monday inaugurated this year’s dry season farming by supporting over 516 smallholder farmers with irrigation equipment to boost farming in Udo Community, Ovia South West Local Government Area.
The Tide’s source reports that the items were distributed under the COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (N-CARES) code named EDO-CARES.
N-CARES is a World Bank-assisted project designed to ameliorate the adverse effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the poor and vulnerable people.
The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Stephen Idehenre, said government was encouraging all year round farming by empowering farmers with irrigation equipment to boost production
“Today, over 500 farmers will be empowered with the 171 units of small irrigation equipment; 139 units will go to Auchi, Etsako West Local Government and 32 units here at Ovia South West.
“Presently, this programme has installed rice processing mills with destoners that have the capacity to process three metric tons per day in Iguoriakhi (Ovia South West) and Agbede (Etsako West).
“Others are Eme-Ora (Owan west), Illushi (Esan South East), Warake (Owan East) and Oshomegbe community (Etsako Central), thereby empowering over 360 rice processors.
“The cassava processors are not left out as 8HP Cassava processing mills with hydraulic press, have been installed in Ojah community (Akoko Edo), Ewossa (Igueben), Ikhide (Esan North East) and Ogba (Oredo) among others.
He said this resulted to the empowerment of 228 beneficiaries and finally 585 smallholder farmers had also been empowered with agricultural inputs across the state.
“The project has rehabilitated six wet markets in Okhokhugbo community in Egor, Ugoneki, Okokhuo community in Ovia North East and Ivbiaro community in Owan East, among others,” he said.
Idehenre explained that the project had also rehabilitated 10 tons capacity cold room in Usen, Ovia South West Local Government for 40 beneficiaries.
According to him, the project has empowered more than 2,200 beneficiaries
The state Project Co-ordinator, EDO-CARES, Edward Izevbigie, said the project sought to improve livelihood, increase food security and revive SMEs in the state.
Izevbigie said that the eneficiaries were selected from the state social register of the poor and vulnerable.
He noted that the state government also put in place programmes in agriculture, agroforestry, fisheries, livestock husbandry and other related small-scale industries that would facilitate production.
“In the state agripreneur programme for year 2020 and 2021, about 444 hectares were cultivated for rice production in Agenebode, Warrake and Iguoriakhi.
“The programme also empowered 329 fish farmers to produce over 400,000 catfishes,” he said.
Mrs Glory Orji, a beneficiary, on behalf of other beneficiaries, thanked the state government for the gesture and promised to put the irrigation equipment to use.

Niger Delta

Stakeholders In Delta Seek Stronger GBV Action, Women’s Leadership

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.

OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.

He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.

Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.

Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.

Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.

Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.

Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.

The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.

They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.

The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.

Niger Delta

C’River Suspends Taskforce Activities Over Drivers’ Protest

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.

The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.

It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.

During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.

Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.

The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.

He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.

On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.

He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Assembly Urges More Private Investments In Agriculture

Published

2 hours ago

March 2, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.

Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.

He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.

“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.

The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.

He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.

”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.

Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.

He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.

In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.

She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.