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2010 Budget To Stimulate Agric Sector

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President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has reiterated his plan to provide financial stimulus for the agriculture sector with a view to regenerating the nation’s industrial division of the economy in the 2010 budget.

Senator Mohammed Abba Aji, senior special adviser to the president on National Assembly matters, while presenting the budget proposal, on behalf of Yar’Adua to the House of Representatives stated “we are establishing special intervention funds to provide credit facilities for commercial farming and support necessary agro processing linkages to resuscitate industry.”

He added, “a review of tariffs and fiscal incentives is on-going to enhance productivity in the real sector and facilitate rapid economic growth and a presidential Task Force been set up to identify the priority sectors to benefit from these measures.”

According to him, critical areas would be identified for government intervention while the ministries, departments and agencies would be made to target about 90 per cent of their allocations  to developmental projects capable of gingering the economy.

Yar’Adua stated “accordingly, the 2010 Budget provides about 90 per cent of MDAs’ capital expenditure to 5 key priority sectors, namely critical infrastructure; Human Capital Development; Local Reforms and Food Security; Physical Security, Law and Order; and the Niger Delta.”

To reduce the cost   of doing business in the country, priority has been given to key initiatives that would further bridge critical infrastructural gaps, he said.

The 2010 appropriation proposal he said was a deliberate expansion over that  of 2009 budget in order to counter the effects  of the global credit crunch on the economy as well as reduce the infrastructural gap.

While reiterating the determination of the government to meet the target of the supply of 6000 mega-watts of electricity by the end of the year, Yar’Adua disclosed that his government would focus on providing alternative routes for the transportation of goods and services across the nation.

He also said his government would invest in the upgrade of the nation’s railway networks and dredging marine waterways with a view to creating gainful employment and increasing disposable income.

According to him, many of the nation’s road projects and maintenance works which utilises direct labour were designed to create a significant number of semi-skilled and skilled jobs.

The 2010 appropriation bill is premised on the assumption of production of 2.088mbpd bench mark at $57/barrel just as the joint venture cash calls was put at $5 billion even as the exchange rate was pegged at N150 per dollar.

The target Gross Domestic Product was put at 6.1 per cent as the government is projecting inflation rate at 11.2 per cent in the 2010 fiscal year. Similarly, the Federal Government revenue budget was forecast to be N2.517trillion.

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NPA Assures On Staff Welfare 

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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
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ANLCA Chieftain Emerges FELCBA’s VP

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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
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NSC, Police Boost Partnership On Port Enforcement 

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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
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