Business
Delta, Bank Partner To Boost Agric
The
Bank of Agriculture and the Delta State Government have sealed a deal to boost
agricultural produce, enhance the state economy and create employment
opportunities.
The
Managing Director, Bank of Agriculture, Dr. Mohammed Santuraki, gave the hint
on Wednesday in Asaba after a meeting with Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Santuraki
said that the partnership was necessary to improve food security in the
country.
“Governor
Uduaghan’s vision of Delta beyond oil is a very positive development because
oil will not last forever,” Santuraki said.
According
to him, Uduaghan’s commitment to empower the people through agriculture
deserves commendation, adding that the bank had rolled out programmes to team
up with the state government in the agricultural sector.
Santuraki
said the bank would partner with the state government in the areas of cassava
production, stressing that the state was one of the largest producers of the
commodity in the country.
He
said that the bank was encouraged by the Federal Government’s commitment to
include cassava as one of the substitutes for wheat due to the huge amount
being spent on the importation of wheat.
Santuraki
also apart from cassava cultivation, the bank would encourage farmers,
including women and cooperative societies, to engage in the entire production
chain from farming to processing and storage, adding, “We want to finance the
whole value chain.”
The
Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Misan Ukubeyinje, observed that the bank’s
partnership with the state government would assist farmers.
He
said, “We will take necessary steps to ensure that the partnership works.
“We
are collaborating in terms of capacity building, and you know the bank has also
been dealing with farmers in terms of funding.”
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.