Agriculture
NIRSAL disburses N500m loan to 4, 630 farmers in Nasarawa State
The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) has disbursed N500 million loan to 4,630 farmers in Nasarawa State from 2017 to date.
Mr Noel Dilli, Head of Project Monitoring and Remediation Office in Nasarawa State office disclosed this at a stakeholder meeting on Thursday in Lafia.
He said that the farmers were given the loan to assist them in the production of different farm produce, to harvest and process the products for value addition.
Dilli explained that 3,000 farmers got the loan in 2017/2018, 500 got in 2018/2019, while in 2020, 1, 130 farmers got the loan respectively.
He said that nothing happened in 2019 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic that ravaged the entire globe which Nigeria was also affected.
Dilli regretted that despite the laudable efforts to assist farmers to boost production, more than 80 per cent of the beneficiaries in the state were yet to repay their loans.
“Lack of repayment of the loans has brought a setback to the programme thereby affecting chances of more farmers to benefit from the facility.
“So, we have set machinery in motion to recover the loans that were supposed to be paid back within six months,” he added.
He appealed to farmers to always repay whatever loan they collected for the overall development of the country.
On her part, Onerno Obaseki, Assistant Manager, Agricultural Value Chain-Production and Integration Services (AVC-PIS) of NIRSAL PLC, commended stakeholders for their participation and useful suggestions at the meeting.
Obaseki urged farmers to embrace the NIRSAL’s approach to farming as a business to move from peasant to sustainable agribusiness.
She assured farmers that if they embrace the approach of farming, it would help in ensuring food security in the country.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Musa Mohammed representing Rice Millers Association of Nigeria, commended NIRSAL for their intervention in the agricultural sector.
He added that the intervention had improved productivity in both farming and processing of harvested produce while appealing for more investment in the sector to enable the country to become self-sufficient in food production.
(NAN)
The Borno Government has announced the creation of Ministry of Livestock and Fishery Development to align its
Development strategy with Federal Government initiatives, and boost the state’s economic potential.
Gov. Babagana Zulum made the announcement on Tuesday during the swearing in of two commissioners at the council chambers of the Government House.
Zulum underscored the importance of livestock and fisheries as vital sectors with untapped revenue potential.
He emphasised that the new ministry would focus on high-yield livestock breeds, milk production and fisheries, targeting both domestic consumption and export opportunities.
The governor said that “no state government can make substantial money in livestock alone, but we believe with the right investment and political will, the sector can generate significant revenue.”
He said that the growing demand for milk by yogurt companies and the proximity of Maiduguri to Asian and Arab markets, are great opportunities for dairy exportation.
The governor, therefore, assigned the Deputy Governor, Dr Umar Kadafur, to oversee the activities of the new ministry, citing his practical experience and passion for livestock development.
He said “livestock development is not just about academic qualifications, it is about practice and the deputy governor has demonstrated capability in that regard.”
According to him, the ministry will prioritise procuring high-yielding livestock varieties, enhancing milk production and creating sustainable rural projects to support
Local communities.
He said that projects in Mafa, Gajiram and in Southern Borno will soon be launched under the new ministry’s purview.
The governor urged civil servants and ministry personnel to take ownership of the new initiative, adding that the ministry’s success would contribute to the states
Long-term economic stability and self-reliance.
The Port Harcourt Refinery, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) through the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) has commenced operations after undergoing rehabilitation and modernisation.
The refinery with 210,000 bpd refining capacity located at Alesa, Eleme, in Port Harcourt, comprises two operational units which were established in 1965 and 1989.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the old plant refines a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), while the new plant refines 150,000 bpd.
It would be recalled that the Federal Government, under former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in March 2021 secured a 1.5 billion dollars loan to rehabilitate the facility which contract was awarded to an Italian firm, Tecnimont S.P.A, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group.
NAN) reports that Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd. is leading the team to inspect the first lifting of petroleum product from the facility after its rehabilitation.
Alia appoints head of agric company, others
Gov. Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Mr. Donald Aorkwagh Akule as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Benue State Agricultural Development Company (ADC).
The governor also approved the appointment of Dr Aondoakaa Asambe as Principal Special Assistant (PSA) on Livestock Development and Animal Transboundary Disease Control.
The appointments were announced in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi on Friday.
According to the statement, the governor also appointed Mr Abraham Agogo as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Community Mobilisation.
The statement added that the appointments take immediate effect.
It said that Akule brings over 15 years of experience in agricultural systems, community development, research and development, and food processing.
He holds a B.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, and is a Certified Fellow in Agricultural Systems Development under USAID and Lagos Business School.
Meanwhile, Asambe, a member of the Nigeria Veterinary Medical Association and a registered veterinary surgeon with the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, has been a lecturer at Federal University, Dutsima, for the past 12 years.
He holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi).
He also holds a postgraduate degree in Food Animal Medicine at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
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