Agriculture
Ukraine expresses readiness to establish grain hub in Nigeria
Ukraine expresses readiness to establish grain hub in Nigeria
The Government of Ukraine has expressed its readiness to establish grain hubs in Nigeria and other African countries as it donated about 25,000 tonnes of grains to Nigeria to boost bilateral ties.
Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, Mr Mykola Solskyi, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja when he led a delegation that met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Geoffrey Onyeama.
Solskyi said that the grain from Ukraine would arrive in Nigeria in February under the initiative called ‘Grains from Ukraine’.
He said that despite the war with Russia, the Ukrainian food industry wanted to have closer relations with Nigeria, adding “we are very thankful to you that your country is ready to develop the relations“.
“Despite all the events going on in the world, our countries are ready to develop this cooperation.
“The Ukrainian government and Ukrainian president are ready to pay a lot of attention to this development. We want to have regular contact every year not only by our agriculture ministers but other ministers as well.
“Development of such hubs will make it possible to bring in high-quality grains into your country and it will influence prices positively.
“Ukraine intends to develop two or three hubs in Africa and taking into consideration the capacity of your country, the grain hub in your country is priority number one. If we implement it well, it would be a practical step towards our business relations reaching a new level,” Solskyi said.
Onyeama, who empathised with Ukraine over its ongoing war with Russia, also lauded it for the grain donation, pointing out that the gesture was coming even when the country was still at war.
He thanked Ukraine for extending its support to Nigeria and other African countries despite the current situation in that country.
“Notwithstanding the situation in which your country finds itself, you are able to extend a hand of friendship not just to Nigeria but to other African countries. This demonstrates superhuman courage and we really admire your generosity and we thank you for this support,” Onyeama said.
Read Also: Russian military leaders pledge to ensure safety of grain shipments from Ukraine
Onyeama noted that Nigeria had long-standing relations with Ukraine, lamenting that some of the victims of the war in Ukraine were the large number of Nigerian students, whose studies have been disrupted by the war.
“You have built up real specialisation in many disciplines and Nigerian students are the beneficiaries. We can continue to strengthen relations between our two countries and our two peoples.
“We will do our best at the multilateral level to bring the war to a very quick end,” Onyeama said.
Also speaking, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Abubakar said that Nigeria was willing and ready to provide the appropriate ports for the grain hub.
“We appreciate and commend you that despite the war you still found time to extend a gesture of friendship to Nigeria and also donated grains.
“I can assure you that the relations with Ukraine will improve.
“We have been having businesses with Ukraine, especially in the agriculture sector and I can say that over 30 per cent of our agricultural businesses are with Ukraine, particularly in the area of wheat, fertilizer and other grains. This I can assure you will continue to improve our relations,” he said.
Fielding questions later, Abubakar said the purpose of the grain hub was to have a centre where Ukraine would be bringing grain and we would be helping other African countries.
He said the hubs would be useful in emergencies and could also be used to donate grain to other countries.
Ukraine expresses readiness to establish grain hub in Nigeria
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.
OISD Empowers Teachers with Digital Literacy and AI Skills to Revolutionize Education in Nigeria
Commission, journalists partner to revamp water sector in Kaduna
2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud
Facebook, Instagram Temporarily Allow Posts on Ukraine War Calling for Violence Against Invading Russians or Putin’s Death
Nigeria, Other West African Countries Facing Worst Food Crisis in 10 Years, Aid Groups Say
New York Consulate installs machines for 10-year passport
-
Business3 years ago
Facebook, Instagram Temporarily Allow Posts on Ukraine War Calling for Violence Against Invading Russians or Putin’s Death
-
Headlines3 years ago
Nigeria, Other West African Countries Facing Worst Food Crisis in 10 Years, Aid Groups Say
-
Foreign3 years ago
New York Consulate installs machines for 10-year passport
-
Technology3 months agoZero Trust Architecture in a Remote World: Securing the New Normal
-
Entertainment2 years agoPhyna emerges winner of Big Brother Naija Season 7
-
Business7 months agoNigeria Customs modernisation project to check extortion of traders
-
Business9 months agoWe generated N30.2 bn revenue in three months – Kano NCS Comptroller
-
Headlines6 months agoPhilippines’ Vice President Sara Duterte resigns from Cabinet
