The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, has declared that Nigeria’s economy is experiencing an appreciable growth that may see the high inflation in the country come down in few months.
Edun spoke on Sunday when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
The National Bureau of Statistics had reported in its April’s consumer price index that Nigeria’s inflation rate rose to 33.20 per cent in March 2024 — up from 31.70 per cent in February
According to the bureau, food inflation also surged to 40.01 per cent in the month under review.
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But the minister said on Sunday that the situation was under control, saying the reforms and economic policies of President Bola Tinubu were gradually paying off.
He said, “Mr President has achieved relative growth and stability in his first year in office. The necessary fallout of the measures that had to be taken were higher interest rates to fight inflation and attract foreign currencies, which was successful. In terms of inflation, it is coming down. It is expected and projected to come down over the next few months.
“On the other indices, the important thing is that the economy is actually growing. It is very rare to have a situation where authorities, particularly the monetary authority set their target fighting to bring down inflation and prices generally and at the same time striving to keep the economy growing. We do have that.
“Quarter by quarter when compared to the first quarter of last year, the growth is up by virtually three per cent per annum above population growth compared to about the two per cent achieved by this time last year. So, we do have the economy going the right direction. We just need to stay that course. In staying the course, help and amelioration must be given across the board.
“I have talked about help that should be given to farmers and consumers. There is also help for small and medium scale businesses. By Monday, the economy stabilisation plan that deals with the factors affecting big businesses and industry will be on Mr President’s table so that they too can stabilise, begin investment again, create jobs and grow the economy.”
The Government of Germany has launched what it terms as ‘Opportunity Card‘ for skilled individuals outside the European Union (EU) to search for work opportunities in Germany.
The portal where applicants were asked to apply showed Nigeria as one of the countries of residence of intending applicants.
This was announced on Germany’s Federal Foreign Office Consular Services Portal on June 1, 2024.
The Opportunity Card is a residence permit that allows workers from third countries to enter Germany to seek employment.
Third countries are nations that are not part of the European Union.
About Opportunity Card
The Opportunity Card is issued for a period of up to one year but if one finds qualified employment during one’s stay, such a person can obtain a subsequent residence permit for the purpose of further searching (follow-up Opportunity Card) or taking up gainful employment from the local foreigners’ authority in Germany.
The Government stated that when applying, one will need proof that his or her professional qualification is recognised by the state either in Germany or in the country in which it was obtained.
“Proof that you will be able to support yourself for the duration of your stay in Germany can be provided in the form of a blocked account or a declaration of commitment, for example. At least 1,027 euros per month (as of 2024) are generally required.
“During your stay for the purpose of finding a job, you have the opportunity to work up to 20 hours a week in a part-time job. In addition, you can take up trial jobs for up to two weeks at a time to familiarise yourself with potential jobs,” it added.
Eligibility
The following basic requirements must be fulfilled for the Opportunity Card on a points basis among others,
“Completion of a degree or at least two years of training that is recognised by the state in which it was obtained,
“German language skills at least at level A1 or English language skills at least at level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR),
“Sufficient financial means to cover your living expenses for the duration of your stay in Germany.”
A Guide for Nigerians
For Nigerian applicants, the German government advised they follow up on Germany’s diplomatic mission in Nigeria for a visa.
“You can only apply for your visa at the German mission responsible for you. The responsibility depends on the district in which you reside. If the online application is not available at your competent German mission, please apply for your visa on-site. You will find further information on the website of your German mission,” it stated.
The call by Germany is the latest among foreign countries’ search for expertise around the world.
Reports indicate a substantial increase in the number of Nigerian healthcare workers migrating to countries like the UK, Canada, and the US.
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Oru, Rt. Rev. Geoffrey Chukwunenye has raised the alarm that “Nigeria is gradually sliding into a total collapse and the government appears to have lost every idea on how to stop the slide.”
The alarm was part of the 77-page presidential address he delivered, weekend, during the first session of the sixth synod of the diocese, held at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, Nempi, Oru West local council area of Imo State.
His words: “The nation, Nigeria, is gradually sliding into a total collapse. The present government seems to have lost every idea on how to stop this downward slide and revamp the economy.
“Everything now looks like trial and error, or if you like, a case of try your luck. All the policies that are being churned out by the policymakers seem to be aimed at harming the people more.
“They all smear wickedness in content and outlook. A very good example is the increase in the electricity tariff to whatever percentage, they have pushed down our throats.
“From our experience in this part of the country, it is purely an increase in the darkness tariff. We have been here for the past 16 years as a diocese but in all these years, we have never enjoyed electricity for 20 minutes.
“All these times, we have only run on diesel and fuel. Now, the diocese has been sent a bill based on the increased tariff.
“The distribution company is insisting that the diocese must pay with or without supplying electricity or face the unsavoury consequence of disconnection.
“The question I have not ceased to ask the distribution company and government, which they have not answered is: Is it fair to the citizens to pay for darkness instead of light?
“I think that the proper thing for this government and its distribution and generating companies should have done first is to ensure a steady supply of electricity before the increase in tariff. What they have done now is simply anti-people.
“Because the leaders of this country called Nigeria have never cared for the masses, they will always put the cart before the horse.
“If they have achieved what Geometrics and Professor Barth Nnaji achieved in Aba, and increased the tariff, no sane person will ever complain, rather Nigerians will gladly pay any amount they are asked to pay.
“Let this government listen to the cries of Nigerians and always seek to do the right things for the benefit of the people. We passionately and graciously plead with this government not to kill this nation with taxes.
“As it is said, no nation on earth grows its economy through taxation. Economies are grown through production. This is where the government must focus its policies and energy production.
“A word is enough for the wise; a good and caring government. The government should realize that it is in power for the good and protection of the lives and properties of the citizens.”
Addressing the seeming tension and insecurity in the South East geo-political zone, the bishop said: “We thank some of our brothers for seeing reasons to give up on their anger.
“No matter how genuine and justified their anger is, I believe it is now time for them to calm down completely. This will enable us to rebuild the land and the economy that is almost in ruins.”
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike starting on Monday, June 3, 2024, due to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage above N60,000.
Despite the government’s final offer of N60,000, which included a recent increase from an initial N57,000, the labour unions found the proposal insufficient, setting a new proposal at N494,000.
The Evolution of Nigeria’s Minimum Wage
The concept of a minimum wage in Nigeria dates back to the 1950s. The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, as Premier of the Western Region, implemented the first minimum wage policy in 1954. Western Nigerian workers received a minimum wage that was double the amount paid to their counterparts in other regions. This initial wage policy set a precedent and sparked ongoing discussions about fair labor compensation in the country.
Following Nigeria’s independence in 1960, the push for a national minimum wage continued. In 1959, Awolowo, then the President of the Action Group, campaigned vigorously for a five-pound minimum wage for federal workers. Although he lost the 1959 elections to Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the issue of a national minimum wage remained a significant political agenda.
The First National Minimum Wage Law
The first National Minimum Wage Law was enacted by President Shehu Shagari in September 1981, spurred by the advocacy of the Nigerian Labour Congress led by Hassan Sunmonu. The law set a minimum wage of 125 naira per month, equivalent to approximately US$204 at the time.
Subsequent Revisions
Over the years, the minimum wage has undergone several revisions:
2000: Increased to N5,500.
2011: Under President Goodluck Jonathan, it was raised to N18,000.
2019: The National Minimum Wage Act signed by President Muhammadu Buhari established a new wage of N30,000 per month.
The Current Debate
In January 2024, the federal government formed a 37-member tripartite committee to review the National Minimum Wage. However, the committee has not yet reached an agreement. The NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have set a deadline of May 31 for the government to establish a new wage policy. The unions are demanding a minimum wage of at least N60,000.
Some states have unilaterally announced new minimum wages. For example, Edo State approved a new wage of N70,000 effective May 1, 2024, while Lagos State has been paying a wage award of N35,000 since January 2024.
The discussions about the minimum wage are fraught with tension, particularly between state and federal governments. State governments often argue they cannot afford higher wages, while the federal government usually proposes higher rates. This discord reflects a long-standing issue in Nigeria’s wage policy, where economic realities and political promises often clash.
Power Minister’s Office, Army Barracks, Ministries, Other Govt Offices That May Be Disconnected For Owing Electricity Bills (Full List)
AFOLABI
A host of government offices, buildings, and institutions risk being thrown into darkness if they fail to settle their electricity bills before the deadline issued by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC).
According to the AEDC, the affected buildings are owing huge electricity debts which have accumulated over time.
Power House building, located in the Maitama District of Abuja, which houses the office of the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, is part of the building listed in a notice of disconnection issued by the AEDC.
More than 20 other government institutions risk disconnection, according to the ultimatum issued by the distribution company in a statement addressed to its customers on Friday, 31st May.
The acting Managing Director of AEDC, Victor Ojelabi, in a statement, said the deadline for all outstanding payments is Monday, June 3, 2024.
Below is the full list of customers owing AEDC as released by the Disco:
1. Nigeria Army
2. Nigeria Airforce
3. Defence Headquarters (HQ)
4. Federal Capital Development Authority
5. Kogi state government
6. Niger state government
7. Nigeria Police Force HQ
8. Nigerian Army Barracks
9. Federal Ministry of Industry
10. Nigeria Police Force HQ
11. Nigerian Army Barracks
12. Power House
13. Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) House 1
14. Head of Service
15. Ministry of Education
16. Ministry of Women Affairs
17. Ministry of Industry
18. Ministry of Trade
19. Ministry of Interior
20. Ministry of Water Resources
21. National Stadium
22. Goodluck Jonathan Athletics Hall
23. Ministry of Finance
24. Ministry of education
25. Ministry of Trade
26. National Planning Commission (budget)
27. Ministry of Works
28. Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Abuja.
The former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal has urged President Bola Tinubu to desist from disassociating himself from the tenure of his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Tambuwal insisted that Tinubu must stop his ministers and aides from castigating Buhari’s administration.
The former governor stated this during the stakeholders meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State on Sunday.
He argued that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has no plans to secure the country and are more interested in grabbing power.
He said, “The same Tinubu government that has failed to secure Nigerians, and bring development is now lamenting and disassociating themselves from Buhari’s administrative failure.
“There’s no reason for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to allow his aides or ministers to be castigating and attacking past APC government under Muhammadu Buhari which he has tremendously benefitted from as a member of APC.
“President Tinubu should face the governing of Nigeria with serious minded attention and not allow certain myopic tendencies in his government to destroy his good plan on securing of our nation and bringing cohesion and development to our country if at all he is ready.”
Speaking further, Tambuwal advised PDP supporters in the state not to be discouraged about the happening in the country, instead to unite and ensure political understanding amongst themselves.
“Nobody can change our country like determination and commitment to good cause as we are all known for, our party supporters should be united in bringing such to the party progress
“You have been in the vanguard of change and political unity, this will be your guiding principles of peace and political unity with discipline and respect to everybody in the party” he added.
Some Nigerian women have narrated the huge economic challenges confronting them in sustaining homes.
The women expressed their views in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday.
A Mother of four, Mrs Abiola Dipeolu, said that presently, the family spent a lot of money to keep the home going.
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Dipeolu said that when she newly got married, she usually saved some money from the monthly allowance she received from her husband.
She said that the reverse was the case now, saying that what she received as feeding allowance hardly sustained the family for two weeks.
“I have to wake up as early as 4.00 a.m. to begin the hustle for the day and close by 6.00 p.m.
“Marriage is boring and uninteresting because the time for husband and wife to be together has been put into hustling” she said.
A Mother of three, Mrs Ronke Adu, said that she could not remember the last time she got financial support from her husband.
Adu said that the financial responsibilities had been shared and each of them took up his or her responsibilities.
She said that the present economic challenges had rendered some husbands mere figure heads in spite of the energy they put up on daily basis to make ends meet.
She noted that she had to do menial jobs like sweeping of compounds, cooking soup for the elderly and home cleaning on daily basis to make ends meet.
Expressing her views, a Mother of two, Mrs Busayo Adamolekun, said that she was a fashion designer by profession but when the reality dawned on her, she dropped her working tools and ventured into food selling.
Adamolekun said that food was one of the businesses now thriving.
She said her husband had to join the food business and closed his business centre because he no longer received patronage.
She said that some women took up the main financial expenses at homes, while their husbands only rendered support.
A Civil Servant and a Mother of three, Mrs China Okeke, said that it was a pity that the economy turned this way.
Okeke suggested that managing the home financially needed prudence.
“As a civil servant, I had to obtain loans to keep the home going,’’ she said.
She explained that the take-home pay was not enough.
A Grandmother and Pastor, Mrs Adefunke Clement, said that many women came to the church for financial help.
Clement said that there was no day a woman would not come to the church soliciting for meal.
She said that before now, the church used to have philanthropists who donated voluntarily, saying that now the church authorities had to announce before getting few donations.
“Women are going through a lot to put food on the table.
“Some go into four or five menial works on daily basis to keep the home going,’’ she said.
It appears taking a girl on date without any string attached has gone with the wind. At least, this is the view of a depression and mental health coach, Evelyn Motiga aka Evesoal, who slammed young Nigerian girls for making all sorts of demands before going on a date with a guy.
In a video posted on her page, she said it now causes a guy an arm and a leg just to take a girl out on a date as he would have to be responsible for almost everything the girl wears to honour the date.
She noted that the situation has driven some guys to depression and mental health issues.
“What’s wrong with our Nigerian girls these days? Why are you putting our men under pressure? Why are you making dating as if it is a transaction. This morning, I saw somebody on Facebook saying if a man wants to take her out on a date he must buy her clothes and he must pay her first.
Hey, are these girls aware that there are young men in Nigeria that are very hard working and putting them under pressure for me is not the way to go,” she says in the video.
She counsels that the act would not add any value to them but rather belittle them.
“You are bringing down your value. As if that is not enough, you are stressing our men. These men are going through a lot of mental issues and depression because they feel they are not good enough. Stop this nonsense,” she said.
Nigerian Police Personnel Fighting Boko Haram Terrorists Cry Out Over 6-Month Unpaid Allowances
AFOLABI
Police officers engaged in counter-insurgency operations in North-East Nigeria have voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the non-payment of their allowances for the past six months.
The officers were selected from various states and taken to the region for security operations in collaboration with other security forces to fight Boko Haram insurgents and other criminalities in the region.
The affected officers complained that the non-payment of their allowances has placed them in a challenging predicament.
One of the soldiers said, “We are mobile policemen working with the Nigerian Army under the special forces (SF) joint task force in Maiduguri. We are working day and night tirelessly in the rain and the sun.
“Some of us were deployed to various locations here in Maiduguri after two weeks of training in the Nigerian Army special forces training ground, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, but we have not received our allowances for a period of six months now.
“We have been sending complaints to the Theatre Command of Operation Hadin Kai (OHK) Maimalari Army Barrack through our unit commanders but all efforts made to get paid our six months' operational allowances have failed.”
“The police authorities should please look into the matter. We are all men with families; we left them at home for a good six months to come here to the Borno State for peacekeeping but look at how we are suffering without our allowances for God's sake. Even now as I’m talking to you, I’m in the bush. We need help, please,” another policeman told SaharaReporters.
Efforts made by SaharaReporters to reach the spokesman for the Nigeria Police Force, Muyiwa Adejobi, on his mobile phone to find out why the allowances had not been paid were unsuccessful.
Nigeria has been battling with insurgency in the North-East region for over one decade.
Islamic terrorists have killed thousands of people and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
Fire razes an electronic shop in Port Harcourt as residents struggle to put out the inferno.
THE WHISTLER gathered that the storey building which is used by LG as a showroom and warehouse at Rumuosi Junction along Rumuokoro- Choba axis of the East-West Road went up in flames after a power surge.
The incident happened at about 12:30 pm on Sunday afternoon and residents at the time of filing this report are still fighting to put out the raving fire.
The building is sandwiched in between a church and another storey which residents feared would be a chain effect if help did not come soon.
A few minutes past 1 pm there is still no presence of firefighters nor security agencies to guard against loot.
More...
Fenerbahce have “started negotiations” with Jose Mourinho over their head coach role.
Mourinho, 61, has been out of work since being sacked by Roma in January.
Negotiations were revealed by the Istanbul-based club on public disclosure platform KAP, as part of a legal process to alert investors.
Fenerbahce parted company with previous boss Ismail Kartal on Friday, whose side amassed 99 points in the league last season but ended three points behind city rivals Galatasaray.
“Our company has started negotiations with Jose Mario Dos Santos Mourinho Felix for the post of Football A team coach,” the Fenerbahce post read.
“It is announced with respect to our investors.”
Should negotiations be completed, Mourinho’s task will be to help Fenerbahce to a first Super Lig title since the 2013-14 season.
The Portuguese manager has eight league trophies on his CV across four countries, England, Italy, Portugal and Spain – three with Chelsea, two with Inter Milan, two with Porto and one with Real Madrid.
He has also won five major European trophies, including the Champions League with Inter and Porto and Europa League with Manchester United.
Mourinho’s last piece of silverware came with Roma in 2022, when he led them to the Europa Conference League – the club’s first European trophy – and helped them reach the Europa League final the following season, which they lost to Sevilla on penalties.
He was replaced by Daniele de Rossi as Roma boss in January with the club ninth in Serie A – they eventually went on to finish sixth.
Mourinho is due to appear on TNT Sports as a pundit during the broadcaster’s coverage of the Champions League final on Saturday.
Fenerbahce, who have been Turkish champions a record 28 times, have finished runners-up in the past three seasons, with Kartal’s side losing just once and drawing six matches as they failed to stop Galatasaray claiming back-to-back titles.
[Leadership]
Grammy-winning Nigerian singer, Temilade Openiyi, popularly known as Tems, has shared her opinion about the agenda of most men when it comes to relationships.
According to her, a lot of men approach relationships with no agenda other than sex.
The Oscar-nominated diva stated this in the teaser of the upcoming episode of ‘Flow with Korty.’
The host, Korty EO asked, “Have you been in love before?”
Tems replied, “A lot of guys, they are very obvious… There is no agenda but to penetrate.”
The ‘Essence’ crooner also opened up about being constantly misunderstood and bullied because of her reserved nature and how she handled it.
“Everything I did seemed to annoy everybody. They would say, ‘Why are you so slow? Why are you talking so slow? Talk like you are alive.’ And I would say, ‘You are very stupid. Are you crazy?’ I was upset all the time,” she said.
Tems added that she found solace in her musical talent.
[DailyPost]
There is no doubt that while Nigeria is one of the world’s largest consumers of rice as staple, she is far from being self-sufficient in production.
The rice value chain has been the focus of past administrations, particularly to make the country self-sufficient in rice production, but, unfortunately, there has not been significant achievement in that regard based on bedeviling factors including poor political will, smuggling, sabotage, international interference and influence. According to a report of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, Nigeria is the largest producer of rice in Africa, producing about 8,435,000 tonnes annually, followed by Egypt, Madagascar, Tanzania and Mali.
To showcase Nigeria’s capacity to produce rice for self-sufficiency and export, former President Muhammadu Buhari on January 18, 2022, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, mobilized rice farmers to assemble over 1 million bags of paddy rice in pyramids under the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, ABP, and were officially unveiled in conjunction with the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria, RIFAN, in Abuja.
The unveiling ceremony of the rice pyramids attracted attention of Nigerians and the international community.
The CBN’s plan was to sell the rice below market prices and to bring down high prices of the commodity.
Crash
Meanwhile, Buhari, in his address at the unveiling of the rice pyramids, assured Nigerians that with the symbolic unveiling of the paddy rice pyramids, prices of rice will crash.
He maintained that the commissioning of the rice pyramids was an indication that Nigeria was making steady progress towards attainment of self-sufficiency in food production.
Buhari said, “Today rice production in Nigeria has increased to over 7.5 million metric tonnes annually. “Prior to the introduction of ABP, the average production in Nigeria between 1999 and 2015 was less than four metric tonnes annually.
“I am aware that the bags of paddy will be moving straight from here to rice milling plants across Nigeria, which leads to the release of processed rice to the markets by rice millers.
“The measure will aid our efforts at reducing the price of rice in Nigeria.
“Before this administration launched the ABP, there were only 15 standard rice mills in Nigeria. As of today, we have over 50 standard and integrated rice mills creating jobs and reducing unemployment.
“We expect additional significant output when two new mills are started in Lagos and Katsina.”
Progress
Former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in his own address at the occasion, said by virtue of assembling the single largest rice pyramids provide undisputable and unassailable evidence of significant progress under President Buhari’s food security initiatives that gives hope to Nigerians that rice issue is settled and no need for importation of the commodity.
“Beyond increasing our national output from about 5.4 million metric tonnes in 2015 to over 9 million metric tonnes in 2021, we have also significantly improved the productivity per hectare of the smallholder farmer from about 2.4 metric tonnes per ha in 2015 to between about 5 metric tonnes per ha in 2021”, he said.
Soaring price
Barely two years after the unveiling of the rice pyramids, questions remain. Why is the price of rice at over N80, 000? Was there no sustainability plan? Could it be that CBN could not effectively make rice farmers repay their loan under the ABP?
Was there any form of sabotage in the rice value chain?
Was it a political strategy to win the votes of Nigerians ahead of the 2023 general elections? Or were other factors responsible for the current high price of rice?
Stakeholders in the rice value chain, who spoke with Sunday Vanguard on the issues, shared their views about what transpired and why rice has gone out of the reach of Nigerians based on what they know and pointed out.
Intervention demands involvement of Agric Ministry – AFAN
National President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Kabir Ibrahim, said their expectations were high concerning the launch of the rice pyramids in Abuja.
Ibrahim counseled that following the failure of the ABS, it is imperative for the current CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, to drive agricultural interventions through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, which will seamlessly get to the real farmers.
He said: “We expected that the price of rice would generally come down as it was clearly abundant going by the display on pyramids.
“We advised that the paddy displayed be directly given to millers soon after the ceremony so that when milled it will be made readily available to consumers and thereby crash the price of rice generally.
“Any intervention in agriculture by the CBN should be channeled through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security so that there will be the requisite institutional memory and expertise incorporated in it to avoid failure.
“There should be close monitoring and evaluation by the CBN and AFAN to ensure that the implementation is properly done.
“The recent action of allocating 2.1 million bags of assorted fertilizers to the FMAFS to distribute to farmers by the CBN is the right step in the right direction and therefore highly commendable.”
On boosting rice farmers’ productivity, the farmers’ leader said, “The right kind of synergy should be put in place to get all the sub-nationals to key into the programme of rice production because the activity is largely in the states and LGAs.
“Farmers should be incentivized at all levels and regardless of politics and other considerations but the attainment of rice sufficiency in Nigeria.
“Farmers should heed the advice of NiMET and the hydrological services agency on climate and flood outlook to minimize the effect of flooding and even drought.
“We hope and pray that the incident of flooding which is clearly due to climate change caused by carbon emission will be mitigated by Nigeria’s climate action aimed at reducing methane emission generally as promised at COP 28 in Dubai.
“Farmers should work assiduously to feed the ever increasing population of our country and to also partner and collaborate with others such as donor agencies and development partners to scale their productivity.”
Abandonment of ABS made rice price to skyrocket – Kebbi RIFAN Chairman
The Chairman, Kebbi RIFAN, Muhammad Sahabi, asserted that the abandonment of ABS is a major cause for the high price of rice in the market.
According to Sahabi, rice farmers do not have access to finance to boost their productivity, and as a result of the high cost of farm inputs, they have abandoned rice fields.
He said: “Before the Anchor Borrowers’ intervention by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, and the Federal Government, farmers on their own bought their inputs and other things to actually support their rice farming.
“But once the CBN came with that intervention those inputs that were not affordable by our farmers were made available to them, which made their production increase, hence the rice pyramids that were seen in Abuja, which was purely by the private sector.
“After all said and done, there were complaints that rice was too expensive, and it was not true.
“At that time we were trying to block importation of rice into the country, and we were trying to rely on only our homegrown rice production, and with the tendency that it has to be a slow process.
“All the same, the price then and the current price cannot be compared.
“Since the suspension of the Anchor Borrowers Scheme in Kebbi State, rice farmers have abandoned their farms because they cannot afford the inputs, for instance, a bag of fertilizer that was sold for N6,000 is now being sold for N50,000.
“Even the water-pump engines we used to buy for N50,000 is now sold for over N100,000, and we buy a litre of petrol for N720 which was bought at N168.
“With this high cost of inputs, a poor farmer in the village cannot finance his rice production, and to feed his family now becomes difficult, and the quantity he used to send to the market is less than 10 per cent of what it used to be, and definitely it will affect the price.
“All programmes by the previous government are now abandoned or being reviewed.
“Our farmers are not able to repay the loan they accessed from the CBN, and it is not only farmers in Kebbi State but all over the country, and they are supposed to use their harvest to repay the loans but if a farmer is struggling to feed his family, what will he have to sell to repay his loan because the cost of inputs is high, some are killed, kidnapped, and no enabling environment to pay their loans.
“The price of rice will not reduce because less than 25 per cent of farmers are now back to farm in Kebbi State.
“Therefore, the volume of production is very low, and the quantity of land a farmer used to cultivate has now gone low, less than 1, 000 of what he used to cultivate, and definitely there is going to be another upsurge of price.
“In Kebbi State, rice farmers want cheaper fertilizer, agro-chemicals, irrigation facilities, solar-powered pumping machines, and others.”
Policy inconsistency impacting rice value chain – RIMAN Chairman
National President, RIFAN, Peter Dama, pointed out that one of the major causes of high cost of rice currently is traceable to policy inconsistency and made recommendations as panacea to the issue.
Dama said: “The rice pyramids that were launched were really because over 50,000 metric tonnes of paddy were produced and sold to rice millers who milled and sold to Nigerians at affordable rates of between N35,000 and N40,000 then.
“There have been challenges confronting rice farmers in the country. First and foremost is the issue of insecurity, where bandits and kidnappers have been creating problems for our farmers in the fields.
“Farmers also have challenges with high cost of inputs that have affected their ability to procure necessary inputs for their activities.
“ABS, which the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, introduced, was no longer functional as the interventions through single digit interest rate for loan was suspended abruptly.
“So there are no cheap funds for farmers to obtain for their activities on the farm. The impact of Anchor Borrowers Scheme on rice production was tremendous because it enabled rice farmers to produce enough for our rice mills to process, and farmers could afford inputs but with the suspension everything went down.
“Also, unfortunately, the CBN had problems of recovery of the loans that were given to farmers during the Anchor Borrowers Programme. This also affected the progress recorded in the entire programme as debtors are still being pursued to pay up.
“True, rice was supposed to be cheap because of CBN and other interventions by now but policy inconsistency has always impacted negatively on the entire rice value chain.
“The same government that brought in subsidies in agricultural production, the same government has withdrawn fuel subsidies, which is one of the major components in rice processing and milling. This singular aspect has led to the rise of everything in Nigeria and not only on rice.
“The floating of the Nigerian currency, which led to the high cost of the US Dollar, affects rice millers because to some extent rice millers have to import machinery or spare parts to take care of wear and tear in their factories.
“Generally, the high cost of production led to the high cost of rice currently in the country.”
Recommendations
“The Tinubu administration should try to reduce cost of production by way of the return of fuel subsidy, reduction in electricity tariff for manufacturers, millers and food processors, provision of adequate security to farmers in order for them to return to their farms for production.
“The administration should provide subsidies to reduce cost of production to agric businessmen with tax holiday extended to millers and food processors so that they can produce optimally for the nation to feed herself.
“All trade barriers removed to ensure smooth trading in all sectors. There is also the need to embark on research on appropriate seeds that can be cultivated.
“Equally important is the issue of climate change that is affecting all sectors of agriculture. The Nigerian government should tackle this aspect by getting experts to look into the problem rather than paying lip-service to the challenges head on in this sector.
“Finally, the need for the government to embark and pay serious attention to research and development, particularly on high yielding rice seeds with adequate irrigation services nationwide so that rice farmers can cultivate rice twice in a year, instead of depending only, on one wet season circle of cultivation of paddy rice needed by the millers to process.
“The Central Bank should continue with its Anchor Borrowers Program but this time around, they should ensure that only real farmers benefit from the programme instead of political farmers.
“The restrictions which were taken off for the importation of 43 items by the CBN should be discontinued in order to encourage our home grown products from unnecessary competition foreign imported goods and services.
“Special windows be created for agribusinesses to obtain foreign exchange rates at a more affordable price to enable millers import or replace worn out machinery and spares that are not readily available locally.
“The difficult and cumbersome conditions for obtaining bank facilities should be reduced, particularly, the issues of having to provide huge collateral before obtaining a bank facility.
“Also the CBN should ensure that each bank has an operational agric desk to take care of the needs and requests of farmers and particularly rice millers, and if the development finance department of the CBN, will be allowed to remain, honest and well experienced officers be appointed to man such departments.
“The CBN as a matter of urgency encourages the full capitalisation of the Bank of Agriculture, BoA, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security so that farmers can easily reach out to this bank to obtain facilities if the CBN discontinues its Anchor Borrowers programme.”
As part of celebrating the 82nd birthday of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the church yesterday, through its Continent 3s digital transformation drive, themed ‘A World of Unlimited Possibilities’ future boot camp valued at over N400 million has imparted over 1,000 Nigerian youths.
Fielding questions from the newsmen yesterday, Personal Assistant and Son of the General Overseer, Pastor Oluwagbemileke Adeboye, disclosed that the initiative is the first of its kind in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty through the ripple effect of digital knowledge.
He said, “I am part of the incubator team in this movement. Its aim is to assist the average Nigerian youth. It started off with 12 thousand youths applying; 5 thousand and above were able to do the online test, but we ended up with 1 thousand people making up for the physical meeting.
“Basically, what we are trying to push is the agenda of helping the Nigerian youth from age 15 to 45 understand what will count in the future of work and what they need to equip themselves with to succeed. It is the first of its kind in Africa, and we are hopefully going to do more. We have done seven days, and there would be a need for continuity for them to be able to give feedback on areas they don’t understand yet because it takes a while to re-engineer anyone’s mind to achieve the success to which we want access. On average, it should have cost N400,000 per person; if 100 people had come here, it would have cost about N400 million, but God has helped us to subsidise it.
“We are hoping that in nine months, people that have come will give birth to their own businesses and companies along that line, but with the mindset of “ A World of Unlimited Possibilities,” they will help support the economy. If everybody is able to create jobs, the ripple effect would help alleviate poverty across our great nation called Nigeria. because if one person is doing okay in a family, they would be able to support other people, and such an individual would come out to help his or her community.
Asked if the church would employ these youths, he added, “The game plan is that they would start up their own business and also end up employing other people. We have shown them the link, the bait for the fish, how to catch the fish, and how to store the fish. So the game plan is to get them to the door and remain inside the door of success.”
On her part, CEO of Africa Mission Global, a faith-based charity organization with the aim of impacting 100 million lives globally, Fatai Williams, added that “the initiative would be extremely impactful for the youth as it would reach a larger number of people in society based on what the digital initiative offers. So when you scale up young people with digital knowledge, they can fit into any sector based on their digital skills,” she said.