Agriculture

‘Dangote’s $2.5 billion Fertiliser Plant Services U.S., Brazil, Others’
Agriculture, News, Nigeria

‘Dangote’s $2.5 billion Fertiliser Plant Services U.S., Brazil, Others’

Aliko Dangote President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other dignitaries yesterday, predicted an agriculture and economic boom for the country following the coming on stream of the $2.5 billion Dangote Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. They spoke during the inauguration of the plant, with an installed capacity of producing three million metric tonnes (mt) of urea yearly. Specifically, President Buhari noted that the plant is already exporting fertiliser to the United States of America (USA), India and Brazil, among other countries and is expected to trigger huge job creation opportunities, wealth, and secure the country’s agricultural future. The plant, situated on 500 hectares of land in the Lekki Free Trade Zone, is reputed as Africa’s largest Granulated Urea Fertilis...
Ogun Governor Signs Anti-open Grazing Law
Agriculture, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Ogun Governor Signs Anti-open Grazing Law

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has signed into law, the anti-open grazing bill in the state. On Thursday, the governor assented to the bill during a Security Council meeting at the state secretariat at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta. The law, titled HB No. 045/OG/2021, is - Law to Regulate Animal Grazing, Establishment of Cattles Ranches in Designated Grazing Areas of Ogun State and for other matters incidental thereto and connected therewith. He called on the security agencies to swing immediately into action and enforce provisions of the law. According to him, the subject matter has been discussed along the length and breadth of the country stating that southern governors have also discussed and endorsed it. Cattle owners, according to Abiodun, have a six-month period of gra...
Bandits Occupy Farms In Katsina, Force Villagers To Supply Fertilisers
Agriculture, News, Nigeria, Security

Bandits Occupy Farms In Katsina, Force Villagers To Supply Fertilisers

Some farmers in Katsina State have lamented the negative impact of banditry on farming activities in the state. According to them, bandits have stopped them from going to their farms to cultivate food items. The farmers, in an interview with Daily Trust, stated that bandits stormed their farms to either abduct them, kill them or tax them before they could even cultivate on their farms. They further said every household in the Batsarin-Alhaji area had to pay N500 to the bandits from the last farming season. Thereafter, the bandits demanded that the villagers supply them with fertilisers. The villagers had to tax themselves to purchase the fertilisers. A 65-year-old farmer, Sa’adu Nuhu Batsari, said he stopped tilling three of his farms of 20 hectares each for over two year...
Akwa Ibom Assembly Passes Anti-open Grazing Bill
Agriculture, Legislature, News, Nigeria

Akwa Ibom Assembly Passes Anti-open Grazing Bill

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has passed the anti-open grazing bill into law in the state on Tuesday. The bill entitled, “A Bill for a law to prohibit open rearing and grazing of livestock and provide for the establishment of ranches and Livestock administration, regulation and control, and for other matters connected therewith” was passed after it was read the third time on the floor of the House during the plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Mr. Aniekan Bassey. Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, and member representing Ikono State Constituency, Asuquo Udo, presented the report of Joint House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lands and Housing to the House. The lawmakers adopted the recommendations of the Joint House Committee on Agriculture an...
Gov Ortom Threatens To Sue Buhari Over Grazing Routes
Agriculture, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Gov Ortom Threatens To Sue Buhari Over Grazing Routes

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom has promised to sue the President Muhammadu Buhari administration if he goes ahead to implement the recommendations of a committee that reviewed the Grazing Reserve Policy. Buhari last Thursday approved the recommendations of a committee chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Gambari to review “with dispatch, 368 grazing sites, across 25 states in the country, and to determine the levels of encroachment.” Presidential spokesperson, Shehu, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja. But the move has been criticised by Southern state governors. The governors in a swift reaction tackled the President over the order to review with dispatch 368 grazing sites in 25 states across the country. Several southern groups, including Yoruba ...
Nigerians Susceptible To Widespread Hunger Under Buhari – NSA
Agriculture, News, Nigeria

Nigerians Susceptible To Widespread Hunger Under Buhari – NSA

The National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, has the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has been battling to surmount the country’s food crisis amid the prevailing hunger in the country. The president has vowed to tackle the country’s widespread poverty at a security meeting attended by Osinbajo, security chiefs, and some ministers in Abuja on Thursday, Monguno said. NAN quoted him as saying, “The last National Security Council meeting we had was on June 8. From that time till now, a lot has happened within the security domain. Mr President called for this meeting. It was actually supposed to be for next week, but he drew it back for today, for obvious reasons.” Meanwhile, the Buhari’s regime has always claimed to have the country in a better economic situation than bef...
PMB: Call Him Master Finisher By Femi Adesina
Agriculture, News, Nigeria, Power

PMB: Call Him Master Finisher By Femi Adesina

The country has been agog this week with fallout from the signing of the long-awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law. That legislation has now become Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). President Muhammadu Buhari has done what Napoleon couldn’t do. Again and again. The Bill had defied Olusegun Obasanjo who introduced it, got the better of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (God rest his soul), worsted Goodluck Jonathan, but has finally been subdued by Buhari. The man has proven to be adept at concluding things that had long trounced and vanquished many leaders before him. The PIB overwhelmed the first to eighth National Assembly, which couldn’t pass it into law. But through synergy and cooperation between the Executive and the Ninth Assembly, Nigeria now has a law for her cash cow, the oil and ga...
Buhari Reveals Plans After Leaving Office in 2023
Agriculture, Elections, News, Nigeria

Buhari Reveals Plans After Leaving Office in 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he plans to go back to his cows and rekindle his passion for farming when he leaves office in 2023. Buhari in an interview with Arise TV said he retained a farm and have some cattle that will keep him occupied after his presidency. He said "I have never abandoned my farm, and I still have many cattle. When I leave, I will go to my farm daily and try to keep myself busy. “Between now and then, I will try to keep on convincing Nigerians that I mean very well. I will make sure that they see identifiable problems. We have situated the economy in fighting them, and we will continue to anchor it." Read Also: Bandits Attack Baptist Church in Kaduna, Kill Two, Scores Abducted – CAN "Visibly, we made progress in the North-East. We made progress in ...
Open Grazing Ban Has Come to Stay – Gov Ortom
Agriculture, News, Nigeria, Security

Open Grazing Ban Has Come to Stay – Gov Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that the onslaught against citizens of his state by herdsmen will not compel his government to repeal the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law. He added that his administration will rather amend the law to increase the penalties against offenders rather than be cowed into suspending the law. Ortom disclosed this on Saturday while giving his mid-term scorecard as part of activities marking this year’s Democracy Day at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Makurdi. He said, “This law has come to stay and no amount of intimidation can make us repeal it. Instead, we will soon amend the law in order to increase the penalties against offenders.” Ortom lamented the humanitarian situation caused by continued attacks ...
Fayemi, Akeredolu Absent as South-West Leaders Okay Ranching, State Police
Agriculture, News, Nigeria, Safety, Security

Fayemi, Akeredolu Absent as South-West Leaders Okay Ranching, State Police

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the South-West region on Sunday reechoed their support for true federalism and ban of open grazing in the country. The APC leaders comprising governors and stakeholders in their meeting in Lagos backed some of the resolutions of the Southern governors that met in Delta State, noting it was imperative that the Federal Government address insecurity in the country. The communique was read by the convener, Akande, saying the leaders were concerned about the state of the nation. The communique party reads, “For Nigeria to overcome these challenges, we must do so with unity of purpose and action. The desire for peace and the chance for a prosperous and just society are...