₦airaland Forum

hucienda:
Na wa oo.. bad news everywhere...

Wailers having a feast while zombies continuing to do what they know how to do best- defend the indefensible... A paradox, Nigeria that is.

AT independence in 1960, agriculture was the largest contributor to the Nige­rian economy, accounting for about 63 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domes­tic Product (GDP), which is typical for developing agrarian nations.

As at that time incomes were derived from the ex­port of major cash crops like rubber, cocoa, palm oil, cashew nuts, ground­nut and cotton, cassava among others and provid­ed about 70 per cent of ac­tive labour for Nigerians. But from the 2013 rebased figures the agricultural sector contributed 21.97 percent or N17.625 trillion ($112.26 billion) of the to­tal N80.22 trillion ($510 billion). This compares with N14.71 trillion ($93.7 billion) in the old non-re­based estimates for 2013.

With the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari administration on May 29, 2015, farmers were optimistic that the agricultural sector would experience the much awaited change, expected to transform the sector.

Though, President Mu­hammadu Buhari, has con­tinued assuring the nation that developing the sector and ensuring food security in the country remained a priority to his administra­tion. One year under the President’s watch, agri­culture has experienced tremendous set back as the prices of farm produce have gradually become out of reach for consumers of fresh tomato, rice and gar­ri among others.

The prices of some ag­ricultural items have sky­rocketed across the major markets in the country.

For instance between 2014 and April 2015, the price of rice was stable in the market even dur­ing the Christmas period, when it sold for N9,000. Today however, a bag of rice is being sold for about N17,000 while one bas­ket of tomato that used to sell for about N4000, to N6000 before is now be­ing sold for N12,000 and a custard plastic of garri that sold for N250, now sells for N750 over night.

However, some stake­holders and farmers who spoke to Daily Sun scored Buhari’s administration a lean 5 per cent in agricul­ture sector, just because of his appointment of Chief Audu Ogbeh as the Minis­ter of Agriculture and Ru­ral Development.

Yet other stakeholders in support of President Muhammadu Buhari in­sist that one year in office was not enough to judge one’s performance. They said the budget has just been approved and that with time Buhari will turn the sector around.

Managing Director of Universal Quest Limited/National Publicity Sec­retary, National Cashew Association of Nigeria (NCAN), Sotonye Anga, said that one thing Buhari administration has done is appointing Chief Audu Ogbeh as the Minister of Agriculture and Rural De­velopment because he un­derstands agriculture.

However, he said the Ministry of Agriculture has not been funded in the last one year, saying the Ministry has not been able to fund any activities or projects because they have not been with money as the budget was not ap­proved on time.

He added: “If you look at it critically, nothing has been achieved in terms of agricultural productivity rather than the Minister putting together the road­map implementation for agriculture and he has been talking to stakehold­er and everybody prefer to work with him to drive growth in the sector. But you cannot drive growth without money. Funding has hampered productiv­ity. In the last one year, food prices have gone high on almost every products.”

Now that the budget has been approved, he stated that agric sector would see a level of improvement, since this is a critical planting season and farm­ers cannot plant without being funded.

He explained that farm­ers have almost lost whole planting season 2016 be­cause of lack of fund but by 2017 there be accelerat­ed and dynamic improve­ment across the agricul­tural value chain.

The Director of Man­field Farms Venture, Mr. Femi Omoboriowo, said that government has not really done much to un­lock the potential in agric sector.



He said however, the proposed 2016 agricul­ture budget at 1.6 per cent shows that the Nigerian government’s budgetary allocations to the sector is yet to met 10 per cent 2003 Maputo Declaration.

According to him, one thing the past administra­tions failed to do was to implement the Maputo Declaration on Agricul­ture and Food Security and the 10 percent na­tional budget allocation to agriculture development.

He explained: “At the Second Ordinary Assem­bly of the African Union in July 2003 in Maputo, African Heads of State and Government endorsed the “Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Se­curity in Africa.

The commitment was to persuade governments to increase spending in the sector to stimulate agricul­tural growth, reduce pov­erty, and build food and nutrition security.

“After the meeting in 2003, a total of 13 coun­tries have met or surpassed the 10 per cent target in one or more years since then and they include Bu­rundi, Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Madagascar, Ma­lawi, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe but Nigeria is yet to join the league.”

He said one of the Bu­hari’s 5-point agenda was to make Nigeria where entrepreneurship thrives, enterprise flourishes and the government gets out of your way so that you can create value, build the economy and aggressively expand wealth that has not happened.

He added that govern­ment should work on pol­icy inconsistence, which has been one of the major problems confronting the sector by encouraging lo­cal content, making sure that values are added to the local produces in other to make them exportable.

gwales:
The story that fulani herdsmen killed enugu villagers was a scam. There wasn't any fulani attack but just a script written by pdp and ipads.
Yes, you heard me....

philipzz:
op it more than that oooo oya zombies come and defend

The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says another 1.5 million Nigerians became unemployed in the first quarter of 2016.

In its unemployment and underemployment report released on Friday, NBS said the country’s unemployment rate grew from 10.4 percent in the last quarter in 2015 to 12.1 percent.

In the third and fourth quarter of 2015, Nigeria saw about the same number of people become unemployed.

The economically active population or working age population (persons within ages 15- 64) increased from 105.02 million in Q4 2015 to 106.0 million in Q1 2016, the report adds.

“In Q1 2016, the labour force population (i.e. those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work) increased to 78.4 million from 76.9million in q4 2015,” NBS said.

“This means an additional 1,528,647 economically active persons within 15-64 entered the labour force i.e. were able and willing and actively looking for work between January 1 and March 31 2016.

“Within the same period, the total number in full time employment (did any form of work for at least 40 hours) decreased by 528,148 persons or 0.97%.

“This consists of people who lost their jobs and were either forced or for various reasons chose to move from full time employment to underemployment.

“Within the same period, the number of unemployed in the labour force, increased by 1,449,18 persons (increase of 518,000 between Q3 and Q4 2015) between Q4 2015 and Q1 2016.”

Youth unemployment also rose to 42.24 percent, as 15.2million youths remain unemployed in the economy.

“Accordingly, out of a total youth labour force of 38.2 million (representing 48.7% of total labour force in Nigeria of 78.48mn), a total of 15.2mn of them were either unemployed or underemployed in Q1 2016 representing a youth unemployment rate of 42.24%.

DONMAYOR19:
all the girls must complete before may 29th o

knightsTempler:
Let bubu send the presidential jet to ferry her to Aso villa for a photo shot...but wait oh doesn't this one have a BH husband?

googlepikins:
Am sorry for lagos state workers, when they will have problems and cry to labour for help, Labour will say gerrarahere!!

The Federal Government on Wednesday said it was prepared to reopen negotiation with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) over the fuel price hike.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said in a statement on Wednesday night that the strike action called by the NLC to press for the reversal of fuel price will neither earn more money for the government or repair the refineries.

He, however, debunked claims by the leadership of the NLC that government did not consult the union before announcing the new pump price, adding that government and labour met twice on the issue with organised labour offering its own suggestions on the template presented by the Minister of Petroleum.
Ngige appealed to the NLC leadership led by Ayuba Wabba to return to the negotiating table, saying he has obtained the mandate of the government negotiating team to reopen negotiation with them.
The statement reads: “The Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. (Dr.) Chris Nwabueze Ngige is constrained to respond to a number of issues which were raised today (Wednesday) by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, after he led the NLC to withdraw from the negotiation between the Federal Government and organised labour on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.
“It is instructive to note that most Nigerians have shown great understanding of the fact that the current problem is not a subsidy removal issue, but how to deal with the non-availability of foreign exchange, a situation that leaves the federal government with no other choice than to deregulate the downstream of the petroleum sector which resulted in rise in pump price of petroleum.
“In view of the above, the federal government is fully committed to the quick implementation of the palliatives in the 2016 budget, while developing other ways to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.
“The federal government appreciates all the important issues raised by the labour unions and has taken them into consideration. Government is resolute in making sure that the economy is not only strong, but able to provide jobs and opportunities for all Nigerians.

“The federal government went to court to seek an injunction restraining labour from embarking on strike because there is a clear process of declaring labour strike under the law. It is therefore the view of government that those processes were not complied with before the NLC called the strike.”

seunmsg:
NLC and TUC should respect the decision of the industrial court and shelve the planned strike. Negotiating with the government is what will bring about a meaningful solution and not an indefinite strike that can't be enforced due to the division in NLC leadership.

The federal government has directed all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies to invoke the provision of “no work no pay” in respect of workers who participate in the planned strike by a faction of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Babachir David Lawal, secretary to the government of the federation, gave the directive on Tuesday, advising workers to shun the exercise in their own interest.

Lawal also called on security agencies to beef up security and ensure that protesters do not prevent workers from gaining access to their offices.

“The attention of all public officers is drawn to the notice issued by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on an indefinite strike from Wednesday, 18th May, 2016,” he said in a statement.

“This notice is regrettably given in spite of an order by the industrial court against the strike action. Government, therefore, calls upon and advises all workers to respect the laws of the land and to desist from participating in an illegal strike action.

“Government undertakes to guarantee the safety of workers and their work places, and expects that normal work will continue in the interest of the nation. Accordingly, security agencies have been directed to ensure unimpeded access to offices, work places and markets.

“Acts of intimidation, harassment, including barricading of gates, locking up of offices, blocking of roads and preventing workers from carrying out their lawful duties will be met with appropriate response by the law enforcement agencies.

“​All workers, whether in public or private sector are further reminded of the Trade Dispute Act, 2004, which provides that ‘where any worker takes part in a strike, he shall not be entitled to any wages or remuneration for the period of the strike and any such period shall not count for the purpose of reckoning the period of continuous employment and all rights dependent on continuity of employment shall be prejudicially affected accordingly.

“​Accordingly, all ministers, permanent secretaries and heads of government agencies are hereby directed to invoke the provision of ‘no work no pay’ in respect of any staff who absents him or herself from work to join the strike action. Attendance registers are required to be opened in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”

While the Joe Ajaero-led faction says it will stay away from the exercise, Ayuba Wabba has vowed to mobilise people to protest the increase in the pump price of petrol.

Earlier on Tuesday, Babatunde Adejumo, president of the National Industrial Court, had ordered NLC to suspend action.

The judge gave the ruling following a suit filed by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

Adejumo ordered parties to maintain the status quo until the hearing and determination of the exparte motion.

He also directed the government to dialogue with the NLC towards an amicable resolution of the dispute.