₦airaland Forum

Osihmen is beast. Keep on with the aggressive stance against defenders. Well done to both Ndidi and Ihenacho

The distance between their farms and the nearest processor is key for smallholder farmers who need to process their crops. And though Nigeria’s food processing systems have a keen resemblance to the West with respect to big factories and huge economies of scale in high-demand cities, farmers still suffer from poor logistics networks.

With distance and logistics problems, farmers’ crops can go bad and when factories buy them, it affects their processing yields and price. Farmers, witnessing post-harvest loss, also get paid less and miss the opportunity to invest in their crops production.

Nigerian agritech startup Releaf is solving this by building proprietary hardware and software solutions to make these farmers and food factories more efficient and profitable. Today, the company is announcing that it has raised $2.7 million in seed towards this effort.

Pan-African focused venture capital firms Samurai Incubate Africa, Future Africa and Consonance Investment Managers led the round. Individual investors like Stephen Pagliuca, the chairman of Bain Capital and Justin Kan of Twitch also participated.

In addition to the seed round, the agritech startup secured $1.5 million in grants from The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and USAID.

Founded by Ikenna Nzewi and Uzoma Ayogu, Releaf focuses on value chains where smaller factories are set up near smallholder farmers. This allows them to get better processing yields and fewer logistics costs; in the end, the farmer has more money to work with.

When the pair started the company in 2017, the idea behind Releaf was not concrete yet as the team, based in the U.S., had not figured out product-market fit.

First, it planned to increase productivity in Nigeria’s agricultural sector using software. Even after graduating from Y Combinator’s summer batch that year, Releaf toyed around with ideas around trade finance and a marketplace for buyers and sellers of agricultural products.

The team would get a clearer picture of what it wanted to build when the founders moved back to Nigeria. The Americans of Nigerian descent toured across 20 states and studied different value chains for crops spotting inefficiencies that could be solved by technology.

“We took a much more broad approach to what the solution would be, but we really wanted to decide on a specific crop to work in. And we found that opportunity in the oil palm sector,” Nzewi said to TechCrunch in an interview.

The oil palm market in Nigeria is a $3 billion one with over 4 million smallholder farmers cultivating farms where those crops are planted.

These farmers drive 80% of the production of oil palm. But since the industry is quite fragmented, they have many challenges processing the oil palm because it’s a crop that requires serious processing power to extract vegetable oil from it.


https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/15/nigerian-agritech-startup-releaf-secures-4-2m-to-scale-its-food-processing-technology/

Akwamkpuruamu:
Evil world. So we should support homosexuality...

Tufiakwa

If you don't support it, don't bother migrating to countries that support it

Serves her right, religious dingbat!! . Nigeria must learn to be open minded and all embracing. You all better believe that there are homosexuals and atheists in this country. and they've got as much as right as you are.

Coldie:
Southeasterners come and tell me what u contribute to Nigeria

But in the order thread, you claimed to be an igbo man. Now you're calling out your igbo people to. Are you mocking your igbo states?

This is gonna be fun

Britain Don finally win the US female Open for the first time in twenty years. UK no go let us hear word. If na world cup dey win nko?

It's very obvious that things have fallen apart. Nigeria is a failed state completely

mu2sa2:
God bless you. I have said it before that more revenue does not necessarily translate to better service delivery. Imagine, Wike is wasting hundreds of millions all over the place but is refusing to pay pension and gratuities to elderly people who served the state all their youthful years and are now helpless!
On VAT, many people are being misled into thinking only northern states will suffer if central collection by FIRS is stopped. But that's far from the truth. FG will immediately rake in over 50% of the present collection by taking all of collection on imports. At present there is only one percentage point difference between rivers(6%) and kano (5%) contribution to Vat collection. Kano, kaduna and fct contribution is more than that of SE states combined.
Wike is just dancing to the gallery.

You are liar. Kano is marginally ahead of Anambra and Enugu in internally generated revenue. Abia is not doing badly. The southeast is not afraid of the new VAT law. it's you northern folks running helter skelter because you know your feeding bottle is about to be taken away from you. Gombe state is already begging the south to be their "brother's keeper"

MajorOvakporaye:
I have always known that the backwardness of head slammers is follow-come

It has been proven beyond all reasonable doubts

Is that person is far worse than Okorocha when it comes to asslicking the Fulani. Even Okorocha would never have done what 'Uzodinjo' is currently doing

Ibkhaleel001:
LET US VOMIT OUT THE SOUTHERN HOOK, LINE AND SINKER


Northern Nigeria has more graduates and Professors than South Africa. The real problem is not as Southerners paint it and you echo it like empty halls. 


Practically, millions of Northerners are either unemployed, misemployed, or underemployed. Our problem is our chances are blocked and our resources dominated by Southerners who paint the wrong picture for fools to believe them.


75% of  government spending is connered by Southerners via the domination of salary earning, contracts, projects, bail outs and other interventions. Trade and industries are dominated by Southerners who have easy access to multi billion credit facilities courtesy their domination of state financial structure and instruments and institutions. 


Every ministry is dominated by them. All our markets are monopolized by them due to their control of capital that enable them to finance business and take more risk due to ease of acces to money. They conrol their markets by regular disruptuons of our businesses officially and by direct frequent violence unofficially. Their control of and easy access to liquidity enable them to be more enerprising business wise. They buy our goods cheap and sell theirs exorbitantly.


To preserve the exploitative status quo they spread false verson of the reality. They centralize oil as the main source of wealth so that our attention will be far away from other sources of wealth they dominate.

Oil is less than 10% of  Nigeria's GDP. They tell us we are the parasite and we are lazy and we are uneducated to instil a sense of guilt, self hate and inadequacy in us. We swallow all these falsehood uncritcally because we made our source of daily information their media and books. They over concentrate on our weaknesses and ignore almost completely their own weaknesses. An average Southerner having mild cold will almost by default blame it on Northerners and will not lack northerners who "speak the truth" to agree with him.


How can uneducated people have multitude of unemployed graduates? How can lazy people be producig the food of the nation? Why do millions of Southerners troop to the poor parasitic North and refuse leave? The south said so and it is?


What we need is a  political economic solution. We must take control of our local markets, our institutions and our businesses in their land must be given due attention and protection and any act of disruption by way of constant destruction must be paid back in due measure without listening to their victimship outcries. They fear separation more than us because their weak economic foundation, especially the west entirely dependent on controlling  government resources.


We must ask and take our fair share of every government employment at whatever cost. No people has ever prospered when their resources, oppurtunities and chances are blocked and dominated by others.  Our constant preachment of peace must stop: justice and and equity must be our new slagon. 


The real problem is believing in the propaganda of the enemies which saps our resourcefulness and infuse our senses with feelings of backwardness that really do not exist, or are caused by false perception. The greatest defeat one can suffer is to see oneself as projected by one's enemies. 


Almajiri is system suffocated by lack of finance. Poverty is a direct result of economic domination and exclusion. Degrees are not unavailable. Marrying four wives will not stop as it is never a problem but a great social system. Once we assert control on what is rightly ours, that self concious timidity will evaporate and be replaced by confidence and bold enterprise. Up to the Seventies we were the richest people in Africa. As the central government grows and  takes control of resources our wealth progressively dwindles. As the southerners intensify drums of hate and aggression we draw back to give peace, that is never forthcoming, a chance.


Try asking for propotionate representation in all government employment in all institutions and at all levels, they will cry out about mediocrity supplanting merit as if those half literates southerners dominating the place are Einstein incanates. Or they will blackmail you with Islamization.


Try treating their traders in our markets as they treat ours and they will cry xenophobia as if the regular denial of market space, heavy taxation, constant disruption of business and officially sanctioned harrassment of our traders in their land does not exist.


Try replacing Southern union leaders and foreign sponsored NGOs operating in the North with our own people and they will start wailing about marginalization.


Well, their era of dominance and false propaganda is coming to an end with the coming of age of young northerners who could no longer accept marginalization because of blackmail or threat. These new bold Northern youth have seen how southerners cowered when asked to leave the North two years ago. Their cries for secession are empty ruse. 


We will be better off without them and they will definitely be worse off without us. They know we lack nothing, while their millions selling substandard, fake good, drugs and inordinately high interest bank loans fleecing the north and feeding on cheap food and services will have nothing on returning back home. Their franchise firms and industries will lose over 100 million costumers overnight which is more than their home market demand. 


Soon we will ask for equity or call it quit. We know who we are and we know our strength.

. I painstakingly read all the bullshit you typed up there and I've come to conclusion that you are just another noisy northerner trying to overstate your importance. If you are really that confident that you all can do without the south, why are you guys afraid of the referendum. You keep typing trash about how you are accommodating southerners in the north, if you are that confident about it, let the north declare secession and watch the entire south jump in jubilation.
You are giving the illusion that the impression the south have about you guys is false whereas, it's the goddamn truth. Economic dominance lies with the south of Nigeria you northerners only seem to have political dominance no thanks to the military dictators that favour you guys and the infighting between Igbos and Yoruba. Any your political dominance is coming is to an end thanks to Democracy that came in 1999.
Once again, you feel the north is vibrant. I double-dare you to ask your elite to initiate moves for secession. Your Elite dare not try it. It's their worst nightmare. Even your Sultan, Sanusi has said should Nigeria divide, north will be the poorest region in the world.

fear north men's. Anything that will keep them from milking the south will be resisted at all cost. Now they can heave a sigh of relief knowing fully that they'll do the underground work in NASS.
Wike you made too much noise. But at least, you challenged the illegality

t

[quote author= post=105666211]“The fundamental thing about the Igbo people is that there is no town you will visit in Nigeria without seeing the Igbos being in charge of either infrastructure or pharmaceutical industry.
......... Our Darling Daddy.

SECONDED
Why don't you suggest to your president to push for a referendum to ascertain if truly what you claim about the igbos is grue


Gbamsolutely.
All we sane, honest and hardworking Igbos see Nigeria as our father's land.
There is no place like HOME.
True igbos love Nigeria to the moon and back [/quote]

InHeaven:
You can't be full of hate and expect to govern a multi ethnic country like Nigeria. NEVER

Third class citizen forever!

Whether you like it or not, they'll still produce the head of state. That is as certain as the light of day break.

I understand completely the injustice being suffered by both Lagos River state on this issue of VAT, but it's about time we look into the issue dispassionately without sentiments.
Let's face it, we know the north has no capacity to generate VAT whatsoever so too are so several states in the south. Except for some few exceptional state like Ogun, Oyo, Anambra, Delta and probably Enugu(Enugu still in doubt) other southern state lack the capacity to collect VAT due to near zero commercial activity happening within the localities.
It's true VAT lies with concurrent list. Any FIRS lacks the legality to compel companies to pay VAT to them. But let's give it a human face. The reason VAT is being taken and shared among the 36 states of the federation is to help those state with less commercial activity to improve on their infrastructure and keep agencies of government functional, Yes the sharing formula for the VAT was highly lopsided no thanks to stupid mentality of some people up north that believes they're more equal than others.
Wike is right to challenge the injustice but he should tread with caution. He must have an open mind and be willing to renegotiate the sharing formula in such a way that it brings some sense of balance and fairness. This I'm sure of every southern states will be willing to support. It's just my advice. It's open to further suggestions

I know you are trying to bring in the enthic tune. Nobody is saying Igbos aren't playing in IT sector. Their contribution to the industry is remarkable. Learn to be open minded

BluntCrazeMan:
You know that you're telling a very big lie.
Corporate Organizations My Foot.
[s] You're A Big Fool.. Sheey You Know That??[/s]

Guy you're embarrassing me seriously. You making it look like igbo people are silly and hateful. That guy you're quoting is right. More than 50% of IGR of Lagos comes from PAYE. Even LASG deducts salary from my payslip. Instead of you to fight the real enemies up north, you are facing yourself. How dumb can you guys be??

mfm04622:
Lagos-Ibadan railway was started and completed by this administration! Tell us what GEJ administration did on the Lagos-Ibadan railway oooo. Everything is GEJ started it!

To be honest it started with him. So was the Abuja-Kaduna railway. Even PMB acknowledged that

tnerro1:
We should remove it from government hands and privatize it before it dies. That was how Nigeria airways started making money, before you know it, all manner of useless people started lobbying to head the place because of money and in the end it died

I think with the increase in the adoption of technology. Government can efficiently manage this. Nigeria Airways collapsed because it was seen as a jamboree for politicians. I believe everyone has realized the error in turning government assets to Jamboree

Faiththatworks:
Hmmmm
I have made up my mind to stop seeing Miyetti Allah as a terriorist murderous organization.
I believe what Nigeria needs now is finding a solution to the problem and not trying to keep demonizing these set of Nigerians.
Yes,some members of Miyetti Allah are murderous killers,Yes some members of the organization have totally encroached people's land,Yes some members of Miyetti Allah have destroyed people livelihood but I believe we must stop living in denial about the reality facing these set of Fulani pastoralist who are Nigerians.
Climate change is really affecting the Fulani pastoralist,the pastures of the North alone can't sustain the Fulani man anymore ND for survival he has to keep moving further down south.
Please can we stop all these Fulani bashing and look for how to solve the problem thereby creating a win-win situation for all the parties involved.
I know my opinion will be very unpopular among many negative minded Nigerians,but like one part of the Lagos State Government bill on ranching proposed,all Fulani pastoralist should be registered and even profiled,and Government at both state and federal level should open negotiation with the Fulani pastoralist,I also humbly suggest Government should educate the Fulani man on the reason why it's no longer tenable to keep migrating with their cattle.
As the ijaw man and woman needs to stay close to the water to keep doing his fishing business,so also the Fulani pastoralist needs lush vegitation to sustain his cows.
Enough of the threats and blackmail,it's time for all to discuss and find a way out of this problem.
God bless Nigeria

I read your comment entirely. In a bid to act intelligent, you ended exposing your folly for all to see. You made allusions to climate change which is affecting the way fulani pastoralist are tending to their livestocks. I wanna ask a question, is climate change only affecting the pastoralist? Climate change is affecting the farmers, the fishermen and the world in its entirety. Everyone is fashioning out newer and more eco-friendly practices to be able to survive this climate change. All what people are saying is that Fulani must modernize the way they practice their pastoral farming because their crude method of moving cattle from point A to B is no longer tenable and it's causing a lot of conflicts with the local's farmland. But those idiots have vehemently refused and vowed to keep practicing the way their forefathers did despite having better options of ranching. This is why they have become public enemy number one to every enthic group in the southern Nigeria and have fuelled the divisions and secessionists inclinations.

You can be assured that legal dispute between FIRS and RSVG will be squashed by the supreme courtesy of the power play by the northerners, "What the north cannot achieve politically in Nigeria lopsided politics does not exist"

Yeah I like Amaechi, he's a whole better compared to that idiot in Portharcourt government house.
If I were not voting for Peter Obi, I'd choose Chibuike Amaechi. That guy seems to be having some grace going for him

Road that is taking forever to finish

Onyi22:
I am who God said I am

Olosho nairaland, that's God said you are

Useless Miliatary. Can't possibly win a war when faced with a standing army. Nonsense country

Modrov:
They have been hiked yes , but they are still kept below the production price per kWh.

Also not everyone pays the same price for power. People living in higher bands pay close to market price. People living in lower bands pay a much lesser rate.

At the end of the day it translates to losses , which in turn fuel the sharp practices and bad management in the sector.


Before you respond, consider this, would you let goverment set your prices if you were running a retail business.? To the point that you end up selling the goods you sell below the cost you bought them wholesale?

You are typing trash. The market price at the moment for electricity might not be that okay. But that was essence of privatization, to free up government monopoly and improve the services, you have not improved the services yet you are asking for increments in services that is poorly rendered.
These discos guys were clearly aware about the state of decay in the electricity industry before they went ahead to buy it, they were expected to pump in serious money to repair the badly damaged infrastructure but they start recouping their investments before they're just doing piecemeal repairs here and there hoping to reap bountiful, oga, it doesn't work that way.
In your previous comments, you made comparisms with the telecom markets, at least those guys in telecom market made sure they spent serious money in improving the infrastructure before charging cost reflective tariff, that's why nobody seems to complain about them because they are rendering to some extent a 'quality' services

perambulator:
Nigeria recorded the biggest economic growth simply because in the corresponding period last year the economy was in lockdown. Naturally an economy that has reopenned will be higher comparatively to an economy in lockdown.

Exactly!!. This is point that there's nothing significant on this administration has accomplished. Everything has gone completely worse

MAURI:
Thanks for this question, you can use all blockchain tech and fintech tech you like, but there still has to bean underlying value (in this case, the Nigerian Naira). Where the underlying fundamentals remain unstable, the level of volatility will still remain high.

Someone mentioned that this will act as a good hedge against USD, would you be kind to educate us on this?

So long the underlying remains Naira, which in unstable and volatile, I do not see why anyone would want to keep positions in this as against the USD or other stable currencies. Except the CBN intends to create electronic currency without backing, which will lead to higher inflation. Even if the CBN resorts to this, the E-Naira will be majorly used to buy foreign goods (since we are a highly net import country) flooding the market with the E-Naira which will result in drop in value.

You are really good analytical thinkers. Nairaland still has brilliant people that think. For sometime, I thought it was filled with Yoruba and Igbo tribal champions

They're usually neglected and taken care of. Thanks to Peak milk for sponsoring them and providing for their needs