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NASS Solicits Increased Budgetary Allocation For Agriculture Sector

Published

3 months ago

January 16, 2025

By Gloria Ikibah

The National Assembly Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services has said there is the need for a gradual increase in budgetary allocation to the agriculture sector to ensure food security in the country.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha made the call during the 2025 budget defense by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to him, Nigeria must fund the agricultural sector by allocating more resources to address food insecurity.

However he stated that the 2025 allocation to the sector was appreciable and a sign that things will get better in no distant future.

He said, “The allocation of about 4.2% of the total budget to the agricultural sector in 2024 was a positive development, at keeping with the commitment Nigeria made in the Maputo Declaration to commit at least 10%.

“This is a significant improvement for Nigeria’s economy and the future of its agricultural sector.The effort is commendable and the President is called upon to do more.

“In the year 2024, the sector, despite the climate change and insecurity in the nation, contributed significantly to the Nigerian’s economy.This is emphasized from the report by the National Bureau of Statistics, which reported an initial growth of 0.18% in the year 2024.

“I assure you of our readiness and commitment to work assiduously and pass the 2025 budget that will reposition the agricultural sector in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“I must commend the effort of Mr. President, President Bola Ametinu, and the executive on the attempt of repositioning the agricultural sector, and the concerted effort to return it as the mainstay of the Nigeria’s economy”.

In a brief remark, the Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Rep. Bello Kaoje who agreed with his Senate counterpart said the Agricultural sector is key to all sectors of the economy hence it cannot be ignored.

Kaoje stated that the sector needs all the attention it deserves to help the country address it’s food security challenges which he said will spur development.

On the other hand, a member of the Committee, Senator Adamu Aleiro bemoan that, Nigeria was yet to meet the allocation of 10 percent of the National Budget to agriculture in order to meet the threshold of the Malabo declaration.

He stated that, after listening to the Minister’s presentation, he was surprised there’s is a huge reduction in the allocation to the agriculture ministry which he said holds the key for food security in this country.

He said, “Your co-mandate is to ensure massive production of food for the country. And you know very well that in the next eight to ten years, Nigeria is going to be the third largest country in the world in terms of population. Only after China, India, the next country will be Nigeria.

“With this allocation coming to the agricultural sector, how do we cater for the huge population that is going to come up with this kind of allocation coming to the agricultural sector?

“Mr. Chairman, distinguished colleagues, I think there is need for both the House of Representatives and the Senate to make a very strong recommendation.

“The House of Representatives has made a very strong recommendation to the Appropriations Committee for an upward review of this allocation. The reduction of 2 percent, honestly, is alarming. I would expect an increase from 4 percent to 6 or 8 percent in line with the declaration we made at Maputo or Malabo or wherever.

“Mr. Chairman, I think we are making a great recommendation. if we are to cater for the coming population we really have to do a lot and this is rather compounded by the fact that this year we have terrible flood that affected production of food particularly farmers that are engaged in agricultural activities within the river plains whether it’s river niger river anywhere or whatever.

“This has affected food production in this country and i’m one of those who don’t believe in importation of food even though some have recommended to the federal government that we should import food no instead we should engage our farmers in massive production of food both in the dry season and the rainy season.

“We are lucky we have underground water and that’s why i cannot understand reduction in this allocation to agricultural sector. Mr chairman distinguished colleagues agriculture in nigeria is still at subsistence level mechanization is required need to improve yield by hectare. Presently the yield by hectare is between two to four percent.

“We need to increase it to about six to eight percent it’s obtained in other climate like india china Indonesia and what have you. Even in Pakistan. So there is need for us to concentrate heavily on providing irrigation facilities to our farmers and this can only happen if there is increased allocation to the agriculture sector.

“I will be the task for both the executive and also the legislative arm of government. We on our part are ready to team up with the ministry to ensure that food is made available to every Nigerian”.

Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari while presenting the proposed 2025 budget estimates said the sector needs urgent intervention to contribute its quota to the development of the nation.

He said, “I would like to spell out that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is mandated to ensure food security, employment generation and wealth creation through commodity value chain, agribusiness and rural development activities in the country.

“The 2022 to 2027 National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy, NATI, is the guiding tool to drive the process of innovative research system, holistic mechanization drive, rural infrastructure provision and commodity value chain development for economic diversification, livelihood opportunities and income earnings in the country.

“In line with the presidential priority, the Ministry is acting along the 24 outlined deliverables for youth and women empowerment, food security, economic growth, job creation and poverty eradication.

“The policy direction is to provide enabling environment for public-private partnership for agribusiness undertakings in the country. It is also classified as immediate, short, medium and long terms.The details of these plans are highlighted in the Ministry’s submission before the Committee”.

Giving a highlight of the Ministry’s 2024 budget performance and the 2025 proposed Budget, he said, “The Main Ministry had a total appropriation of 250,396,8721.9.The focus of the amount was a total appropriation of 250,396,821.9.Naira.

“This comprises of 10,626,015,992 Naira for personnel cost, representing 4.2% of the budget. 1,034,642,376 Naira for overhead cost, representing 0.41% of the budget. And 238,485,350,353 Naira for capital projects and programs, representing 95.24% of the ministry’s budget.

“The analysis of the 2024 capital budget appropriation for the main ministry is as follows.The main ministry’s 2024 budget performance is as follows. The 10,626,015,992,000 Naira appropriated for personal cost. Also, the sum of 1,034,642,376 Naira appropriated for over-cost.

“Also, the total sum was released and utilized. In the capital cost appropriation of 238,485,350,353 Naira, the sum of 32,952,649,987 Naira has been released to the Ministry, and this amount represents 13.82% of the capital appropriation for the main Ministry.

“The released capital fund has been fully committed on various projects and programs of the Ministry, in line with the 2024 appropriations.The multilateral loans consist of six number projects, amounting to the sum of 29,504,742,593 Naira. Usually, the total amount will be deducted at source for the purpose for which it was Internally generated revenue.

“The Ministry projected in 2024 achieved by the Ministry. The tax reform, through the Ministry, steamrolled the investment and acquired new, different programs. An overall representing 111.8% of the amount of the amount of the investment that was made in the last years”.

Related Topics:chairman Naira Nigeria Nigerian Senate

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IGP Egbetokun orders his men to resume issuance of tinted glass permits

Published

53 minutes ago

April 30, 2025

ADMIN

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force has directed his men to resume the issuance of tinted glass permits across the country.

This development was announced in a statement released on Wednesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

According to the Force spokesperson, the move comes in response to rising concerns and complaints from the public over the harassment of vehicle owners by law enforcement agents for using factory-fitted tinted windows.

“The Nigeria Police Force, under the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM, has reactivated the issuance of Tinted Glass Permits (TGP) nationwide through a secure and user-friendly digital platform.

“This initiative comes in response to widespread public complaints about the harassment of motorists over the use of tinted windows and reflects the need for a clear, transparent, and accountable process for regularising factory-fitted tinted glass on vehicles”, the statement partly read.

Highlighting the prevalence of modern vehicles designed with tinted windows for comfort and aesthetics, the police emphasised the importance of having a formal system to regulate usage.

“With modern automobiles increasingly manufactured with tinted windows, it has become essential to provide a standardised system that accommodates legitimate use while ensuring public safety.

“Tinted vehicles have often been exploited for criminal purposes, including kidnapping, armed robbery, ‘one-chance’ scams, and other forms of banditry”, Adejobi explained.

According to the statement, the abuse of tinted windows by criminals creates operational challenges for law enforcement and compromises national security.

In addition, he explained that law enforcement will begin active implementation after the grace period, and the police warn that officers who misuse the enforcement process will be sanctioned.

“Enforcement will commence at the end of this period. Officers found engaging in unprofessional conduct, such as extortion or harassment, in the course of enforcement will be decisively dealt with in accordance with extant disciplinary procedures”, he said.

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Spokesperson Warns Nigerians Against Fake Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Recruitment Scam

Published

2 hours ago

April 30, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

By Gloria Ikibah

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised alarm over a fake recruitment scam circulatingonline, falsely claiming to be from the ministry and offering jobs in Nigeria’s diplomatic missions abroad.

Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the public should disregard any such messages, stressing that the ministry does not recruit directly.

“We want to put on record that the ministry don’t recruit officers directly, not at all,” Ebienfa said. “Recruitment of foreign service officers is done by the Federal Civil Service Commission and not by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

According to him, the scam started with online advertisements falsely signed by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, and in the last 24 hours, scammers have moved further by sending fake employment letters to unsuspecting Nigerians.

“One of the fake messages reads: ‘We are pleased to inform you that your application has been considered for diplomatic services at the Embassy of Nigeria in Juba, South Sudan to take effect 12 May 2025.

“It even directs candidates to pay N165,800 for a diplomatic passport”, he said.

Ebienfa described the offer as entirely fake. “This did not emanate from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,.

“There is no way you will be recruited into the Nigerian Diplomatic Service and without going through the process of training, which is the Foreign Service Academy”, he said

He clarified that all recruits into the Foreign Service go through a clear and formal process: recruitment by the Federal Civil Service Commission, training at the Foreign Service Academy, then eventual deployment abroad.

“The first deployment is one year of attachment. Subsequent postings last three years,” he said.

He therefore warned that no Nigerian should believe any job offer claiming to be directly from the ministry, or pay for a diplomatic passport.

“Diplomatic passports are free. “Even official passports for civil servants are free. So nobody should fall victim”, he said.

Ebienfa noted that the scammers are using the names of top officials of the ministry, including his own. “They are sending out emails with my name as the signatory,” he said.

In response to questions from journalists about efforts to stop the scammers, Ebienfa said the ministry would involve security agencies. “What the ministry intends to do is to write officially to the relevant security agencies to track the persons behind this website and the emails,” he said. “If someone is paying money, definitely there will be an account that will be provided for the payment.”

He warned that if the scam continues unchecked, it could damage Nigeria’s image abroad. “Tomorrow you will see unsuspecting Nigerians arriving in different countries with fake documents. When real officers show up, there could be confusion.”

He promised that more disclaimers would be issued via the ministry’s social media platforms, and that action would be taken to protect both Nigerians and the integrity of the foreign service.

“This is not just about fake news. It is about protecting Nigerians from losing their hard-earned money and protecting the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, the spokesperson stated.

News

CBN announces revised documentation requirements for PAPSS transactions

Published

4 hours ago

April 30, 2025

ADMIN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced a revised documentation requirement for transactions conducted through the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) in Nigeria.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the apex bank’s acting Director, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Hakama Sidi Ali

The CBN said the new initiative is part of its ongoing commitment to foster seamless intra-African trade, financial inclusion, and operational efficiency for Nigerians engaging in cross-border payments within Africa.

Launched by Afreximbank in partnership with the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) secretariat in January 2022, PAPSS serves as a centralized payment and settlement platform that enables instant, secure, and efficient cross-border transactions throughout Africa.

By facilitating payments in local currencies, PAPSS minimizes reliance on third-party currencies, reduces transaction costs, and supports the rapid expansion of trade under the AfCFTA.

In a recent circular referenced TED/FEM/PUB/FPC/001/006 issued on April 28, 2025, CBN outlined the key changes to the documentation requirements associated with PAPSS transactions.

The key changes it added take effect immediately and include simplified documentation for low-value transactions, which allows customers to now use basic KYC and AML documents provided to their authorized dealer banks for low-value transactions of up to $2,000 and $5,000 equivalent in naira for individuals and corporate bodies, respectively.

“For transactions above the thresholds, all documentation as stipulated in the CBN foreign exchange manual and related circulars remains mandatory,” the bank said.

Also, the CBN added that applicants are responsible for ensuring all regulatory documents are available to facilitate the clearance of goods, as required by relevant government agencies.

“Authorized dealer banks may now source foreign exchange for PAPSS settlements through the Nigerian foreign exchange market, without recourse to the CBN.

“All export proceeds repatriated via PAPSS shall be certified by the relevant processing banks.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria urges all banks to adopt PAPSS and commence originating transactions in line with this new policy.

“In addition, CBN encourages exporters, importers, and individuals to familiarize themselves with the new requirements and leverage PAPSS for cross-border transactions within Africa,” the statement said.