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FG Moves To Stabilise Farm Input Prices – Agric Minister
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The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, says the Federal Government is making deliberate efforts to stabilise the prices of farm inputs to ease the burden on farmers across the country.
Kyari stated this on Wednesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, while flagging off the distribution of farm inputs and agro-equipment to farmers under the Federal Government/International Fund for Agricultural Development–Value Chain Development Programme (FG/IFAD-VCDP).
He said that the initiative aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision to alleviate hardship among Nigerians, particularly farmers.
“We have been able to stabilise food prices, but I know farmers are complaining about the high cost of inputs, and we are determined to address that as well.
“We are going to bring down the prices of inputs. It will be a deliberate effort, and I am sure state governments will also participate,” he said.
The minister noted that the VCDP initially targeted 135,000 farmers but had so far reached about 150,000 beneficiaries, adding that the programme still had some time before its expiration.
Kyari commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his efforts in positioning the state as a hub for agriculture.
“Nasarawa State ranks number one under the VCDP in terms of collaboration and counterpart funding commitments,” he said.
He congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to sustain the projects implemented under the programme.
In his remarks, Sule praised the VCDP for its contributions to agricultural development in the state.
He emphasised the need to focus on the entire agricultural value chain to enhance value addition and reduce post-harvest losses.
The governor assured that his administration would put strategies in place to sustain VCDP interventions beyond the programme’s lifespan.
“Nasarawa State remains an agrarian state, and I am not surprised that we are ranked number one under the VCDP.
“We will continue to encourage our small-scale farmers to become independent and productive. I congratulate our farmers for the progress we are witnessing,” he said.
Earlier, Dr Fatima Aliyu,the National Coordinator of the VCDP, said the programme had transformed smallholder farmers into employers of labour, impacting over 132,000 farmers and processors across nine states.
“VCDP’s main objective is to increase the food security and income of smallholder farmers, who are engaged in the rice and cassava value chains on a sustainable basis,” she said.
Aliyu described the VCDP as unique, noting that it addressed the entire value chain from production to consumption, while proving that smallholder farming could be economically viable and profitable.
She highlighted several achievements of VCDP in Nasarawa, saying that women farmers trained and assisted under the programme in the State had mobilised over N19 million to support their agricultural activities.
According to her, the programme was recognised by IFAD for its gender-friendly approach, winning the 2021 Gender Award for West and Central Africa.
Aliyu appealed to the government to upgrade the VCDP to an agency, citing its significant impact on rural livelihoods and inclusive economic growth.
She also commended Sule for his consistent support, describing him as a strong ally of the programme.
Earlier, Mr Umar Tanko-Tunga, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, said the VCDP had improved access to quality inputs, strengthened farmer organisations and enhanced market linkages in the state.
He added that the programme had contributed significantly to food security and economic empowerment in rural communities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that equipment distributed included tricycles, weighing scales, de-stoners, petrol and diesel engines, colour sorters, electric motors, steam parboilers and small-scale rice mills.
NAN also reports that Kyari and Sule commissioned two rice processing centres in Kwanka and Ashangwa communities of Lafia Local Government Area, constructed under the VCDP.
Some beneficiaries, including Mr Alfred Alogala, Chairman of Agi-Alo Rice Processing Centre, Kwanka, and Mr Joshua Jonathan, Chairman of Value Chain Innovation Rice Processing Centre, Ashangwa, thanked the VCDP for the interventions, which they said had improved their livelihoods.
(NAN)
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, on Thursday announced the extension of the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026.
The was contained in a statement by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi in Ado Ekiti
The statement read: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ekiti State Office, wishes to inform all registered voters in the State that the ongoing collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) has been extended from Friday, 12th June to Sunday, 14th June 2026
“The extension is intended to provide an additional opportunity for eligible voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, 20th June 2026.
“Collection of PVCs will continue at the designated Local Government Area Offices of the Commission during official hours. Voters are advised to collect their PVCs personally, as collection by proxy will not be permitted.
INEC urges all registered voters who have not collected their PVCs to take advantage of this extension, as the PVC remains the only means of identification for voting on Election Day.
“The Commission remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter is given the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.”
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he was calling off strikes on Iran and flagged the signing of a possible deal with Tehran after top-level talks.
“Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have… cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
“Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly,” he added.
Iran Warns Of ‘Endless Quagmire’
Iran had warned Washington on Thursday that it risked wading into an “endless quagmire” of war and soaring energy prices, after Trump vowed to launch a new round of airstrikes and to seize an island oil terminal.
Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the Americans, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, issued his stark warning after the two sides exchanged overnight fire and Trump threatened that US forces would hit “VERY HARD TONIGHT”.
“Wrong strategies and impulsive decisions will reset the entire board for the worse, explode energy infrastructure and markets and create an endless quagmire that you will be stuck in for years,” Ghalibaf said.
The war, which began on February 28 with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran, was paused under an April truce, but efforts to hammer out a permanent end to the fighting have since stalled.
US forces have also, since the ceasefire, hit radar arrays and disabled Iranian ships, and Tehran has maintained a chokehold on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
“At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela,” Trump said, in a post on his own social media platform, referring to a Gulf island that hosts Iran’s biggest oil export terminal.
General Ali Abdollahi, head of the Iranian military’s central headquarters, warned that “if the United States once again seeks to carry out attacks against heroic Iran, it would receive a harsher response than before, and the flames of war, in addition to creating insecurity in the region, will become more widespread and far-reaching”.
The conflict has destabilised oil and gas prices, fuelling inflation and fears of recession in many economies.
On Thursday, the World Bank lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the coronavirus pandemic, predicting it would drop to 2.5 percent in 2026, from 2.9 percent last year.
Channels
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP, who’s vying for the Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives, has sent his congratulations to Rt. Hon. Frederick Agbedi. Agbedi’s new role as Minority Leader was announced today during plenary by Speaker Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
Dr. Akpodiete said Agbedi’s emergence shows the trust and confidence his colleagues have in him. He described the new Minority Leader as dependable, strong-willed, and a politician of principle who acts on conviction rather than convenience.
Rt. Hon. Agbedi represents Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency in Bayelsa State. Before this appointment, he led the PDP Caucus in the House and also served as Bayelsa PDP chairman. He remains a committed PDP member and believes the party has a vital role as a strong opposition.
Akpodiete said he’s confident Agbedi will use his experience, competence and character to serve the House, the legislature, and Nigerians well.
Signed:
Hon. Dr. Olotu Akpodiete JP
House of Representatives Candidate Hopeful
Ughelli North, South and Udu Federal Constituency
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