By Uchenna Ugwu

The Ebonyi Government says it has paid its N150 million counterpart fund for the establishment of the World Bank-funded Automated Integration Ranch System in the state.

Mr Victor Nwite, the Project Coordinator, Livestock Productivity and Resilience Project (L-PRES), a World Bank Assisted project, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki on Saturday.

Nwite said that the state had also provided the enabling environment to ensure that the project was successfully executed.

He said that the project would be situated at Ezzamgbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

He also said that the initiative was meant to transform the livestock sector by enhancing value addition and quality service.

He said the move would ensure the sustainable diversification of the state economy through livestock protection.

According to him, the development is part of L-PRES’s goal to improve livestock productivity, build resilience within the sector and promote commercialisation of key value chain.

“The facility is expected to have structures of hospital for animals, veterinary laboratory and cold chain facility, cottage pasture, alongside a smart skills training centre.

“The plan involves establishing infrastructures to take care of pigs, cattle, sheep, goats and processing.

“Everything will be automated and this vision is in collaboration with the World Bank.

“This project gears towards educating farmers on how best to rear their animals in a proper way, using climate smart activity and interventions.

“We are ready to really turn around the livestock industry in the state, led by L-PRES, with support from the governor,” Nwite said.

He further said that the agency had budgeted to support live bird markets in the state and funded a processing unit at the poultry farm to supply day-old chicks to various regions.

He said that about 14,000 livestock farmers were profiled and trained on good animal husbandry practices, to control outbreaks, artificial insemination to improve productivity, among other benefits.

Nwite said that the project had trained veterinary staff, para vets and extension agents for the programme.

He disclosed that the state government had purchased 15 motor bikes for extension agents to attend to farmers in the LGAs of the state.

He said that the project would provide structures that would assist community of farmers with clusters with cold store, solar-powered borehole, among other benefits.

Nwite said the project was expected to introduce an automated standard abattoir, pig market, processing unit and renovation of five slaughter slabs in the state.

He commended the governor for his commitment and collaboration to make significant positive impact with the initiative.

“In other areas of assistance to farmers, L-PRES carried out free Anthrax vaccination across the state to avoid zoonotic diseases among animals,” he said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Florence Onuegbu/Sam Oditah

By David Adeoye

Oyo State Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Olasunkanmi Olaleye, says agribusiness has attracted $170 million investment into the state.

Olaleye said this on Thursday during the maiden edition of inter-ministerial news briefing on government activities in the last two years, held at the conference room of the Governor’s Office Agodi Ibadan.

He said the establishment of Fashola Agribusiness Hub, Oyo, reflects government’s commitment to leveraging agriculture as a key driver of economic growth and development.

The commissioner also stated that more than 8,000 smallholder farmers have been integrated because of the size of the agro business companies at the hub.

He added that the $170 million investment would also create jobs for many people.

Highlighting the achievements of his ministry in the last two years, the commissioner said that not less than 10,210 farmers have been supported with seedlings and other inputs.

According to him, 3,541 maize farmers and 920 soybean farmers benefited from the seedling distribution programme.

He stated that high yield cassava stems were distributed to 1,269 farmers, “covering 47,587.5 acres with potential to produce 214,143.75 tonnes of cassava tubers.”

Olaleye further said that knapsack sprayers were distributed to 1,980 farmers, and herbicides and pesticides to 2,500 farmers.

The commissioner stated that government equally supported 8,464 livestock and aquaculture farmers with quality feed and other necessary input.

“We distributed quality inputs to diverse livestock farmers: 1,150 fish farmers received three bags each of 15kg quality fish feed.

“2,536 cattle, sheep, and goat farmers received nutritional supplements including 253,600kg of wheat offal, brewery dried grains, salt licks, and disinfectants.

“3,740 poultry farmers received eight bags of 50kg maize grains each; and 1,028 pig farmers received palm kernel cake and disinfectants,” he said.

On farmers’ accessibility to loans, Olaleye said government had provided micro loans to 3,501 smallholder farmers with soft loans ranging from N50,000 to N800,000 per beneficiary.

He said the loans would enable farmers to expand their operations and improve their livelihoods.

Olaleye also said that government’s rural infrastructure development programme in the last two years had continued to transform agricultural communities.

He said this had been realised through strategic road construction projects totalling 87.53 kilometres across multiple local governments.

The commissioner said these achievements and many others represented a comprehensive approach to agricultural development that addresses every aspect of the value chain.

He said that all the agricultural programmes had directly impacted tens of thousands of farmers in the state while building the infrastructure and institutional capacity needed for sustainable agricultural growth in Oyo State. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bayo Sekoni

By Felicia Imohimi

The Federal Government, in collaboration with the Commodities Development Initiative (CDI) and other stakeholders, has validated the National Soybean Expansion Strategy aimed at increasing Nigeria’s soybean production by an additional 460,000 metric tonnes.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made this known at a national workshop on the Validation of the National Soybean Expansion Strategy on Wednesday in Abuja.

Kyari, who was represented by Mr Ibrahim Alkali, Senior Technical Adviser, said the ministry is prioritising value chain development that is private sector-driven, food-secure, and export-oriented.

He assured participants of the ministry’s commitment to providing the necessary policy and institutional support to drive the strategy forward and lauded the inclusive, action-oriented approach taken in its formulation.

“We must treat soybean as a strategic commodity. It is vital for nutrition, livestock feed, and foreign exchange.

“I am pleased with the direction this strategy is taking. Let us ensure that implementation is led by the private sector, but with strong government backing,” he said.

The minister also directed relevant departments within the ministry to integrate the strategy into national planning frameworks and align its goals with broader agro-industrial policies.

Mr Roland Oroh, Managing Director of CDI emphasised the collaborative and multi-stakeholder nature of the strategy.

He said the objective of the validation was to scale up Nigeria’s soybean production by an additional 460,000 metric tonnes.

This, he noted, could be achieved through a coordinated approach focused on enhancing productivity, expanding cultivated areas, improving processing capacity, and opening up both domestic and export markets.

According to him, the soybean expansion strategy is a practical roadmap developed with contributions from farmers, processors, exporters, investors, and government actors.

“The next phase is implementation, and that begins now with commitment from all parties involved,” Oroh said.

He noted that the workshop brought together key public and private stakeholders in the soybean value chain.

Oroh explained that the partnership would mobilise investments, strengthen farmer linkages, support agro-industrial processing, and position Nigeria as a competitive source of non-GMO soybeans.

A major highlight of the workshop was the signing of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework under the Nigeria Soybean Partnership, led by a coalition of stakeholders.

The stakeholders were tasked with implementing the strategy and coordinating interventions across the entire soybean value chain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in partnership with the National Soybean Association of Nigeria, Oil Seed Processors Association of Nigeria, and CDI.

Other collaborators included the Dawanu Market Development Association. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Gregg Mmaduakolam/Tosin Kolade

By Peter Uwumarogie

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State have inaugurated an ultra-modern seed processing factory established by Premier Seeds Nigeria Ltd.

The facility, located in the Gombe Industrial Park, was developed with support from the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through its climate and agriculture programme, Propcom+.

Yahaya said the plant is crucial to Gombe’s largely agrarian economy, noting that more than 80 per cent of the state’s residents depend on farming for their livelihood.

“The factory will give our farmers access to high-quality, climate-smart seeds, boosting productivity and food security across the North-East and indeed Nigeria,” he said.

Obasanjo, founder of Premier Seeds, stressed the central role of quality seed in agricultural output.

He commended the state government for creating an enabling environment through the industrial park, saying the initiative would spur investment and tackle unemployment.

Director-General of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Mr Fatuhu Buhari, said the plant would unlock the North-East’s potential as an agro-industrial hub and aligns with Pillar 3 of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and job creation.

Propcom+ Country Representative, Dr Adiya Ode, said the UK Government-funded programme’s investment in the seed processing facility would help close the gap in the availability and affordability of certified seeds across North-East Nigeria.

Ode explained that the plant was designed to strengthen the supply chain for improved, certified, climate-resilient seed varieties.

She said the facility would enable smallholder farmers to access high-yielding, drought- and flood-tolerant, disease-resistant, and bio-fortified seeds at significantly reduced costs.

According to her, the intervention will also address critical logistical challenges that hinder farmers’ access to quality seeds in the region.

Premier Seeds’ Managing Director, Dr Ibitoye Oyewale, described the facility as a milestone that raises the company’s processing capacity from 20 metric tonnes per hour to 35 metric tonnes, thereby improving farmers’ productivity and profitability. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Tosin Kolade

By Akeem Abas 

An Agripreneur, Mrs Blessing Nanman, has advised Nigerians to embrace creativity and innovation in order to revive the nation’s economy.

Nanman, the CEO of Lingzhi Global, said this during the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) 2025 In-House Research Review, held in Ibadan, stressing the importance of individual contributions.

The event had the theme “Advances in Varietal Development of Cocoa, Cashew, Coffee, Kola and Tea for Sustainable Economic Growth, Highlighting CRIN’s Commitment to Enhancing Crop Varieties and Agro-economic Development.”

The agripreneur recounted how she started her coffee business with just N35,000, which has grown into a global venture worth over ₦4 billion, exporting to 49 countries including 14 in Africa.

Nanman said that in coffee-producing countries, coffee was more than a beverage, it is a lifestyle that drives value creation, job opportunities and national pride.

She called on Nigerians to adopt a mindset of establishing value-added businesses such as coffee shops and chocolate companies that support local farmers as well as the economy.

According to her, rebuilding Nigeria’s economy is not the government’s duty alone; citizens must act by creating value from local products like coffee, tea, chocolate, and cashew.

Nanman said that in spite of the naira’s decline, it could be restored through innovation, unity, and personal responsibility.

She urged Nigerians to “pick up the pieces” and rebuild the country from wherever they are today. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bayo Sekoni