Features
Reviving Cotton Production In Nigeria
President Goodluck Jonathan recently directed the distribution of free improved cotton seeds to farmers in Nigeria as part of the government’s strategy to boost cotton cultivation for economic value.
Jonathan said the gesture was in line with his administration’s commitment to revamp the agricultural sector, expand the economy and make agriculture a business.
Many agriculturalists have applauded the presidential initiative, noting that the use of improved seeds in cotton cultivation will ensure higher yields.
They noted that the provision of improved seeds could also help to reduce pest infestation and withstand the vagaries of weather.
For them, the initiative would also go a long way in fast tracking the revival of the famous cotton ginnery in the northern part of the country.
This underscores the decision of the Federal Government to partner with the West African Cotton Company (WACOT) on how best to resuscitate cotton production in the country by providing improved seeds to farmers.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, while speaking at the MoU signing, recalled that the country’s turnover of cotton in 1980s was in excess of 8.9 billion dollars.
Adesina said the amount represented more than 25 per cent of the nation’s manufacturing contribution to the GDP, noting that the current turnover dwindled to mere 300 million dollars.
The minister regretted that employment generation from the textile industry fell from 700,000 in 1980s when the industry was flourished with more than 175 mills in operation to only 25,000 persons currently.
“Employment generation in northern Nigeria underwent a precipitous fall due in part to the collapse of the cotton and textile industry; it has also led to the attendant social unrest, economic strain and increasing rate of poverty,” he said.
Adesina said the industries’ contribution to the value addition had dropped significantly from 25 per cent in 1980 to five per cent currently.
He said out of 51 ginneries in operation in the 80s, only 10 were currently functional at low capacity.
He also maintained that the partnership with WACOT was necessitated by the urgent need to restore the past glory of the cotton industry in Nigeria.
The minister said under the agreement, the overall plan was to raise productivity from 150 kilogramme to 450 kilogramme of lint by 2015 and double production from 120,000 tonnes of seed cotton to 760,000 tonnes in 2015.
“A major component of the plan is to multiply and distribute quality seed and raise quality of local lint through the use of appropriate packaging and cotton grading,’’ he posited.
Adesina noted that under the agreement, WACOT proposed a four-year seed multiplication plan to cover Adamawa, Borno, Jigawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Kano and Gombe states.
He said the government was making efforts to make available more hectares of land for cotton cultivation and that 105,307 cotton farmers across the 11 targeted states would benefit from the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme, covering seeds and fertiliser.
He expressed optimism that the successful implementation of the MoU would benefit the entire economy in the areas of employment generation and tax accruals to the three tiers of government.
To further make the textile industry viable, the government, he said, had taken measures toward eliminating illegal textile importers.
The Chief Executive officer of WACOT, Mr Tembe Ravi, applauded the initiative, noting that the initiative came at a time when cotton production in the country had declined from 300,000 tonnes to 65,000 tonnes in the 2010/2011 season.
Ravi stressed the need to make cotton business more attractive to farmers under the Agricultural Transformation Action Plan.
According to him, the focus of WACOT is to enhance yield per hectare, ensure remunerative price for farmers and improve the quality of the produce as well as processing and packaging.
In his comments at the inauguration of improved cotton seed distribution to farmers in Tsafe, Zamfara, Alhaji Lawal Yahaya, an official of WACOT said the company was expected to make available more than 3,200 tonnes of improved cotton seeds, 3,690 litres of chemicals and fertiliser for distribution to farmers at subsidised rates.
He said the beneficiaries were expected to repay 50 per cent of the loans with cotton produce at harvest time, while the Federal Government would pay 50 per cent of the cost of the inputs as subsidy contribution.
Yahaya assured that the partnership between the government and WACOT on the cotton seed multiplication programme would last for four years.
According to him, an estimated 15,650 hectares of land will be cultivated with cotton in Borno, Jigawa, Zamfara, Katsina and Gombe States to be purchased and marketed by WACOT.
The WACOT official added that the distribution of the high yielding cotton seed, launched in Tsafe, would be supervised by the Nigeria Agricultural Seeds Council to ensure transparency in the agreement package.
According to him, farmers in Zamfara are expected to cultivate more than 3,000 hectares of cotton, while their counterpart in Katsina, rated as the highest cotton producing State in country, will cultivate up 10,000 hectares during the 2012 agricultural season.
“With the improved seeds and the helping hand offered to farmers, cotton production is expected to multiply, while more marketing strategies are being understudied to ensure that the farmers get value for their investment,’’ he says.
He added that: “Statistics shows that no fewer than 675,000 persons have lost their jobs so far due to the decline in cotton production and neglect of the textile industry.
“It also indicates that employment generation from the industry also witnesses drastic fall from 700,000 persons to 25,000 persons today.
“Besides, the turn-over from cotton, production has fallen from an excess of 8.95 billion dollars in the 80s to an estimated 300 billion dollars,” he said.
He says to encourage cotton production, the Bank of Industry (BoI) has earmarked more than N70 billion for disbursement as loans to cotton farmers.
“Efforts have been made to provide more extension materials, training of farmers and strengthening of cotton related associations such as farmers groups, ginners, merchants, spinners and garment producers.
“These efforts will make Nigeria self-sufficient in cotton in terms of satisfying the demand of local industries as well as exporting surplus,’’ he said.
Stakeholders say the initiative appears to have started yielding positive results as many of the cotton producing States intensify efforts at rejuvenating various cotton farms.
Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State acknowledges the strides so far achieved in reviving cotton production in the state.
He says the State government will continue to lend its support to the cotton transformation initiative, adding that cotton is grown in 23 local government areas in the state.
“Katsina State government will work in tandem with the Federal Government initiative as the cotton value chain plan will go a long way in reviving cotton production in the country,’’ he says.
Also, to complement the Federal Government’s efforts, the Bauchi State Government says it is resuscitating all the cotton ginneries in the State.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Dauda Abdullahi, says the State government has set up a cotton revival committee to mobilise the citizens to engage in massive cotton production.
“In 1951, a cotton ginnery was established at Misau under the British Cotton Growing Association but was not sustained due to poor production of the commodity by farmers in the state.
“The Misau Ginnery processed cotton produced in the former Bauchi province and other ginneries in the former Northern Nigeria and was a huge source of foreign exchange for the province and the region in general,” Abdullahi notes.
He says the new ginnery will be operated under the public-private partnership agreement with reputable experts in the marketing and processing of cotton to make it viable and of international standard.
He says the State will also collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to address the production, processing and marketing of the product from the ginnery.
The permanent secretary says 510 farmers will be engaged during the 2012 cropping season to cultivate cotton while agriculture extension workers and farmers are to be trained on modern cotton farming techniques.
Reports gathered from Sokoto State say that the government is set to revive cotton production in the state to stimulate economic growth.
According to the reports, the government is also extending a number of incentives to investment in the agriculture and agro-processing industries.
With all these, cotton farmers believe that with adequate and improved cotton seeds available to them at subsidised rates, cotton production will increase to boost the nation’s economy.
Cotton is grown in Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano and Jigawa.
Adamu, writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Sani Adamu
From the fore going, the fight against drug trafficking should be treated as an international challenge with open collaboration, if the world leadership must win the fight!.
The circumstances or should I say the improvement on drug related activities are modifying and updating on daily basis. A close friend of mine in the United States of America who recently visited Jamaica, came with a lot of complicated information about drug trafficking and transaction. Being a qualified Nurse in US and on a visit to the Reggae Country (Jamaica), she said she was put aback when a man approached her and introduced himself as a Pharmacist. According to her, she immediately picked interest due to her professional background. To her, a business partner is birthed. But she was shocked to the narrows on learning that drug dealers or traffickers and subriquited Pharmacist in that Country. From her account, they ( The Jamaican Pharmacists), are the first set to people to meet and greet you at the Airport. No government or authority challenges them in the open due to the sophisticated nature of their transportation
Come to think of it, who would want to attack a Pharmacist on duty? Nigerians are not left out in the improvement on drug deal. A chat with a confident in the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ( NDLEA) Rivers State Command, so revealed. The Officer draw my attention to the movement of Dispatch Riders. He said part of the reasons they ride with almost speed equivalent of the thunder lightning, is to meet up with the appointment of delivering hard drug consignment to a client of theirs. According to him, those guys popularly referred to as Yahoo Boys are the ones who now payroll dispatch riders so that they can deliver their consignment ( hard drugs) on schedule no matter the sort of traffic or weather condition. The fear of loosing rich clients and that of the unknown treatment that may come of the Boys, as the officer puts it, drives the Riders crazy thus the reason to speed even at the expense of their lives.
The account of a prominent Party Promoter, Wayne Anthony, as obtained online recently, also pointed out that ‘No Legislation Will Stop Clubbers From Doing Drugs’ Party promoter, Wayne Anthony, arrived in Ibiza, a Spanish Island in 1988, at the same time as dance music and the party drug ecstasy. Despite hallucinating badly enough to make him give up the lifestyle forever, he says laws will never stop clubbers taking drugs. “I don’t think you can control these things,” said former party promoter Wayne Anthony. He arrived in Ibiza in 1988 and began setting up club nights and raves in some of the island’s most iconic venues. In the years that followed, the sleepy Spanish island turned into a raver’s haven of clubbing and hedonism, with party drugs like ecstasy commonly found. “What Ibiza represented was this beautiful, hot island which was visually stunning and we knew you could party there quite legally,” said Wayne. “You didn’t have to look over your shoulder. You could just be as free as you possibly could be.”
That freedom came with a price. Along with the lavish clubs, all-day-benders and hot Spanish sun came drug cartels and crime. The city transformed into one the world’s most vibrant party capitals, “fuelled by a dangerous and lucrative drugs trade which drew as many criminals to its shores as it did party animals”. Wayne, one of the contributors to the documentary, spoke to Sky News ahead of its release.”I’m not going to sit here and say the cartels aren’t there. They are all there and they’ve been there from the ’90s,” said Wayne. But he said most people tried to ignore the organised crime going on around them. According to Wayne, clubbers usually took the approach of: “‘Give me 10 E’s . Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Behind the scenes of the filming of Ibiza Narcos with Wayne Anthony. Hallucinating giant spiders Although he described the Balearic island as the “motherland”, it was eventually a bad experience with drugs that convinced Wayne it was time to leave Ibiza.
He’d been partying for days when he realised he’d taken too many drugs. A friend told him to drink cough medicine, dangerous advice that he now says could have killed him. “I saw the worst hallucination I’ve ever seen in all of my life. I ended up locking myself in the villa with all the shutters down. When he sobered up, he realised he had “come to the end” of his party life on the island. “I never looked back. I never took another drug. I got away from the club world.” ‘I don’t think you’re going to be able to stop it’ Despite his life-changing experience, he doesn’t think criminalising drugs is a good idea – or particularly effective. “If you’re old enough to vote for who’s going to be a world leader, if you’re old enough to put your name down on debt for 25 years, I feel like you should be old enough to govern what you put inside your own body, you know?” said Wayne.
Back to Nigeria, some illicit drugs worth over N30billion seized at Onne Port in Rivers State.
This blood chilling development forced the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency at the Onne Port, following what authorities described as repeated incidents of importation of dangerous cargo, including arms and ammunition through the said port. To this effect, the government said it was immediately implementing emergency protocols at Onne Port for the next three months by conducting thorough examinations of all suspected containers in the premises.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, in charge of the port via a press conference, said it henceforth, unveiled the seizures of illicit goods by the Nigeria Customs Service, Area 2 Command, Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State. In defence for his action, Adeniyi said the recurring incidents posed a threat to national security, adding that the health of citizens at the Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo, describing it as a disturbing trend.
The customs boss stated, “Earlier today, I joined numerous stakeholders to take a significant step towards the cause of trade facilitation through the inauguration of upgraded facilities provided by the West Africa Container Terminal, Onne. “As I express delight that trade facilitation is getting traction in Onne Port, I cannot help but call your attention to a grave concern. This has to do with the repeated incidents of national security breaches unfolding in Onne Port. I appreciate your presence, as we all have a shared responsibility in safeguarding our national security. As we are all aware, the policy thrust of Mr President supports the re-energising of our business environment to drive faster import clearance and grow our capacity for exports, Our emphasis has been to promote initiatives that speak to Trade facilitation and economic development. “It is a matter of regret that criminal elements in the international supply chain are exploiting our pro-trade stance to commit atrocities bordering on national security breaches”.
“The attempts to test our will through the importation of dangerous cargo through this port has necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency in Onne Port, coming on the heels of a seizure of a huge cache of arms a couple of months ago. It is disheartening that perpetrators have not backed down on their illegal acts. Recent intelligence and seizures have revealed a disturbing trend; Onne Port is increasingly being used as a destination for dangerous and illicit cargo. The scale and nature of these illegal importations pose a significant threat to our national security and the health of our citizens. Today, we are here to showcase yet another series of significant seizures made by the diligent officers of the Area 2 Command. On display are twelve containers of illicit goods intercepted through a combination of intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, and meticulous physical examination. Seizures on Display include: Three (3) x 40-feet containers: Containing 562,600 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine and 3,150 pieces of chilly cutters, with a Paid Duty Value (DPV) of N4,716,573,846.
“Others are, three x 40-feet containers containing 380,000 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 24,480,000 tablets of Royal Tramadol Hydrochloride, 5,350,000 tablets of Tapentadol and Carisoprodol, and other items, with a DPV of N17,432,506,000 were seized”.
According to the report, more seized items were, “Five (5) x 40-feet containers; Containing 892,400 bottles of 100ml cough syrup with codeine, 1,300,000 tablets of 50mg Really Extra Diclofenac, 7,250,000 tablets of 5mg Trodol Benzhexol, and other items, with a DPV of N8, 128,568,295,90. This very action of the Nigeria Customs Service, further complicated the hope of how soon the fight against drug trafficking could be brought to a halt owing to its high profile nature.
Another hair-raising report of the illicit drug deal has it that when NDLEA bursted a Snake-Guarded Shrine Used For Storing Illicit Drugs sometime ago in Edo State. This very news report was published in The Tide Newspaper on June 24, 2024. According to the report, NDLEA said its operatives uncovered a shrine, guarded by a snake, being used for storing illicit drugs, during an operation in Edo State. The Agency in a statement by its spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, added that its operatives discovered a specially constructed large hole in a wall, hidden behind wallpapers and fetish objects used for drug storage. It further noted that methamphetamine, Loud, Colorado and Arizona, all strong strains of cannabis with a total weight of 8.743kg among others, were recovered from the shrine.
To be cont’d
King Onunwor
The persistent clash between farmers and herders in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue. These conflicts, often, over resources like land and water, have led to loss of lives, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people, deep-seated mistrust between communities and insecurity. Herders, traditionally nomadic, move their livestock in search of grazing land and water. Farmers, on the other hand, require the same resources for their crops. This competition often leads to clashes, especially in areas where land is becoming increasingly scarce due to population growth, climate change, and environmental degradation. As these clashes intensify, there has been a growing call for sustainable solutions. Two weeks ago, President Bola Tinubu took a bold step towards tackling the issue by inaugurating the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms and creating the Ministry of Livestock Development.
The committee which has the president as the chairman and the former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega as the deputy chairman has the mandate to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors, and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain as well as propose recommendations aimed at fostering a peaceful co-existence between herders and farmers, ensuring the security and economic well-being of Nigerians.The establishment of the Ministry of Livestock Development was part of the recommendations of the National Livestock Reforms Committee. Part of the 21 recommendations submitted to the president include: “This agenda should include the establishment and resuscitation of grazing reserves as suggested by many experts and well-meaning Nigerians and other methods of land utilisation.
“Create the Ministry of Livestock Resources in line with practice in many other West African countries. In the alternative, Federal and State Governments should expand the scope of existing Departments of Livestock Production to address the broader needs of the industry,” among others. Experts in the agricultural sector have posited that the livestock industry can create millions of jobs directly in farming, processing, and distribution, and indirectly in related sectors like feed production, veterinary services, and marketing. It provides livelihoods for rural populations, helping to reduce poverty and improve the quality of life in rural areas. It also increases the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and foreign exchange earnings through the exports of livestock and livestock products such as meat, dairy, wool and leather.
According to them, a well-funded livestock industry supports the growth of agro-processing sectors, such as meat packing, dairy processing, and leather manufacturing, adds value to raw products and creates additional economic activity as well as stimulates the development of supply chains, including logistics, packaging, and retail, contributing to broader economic growth. It enhances economic resilience by diversifying the agricultural sector and providing a buffer against crop failures or other agricultural shocks and many more. Some other agriculturists have also opined that the livestock industry in Nigeria is currently underdeveloped and that by the creation of the ministry of livestock development will open up the industry which will be a huge money spinner for Nigeria.
Reports have shown that a Livestock Ministry can play a pivotal role in mitigating conflicts between farmers and herders by implementing policies and programmes aimed at fostering coexistence and sustainable resource management. The Ministry can work towards clearly demarcating grazing routes and farming areas. This would reduce instances of trespassing and accidental crop destruction, a common flashpoint for conflict. While introducing rotational grazing systems can ensure that land is used sustainably, preventing overgrazing and land degradation, establishing water points and boreholes specifically for livestock can reduce competition for water resources. Similarly, promoting the development of pasturelands through reseeding and controlled burns can improve grazing conditions.
According to a veterinary doctor, Dr Andrew Obadiah, by providing training for herders on sustainable livestock practices and for farmers on conflict resolution, both parties can understand the importance of coexistence. He said that extension services of the ministry can offer advice on improving livestock health and productivity, reducing the need for large herds and extensive grazing. “Setting up local committees involving both farmers and herders to mediate disputes can provide a platform for dialogue and peaceful resolution. Encouraging community-based conflict early warning systems can help prevent clashes before they escalate”, he emphasised.For Mrs. Stella Ugwu, a farmer, having a ministry dedicated to the development of the livestock industry can help in diversifying income sources for both farmers and herders and in turn reduce dependence on land.
”For instance, promoting agro-pastoralism can provide farmers with livestock and herders with agricultural produce”, she explained, adding that providing incentives for adopting sustainable practices, such as subsidies for fodder production or crop insurance, can ease economic pressures. Ugwu was however of the opinion that the creation of a new ministry to handle livestock affairs was uncalled for, since the job can effectively be done by the Technical and Service Department of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and food security and its equivalent on the states level.In some countries, the establishment of a Livestock Ministry or similar bodies has shown promising results. For example, Ethiopia’s Ministry of Agriculture includes a dedicated department for livestock which has successfully implemented programmes to improve pastoral livelihoods and reduce conflicts.
In Kenya, the establishment of the National Drought Management Authority has helped manage resources better, thus reducing clashes between herders and farmers during dry seasons.The president of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Othman Ngelzarma, sees the Ministry of Livestock Development achieving the same feat for Nigeria in the near future. He told newsmen that, “MACBAN expresses its deepest appreciation to the Federal Government for creating a ministry of livestock to unlock the trillion-naira livestock economy and create qualitative and productive jobs across the value chain to improve the Nigerian economy. With this development, MACBAN believes the hope of the Nigerian pastoralists is now achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
However, the Middle Belt Forum took a different view of the proposed Ministry of Livestock Development, saying it was not enough to sustainably resolve the decades-long farmers-herders crisis in the country. According to the National President of the association, Mr. Bitrus Pogu, what is needed to end the perennial farmers/herders clashes is a deliberate action by regulatory bodies and the government to stop criminal elements from carrying out deadly attacks on innocent Nigerians, mainly farmers. Hear him: “If the reason for creating the Ministry is to stop clashes, I think it is wrong because all of these attacks and killings that are happening have nothing to do with conflicts between farmers and herders. “Farmers have never connived at any given time to go and attack herders, but rather, criminals who happen to be Fulani gang up and attack farmers, kill, maim and chase them out of their ancestral homes.
“Then, the Fulani will come and occupy them. So, it is more about invasion, criminality, and terrorism. And the majority of those they hire to do these evils are not even those who have cattle. So, a deliberate action has to be taken by the government against the perpetrators, which will address the criminality.” Mr. Pogu suggested that the government should adopt ranching for productivity and enduring peace between the pastoralists and farmers in particular and the entire country in general.While the establishment of a Livestock Ministry presents a viable solution, it is not without challenges. Funding constraints, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and corruption can hamper its effectiveness. Additionally, deeply ingrained cultural practices and mistrust between farmers and herders can be difficult to overcome.
Critics argue that without a holistic approach that includes land reform, climate change adaptation, and broader economic development, a Livestock Ministry alone may not be sufficient. Therefore, it must work in tandem with other governmental and non-governmental bodies to ensure comprehensive solutions. “A dedicated Livestock Ministry, with its focus on sustainable resource management, conflict resolution, and economic incentives, offers a promising avenue to address the root causes of these clashes. However, its success depends on effective implementation, adequate funding, and the cooperation of all stakeholders involved. With the right strategies and commitment, devoid of any political or selfish interest, it can play a crucial role in fostering peace and prosperity in affected regions”, they advised.
Calista Ezeaku