Business

200 Delta Co-operatives To Access N1bn Agric Loan

Published

14 years ago

May 23, 2011

More than 200 farmers’ cooperative societies in Delta have been approved to access the N1 billion agriculture loan provided by the Federal Government.

Mr Jonathan Ochonogor, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Asaba yesterday.

Ochonogor said that the state government had concluded arrangements on the release of the money.

He added that the state had satisfied all the conditions for accessing the loan.

He said: “We have come to the final stage in the process of accessing the funds. The banks’ executives wanted an authentic list of the cooperatives because the loan is only given to cooperatives and not individual farmers.

“That list has been submitted to Zenith Bank and it contains more than 200 cooperatives in the state

that have been approved for the loan. We are now waiting for the bank to release the fund.’’

The permanent secretary said that the state received more than 8,000 applications for the loan, adding that each of the cooperative societies requested for an average of N10 million loan.

Explaining further, he said: “agriculture is capital intensive and for any meaningful thing to be done, the investment has to be reasonable and for that reason I will say that even N1 billion is not enough for the state.’’

Ochonogor noted that the major challenge to agricultural development in the country was the lack of machines due to poor investment and limited resources.

According to him, most farmers cannot afford the machines that can open up large expanse of land and cultivate it for huge farming activities.

He suggested improved agricultural credit to encourage more people to go into large-scale production.

He expressed optimism that agriculture would attain greater heights in the country due to the Federal Government’s efforts to boost productivity in the sector.

Business

NDYC Seeks NDDC Commercialisation … Uncompleted Projects Completion

Published

6 seconds ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

A non-governmental organization, the Niger Delta Youth Coalition, (NDYC), is set to write to the National Assembly for amendment of the Act establishing the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC) to enable it go into the establishment of large scale farming, to meet up its huge financial needs in developing the region.

Founder and National Co-ordinator of the NDYC, Prince Emmanuel Samuel Ogba, who disclosed this in an interview in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said if amended, it would enable the NDDC to be commercialized in various sectors of its activities, particularly in agriculture, for internal generation of funds to augment its soaring financial needs.

Prince Ogba, an economist and politician, said to this end, his organization would send a private bill to the National Assembly seeking to amend the 2001 Act establishing the NDDC.

He noted that with the present economic challenges in the country, and to provide food for the populace, there is urgent need for the NDDC to be empowered by law to go into agriculture.

Ogba said, “if this happens, it would also provide more employment opportunities for the youths, as most of them would work in the farms, including staff of the Commission”.

The NDYC boss expressed the belief that such additional funds would enable the NDDC to partner with other relevant organizations in agriculture and also help in completing uncompleted projects executed by the NDDC several years ago by past managements of the Commission.

Prince Ogba recalled that by analysis some years back, the NDDC required about five trillion Naira as against a budget of N1.9trillion to complete numerous uncompleted projects of the Commission, adding that such situation was an impediment to its efforts to meet the increasing challenges to accomplish an integrated development of the peoples of the Niger Delta region.

He, however, applauded the present management of the NDDC led by Samuel Ugbuku for carrying out the completion of projects that were not completed by the commission.

He noted that with the NDDC going into food production and processing of farm produce, in a space of three years, the Niger Delta region would have enough food for the region to feed its over thirty million people and the rest of the country.

The current management of the NDDC has completed and commissioned a considerable number of uncomplete projects across the nine states in the region with its mandate to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative and politically peaceful, to offer a lasting solution to the socio-econimic difficulties of the Niger Delta region.

Business

NCDMB Assures Greater Local Industry Participation In Oil, Gas Projects

Published

2 mins ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

The Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, has assured local oil servicing companies operating in the country of their capabilities to undertake huge projects in the industry through the board’s capacity building opportunities.

Ogbe gave the assurance when he led a delegation of senior officials of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on a tour of facilities at Brightwaters Energy Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently.

The visit was to assess Brightwaters Energy’s upgrade of its technical capabilities, which would position them for upcoming industry projects.

The tour to the company’s facilities at Choba, Port Harcourt and Emohua, in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State was a follow up on the NCDMB’s boss’ earlier visit to the company and some pipe coating facilities in May 2024.

At the visit, Ogbe pledged the Board’s support for local service companies, giving them opportunities in the oil and gas industry and creating jobs in the economy.

Ogbe noted the Board’s determination in ensuring that capabilities of local oil and gas service companies are known and adequately utilised by operating companies in the industry to boost local content and provide employment, in line with the economic aspirations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He noted that Brightwaters had performed well in the execution of projects in the exploration and production segment of the industry over the years with a clientele that included SPDC and Chevron Nigeria Limited, among other major oil and gas operators.

Ogbe expressed conviction that the company has the capacity required for key scopes in upcoming industry projects.

He charged operating oil and gas companies to support qualified service companies, while ensuring that the best quality service is delivered at all times and on schedule.

Also speaking, the Manager, Community and Corporate Affairs, Brightwaters, Solomon Aluge, stated that the firm had been engaging the team from SPDC and equipped to carry out heavy or light fabrication works adding that Brightwaters has carried out many onshore and offshore pipeline engineering and installation works for various clients.

Explaining the scope of operations of the company in the oil and gas sector, Aluge said “Brightwaters is mobilizing for Chevron and Tulcan pipeline works at the moment”.

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer, Brightwaters, Scott Gregory, expressed joy at the presence of the Executive Secretary, Engr. Ogbe and the representatives of SPDC at the meeting assuring that the company has the capabilities for services in the oil and gas industry.

He provided technical details of a number of projects executed by the company’s offshore and onshore in its many years of operation in Nigeria, noting that some of the upcoming field projects were well within the company’s competencies.

Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Business

Oil Production Resumption: Ogoni Youths Seek Inclusion In FG’s Plans

Published

3 mins ago

February 5, 2025

The Tide

Youths of Ogoni ethnic nationality have demanded their inclusion in the plans of the Federal Government to resume oil and gas production in the region.

The President General, Ogoni Youth Federation, Yamaabana Legborsi, made the demand while speaking at the Ogoni Youth Stakeholder’s Extraordinary Meeting held in Port Harcourt, Last Thursday.

Legborsi stated that youths and women should be included in any deliberations bothering on the planned resumption of oil exploration in Ogoniland.

Reading out the Communique signed by 26 Ogoni youths, Legborsi, who was also the convener of the meeting, described youths and women as critical components of the Ogoni people in community engagements with the federal government.

The Ogoni youth leader noted that the youths were not opposed to oil production but were confident in the National Security Adviser’s appointment to lead the deliberations.

“We urge him to harmonise and bring together all stakeholders’ interests, particularly young people, for a smooth and robust discussion for results.

‘’This oversight does not augur well with us, but with love and humility to our leaders, we appeal for proper inclusion and representation moving forward,’ he said.

As leaders of tommorow, Legborsi stressed the need for their incorporation in the scheme of things of such importance “in order to get it right in future when the leaders of today leave the stage”.

He commended the President for his courage and will to end the three and a half decades of Ogoni’s struggle for social, economic, political and environmental justice owing to Ogoni’s environment and livelihood devastation.

“We welcome the idea of oil exploration activities in Ogoniland, as we believe the modus operandi this time would be different from what was obtainable in the past,” he explained.

Legborsi said that a carefully selected steering committee of the Ogoni youth stakeholders had been drawn to interface and join forces with other Ogoni leaders to deliberate on the important issues concerning their future.

“We, therefore, urge everyone to keep faith in the government to herald a peaceful and fruitful outcome, he stated.

He further appealed that the Ogoni people should be included in the talks concerning the nomination and approval of investors for the operation and development of the Ogoni Fields in OML 11/51.