Agriculture
Director Blames Pollution For Poor Yields
The general negative ef fects on the environment in the Niger Delta region by oil firms has been blamed for the poor agricultural yield and output by farmers over the years.
Baring his mind on the contentious issue recently in his office in Port Harcourt with our correspondent, Director, Institute of Pollution Studies in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, RSUST, Prof. Alex Chindah explained that the truth was that oil activities such as pipeline laying, oil spill, operational failure among others have left a lot of the environment devastated.
He said the opening of pipeline routes through areas that were meant to be conserved and ordinarily not accessible opened them up and created routes for man and animals alike which help destroy farms, as evidenced by mass cattle movement throughout the region.
He explained that even when oil spills occur either by accident or sabotage, adequate attention was not given and wondered why they don’t take good time to make sure that they clean the environment as it where.
“They just do a wishy-washy job then leave the environment on its own like that”, adding that the environment was like a child that needed to be tended.
He emphasised the need for substantial part of the land to be forested as according to him, the United Nations mandate requires that “every country and state should at least have 25 per cent of their land area being vegetated forest area” he revealed.
On the adverse effects of gas flaring on plant life, Prof. Chindah who holds a PhD in Marine Biology from the RSUST said that in areas were there are gas flares, crops were seem to be growing well but do not produce.
“If you go to Rumuekpe in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, from our study, the maize will be very high but it will not have crop and the same thing happens to human beings who all leave around the gas flare area”, he explained.
He further explained that a study carried out somewhere in the state show that a lot of farmers were suffering from what he described as a “glare-like effect where their eyes are open but they were not seeing”, he said.
“So those things are very serious. It is an effect on the farmers who live there and people who dwell and do business around the area where you have the gas flare”, he said.
On the effects oil spill has on farmlands and streams when in adequately cleaned, Prof. Chndah said the little streams the people use for fishing and surely the only source of drinking water are being polluted.
“For example, when it happened at Isiokpo sometime, the company concerned supplies water for a while and vanished leaving the people to suffer”, adding that government should empower her agencies to properly monitor and punish those found to have remerged on their operational obligations.
He believed that government has put in place the appropriate laws to guide the companies in their operations but expressed that the government needed to adequately empower its agencies to enable them access areas through air and other means.
“Well government has taken a step I would say, because they have the penalties, they have the laws which the companies must abide to and so on, but then there is no will from government to make sure that these things are followed to the letter.
“The agencies that are supposed to make sure that these things are made right do not have the capacity”, he said.
According to Prof. Chindah, a honouree of the national merit award, member, order of the Federal Republic (MFR), the government should be able to give the relevant agencies enough money to enable them monitor the companies.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.