Business
AU Urges More Infrastructure, Access To Boost Trade
The African Union Com
mission (AUC) has urged member states to address infrastructure and trans-border challenges in order to boost intra-Africa Agricultural trade and food security.
The commission said in Addin Ababa that improving infrastructure and liberalising trans-border access would boost intra-Africa trade as well as meet the target of the AU Heads of State and Government’s commitment made during the Malabo Summit.
The African leaders had during the Malabo Assembly committed to tripling intra-Africa trade by 2025 to sustain growth, reduce poverty and boost employment through agricultural trade.
The AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Rhoda Peace, made the remarks at the opening of a three-day Regional Strategic and Knowledge Support System (ReSAKSS) Annual Conference in Addis Ababa.
Peace said Africa’s agricultural trade had increased in recent years after decades of decline and trade among African countries had been on the rise.
She said ReSAKSS annual report analysis released during the technical session of the conference had indicated a boost in Africans’ ability to access food and the distributing channels to the neediest during hard times.
“The report found that Africa’s agricultural exports accounted for 3.3 per cent of world agricultural trade in 2009-2013, up from 1.2 per cent in 1996-2000 showing a threefold increase.
“Moreover, Africa’s agricultural exports have quadrupled in value terms and doubled in caloric terms. And the share of intra-African trade has doubled: nearly 34 per cent of agricultural exports originating from African countries now go to other African countries,” she said.
The commissioner said the findings were significant to agricultural trade and intra-African trade in ensuring the critical element including the poor and vulnerable were able to remain resilient in the face of economic shocks and severe weather events.
“While the situation is far different from that of the 1960s, when African countries dominated global markets, the recent performance indicates that Africa can become a major player again.
“ Countries, however, need to sustain the policies and institutional reforms and scale up the investments that made this change possible,” she said.
The Tide source reports that the conference attributed the continent’s growth in world agricultural exports to improved trade infrastructure, such as telecommunications, integration in global and regional markets as well as increase in world prices of raw materials.
It also found that diversity of crops had helped boost trade because at the end of the 1990s, the top 10 agricultural exports made up 51 per cent of Africa’s total agricultural exports.
The report said the African agricultural exports had become more diversified and more competitive with the top 10 agricultural exports accounting for 40 per cent of total exports at the end of 2010.
“Fueled by both economic growth and population growth, agricultural imports have risen considerably faster than exports.
“As a result, the agricultural trade deficit rose from over 1 billion dollars to nearly 40 billion dollars,” it said.
The report highlighted the tremendous challenge facing African countries and the need to deepen the reforms and scale up the efforts that had accelerated exports during the last 10years.
It would be recalled that African Heads of State and government during the Malabo Summit in June, renewed commitment on efforts to boost competitiveness and trade, in global as well as intra-African markets.
The Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), the country’s satellite operator, has called for immediate promolgation of policy action that will enable the country to harness the potentials of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
NIGCOMSAT, also warned that Nigeria risks missing out on Africa’s projected $1.2trillion share of the global AI economy by 2030.
Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, disclosed this in a statement issued at the weekend following her participation in the Meeting of the National Council for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
“Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, economies, and societies worldwide, with projections that it will contribute up to $15.7trillion to the global economy by 2030. Africa stands to gain $1.2trillion of this if the right policies and innovations are in place”, Idehen said, citing a PricewaterhouseCoopers report.
The NIGCOMSAT MD underscored the transformative potential of AI in agriculture, highlighting its applicability in Benue State, widely regarded as Nigeria’s “food basket.”
According to her, machine learning tools could revolutionize agricultural practices by improving pest detection and optimizing planting schedules using satellite imagery.
“AI offers us the chance to not only flourish economically but also to achieve food security. However, we must ask ourselves if we are prepared to manage this technology responsibly”, she added.
Idehen also noted that internet access remains a significant barrier to AI adoption in Nigeria.
“For AI tools to be effective, basic digital infrastructure is essential. Addressing this gap must be a priority.
“AI is happening. We have the opportunity to manage this technology revolution responsibly, both in Africa and globally, through innovation and governance”, she said.
In August 2024, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy released a draft National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, aiming to position Nigeria as a global leader in AI.
Corlins Walter
The Chairman of Emohua Local Government Council, Chief David Omereji, has said the council has so far spent over N1 billion for the electrification of communities in the area.
Omereji said this while addressing staff of the council at the council headquarters recently.
He said the move was part of his administration’s resolve to ensure peace and development of the LGA.
According to him, the Council spent about N29 million on monthly basis for the maintenance of the Emohua Local Vigilante group known as OSPAC, with each member being paid a stipend of N100, 000 monthly.
He diaclosed that 11 out of the 14 wards are currently enjoying electricity, while efforts are on to light-up the remaining ones.
“I also want to use this opportunity to inform the political class for purposes of records and for the understanding of the people that the Council under my watch have done more than enough”, he said .
The Emolga boss explained that all that have been achieved were through the personal effort of the Council, without support from anybody as rumoured in some quarters.
Omereji further reaveled that a number of other projects, including roads, fencing of schools, hospitals, courts premises, and reconstruction of some abandoned buildings at the Council Headquarters are being undertaken by his administration.
He enjoined the people of the area to support his administration’s drive to bring purposeful development to the LGA.
The Emohua Council boss, who reiterated his hatred for noise making, stated that his works would speak for him, and solicited the support of staff of the council and the entire people of the area.
He noted the fact that some people may not be happy with his achievements, saying that he would remain focused, while advising critics of his government to do so constructively with facts and figures.
King Onunwor
The Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) has raised some ethical questions over a Financial and Technical Services Agreement (FTSA) between Sahara Energy and West African Gas Limited (WAGL), an affiliate of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
MOSOP said the agreement was not done in good faith, not in the interest of the Nigerian people, and did not follow due process.
Foremost Ogoni born activist and MOSOP leader, Fegalo Nsuke, who made this known in Abuja, weekend, described the Sahara-WAGL deal as fraudulent, deceptive and an insult on the intelligence and integrity of the Nigerian nation.
Nsuke called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to cancel that FTSA between Sahara Energy and WAGL, noting that the agreement is fraught with irregularities and deceptive.
“What Sahara and the NNPC did in the FTSA between Sahara and WAGL is shameful and depicts high level corruption in public service of our country.
“WAGL is an affiliate of Sahara and the NNPC. How then can Sahara go into an agreement with its own affiliate? It’s as good as going into an agreement with itself. This is deceptive and fraudulent”, Nsuke said.
He continued that “Sahara Energy is certainly not a company the Ogoni people want on their soil and we are calling on Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to terminate any deal between the NNPC and Sahara Energy over OML 11, and to allow for an inclusive arrangement that considers a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in the distribution of revenues from natural resource extraction on Ogoni soil.
“The last Ogoni Congress has been unequivocal on the Ogoni demand for justice and has given a clear path to resolve the three decade old conflict between all critical parties.
“It will be good to explore this path to peace and development for Ogoni and for our country”.
Nsuke accused Sahara Energy and the NNPC of frustrating the progress made by MOSOP to achieve a permanent solution to the Ogoni problem.
He urged a presidential intervention with deep consideration for a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in order to permanently address the problem.
He noted that Sahara Energy should give up on the Ogoni area to allow for an engagement in the interest of the country and the people.
Recall that MOSOP and Sagara Energy have recently been engaged in a row in what MOSOP describes as an unholy relationship between Sahara Energy and the NNPC over OML 11.
MOSOP expressly rejected Sahara Energy and called for a fair treatment of the Ogoni people in natural resource extraction in Ogoni.
It noted that Ogoni people, led by MOSOP, paid the sacrifice to take the oil from Shell, hence “the position of MOSOP must be taken into consideration in decisions relating to resumption of oil production in Ogoni”.