Business
Nigeria’ ll Overcome Food Security Challenges -Senate’s Spokesman
In spite of the current reduction in farming activities across the states especially the northern region due to farmers / herders clash , the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media, Senator Sabi Abdullahi has expressed hope that Nigeria can still overcome shortage in food supplies .
Senator Sabi (Niger North) said the challenges can be countered through enhanced food security policy of the government meant to develop farming technology and bumper production to tackle areas of lack. Abdullahi stated this at the end of the second phase of a two-day training for Senate Press Corps and select staff of the Upper Chamber in Abuja yesterday.
The training was organised in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
He said the herdsmen/farmers crisis in some parts of the country had resulted in making it difficult for farmers to cultivate the land.
His words “It is a very challenging time for us as a country.
“The one hope I have is that we are always able to overcome our challenges. We will work collectively to take this country out of the difficulty we found ourselves.
“We will ensure that we change from a rudimentary production system through a much more productive system and even to a more advanced system.”
“Looking at agriculture as a means of taking people out of poverty and enhancing their livelihood is something that is compulsory,”
The lawmaker noted that the objective of the training was to enhance the reportorial skills of the National Assembly media crew in handling specialised areas such as agriculture and food security toward depeening democracy.
“Our regrouping is an indication of the importance the Senate attaches to the Press Corps. This 8th Senate has brought a lot of changes, in all of this, the Senate Press Corps has been standing with us.
He thereafter commended the institute for its “Feed the Future” programme, saying it was a laudable project.
In his remarks, Head of the Institute Dr George Mavrotas said “I cannot imagine this country to become more aware of the important issues surrounding the Nigeria agricultural sector without the active involvement of journalists of this country and in particular the Senate media.”
He said the training was a five-year programme aimed at equipping journalists covering the National Assembly with skills on drafting communication strategy.
One of the participants, Mr Huram Lokodi said the training had exposed him “to how as journalists, we can better communicate policies of government especially agriculture policies to the public.
“This is very timely because in Nigeria, issues of food security are necessary, as journalists, we should be able to let people who are into agriculture know what the policies are and how best to achieve food security.
“It has been very useful,” he said.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has criticised Nigeria’s import ban on 25 categories of goods, claiming that the restrictions limit market access for American exporters.
This is the effect of President Donald Trump’s tariffs introduction on goods entering the United States, with Nigeria facing a 14 per cent duty.
The USTR highlighted the impact of Nigeria’s import ban on various sectors, particularly agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
The restrictions affect items such as beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and alcoholic beverages, which the United States sees as significant barriers to trade.
The agency argues that these limitations reduce export opportunities for United States businesses and lead to lost revenue.
“Nigeria’s import ban on 25 different product categories impacts United States exporters, particularly in agriculture, pharmaceuticals, beverages, and consumer goods.
“Restrictions on items like beef, pork, poultry, fruit juices, medicaments, and spirits limit United States market access and reduce export opportunities.
“These policies create significant trade barriers that lead to lost revenue for United States businesses looking to expand in the Nigerian market”, the agency said .
In 2016, Nigeria implemented the ban on these 25 items as part of efforts to control imports and stimulate local production.
Some of the banned items include poultry, pork, refined vegetable oil, sugar, cocoa products, spaghetti, beer, and certain medicines.
On March 26, 2025, the Federal Government also announced plans to halt solar panel imports to encourage local manufacturing as part of its push for clean energy.
A leading agribusiness strategist and digital agriculture expert, Ayo Oluwa Okediji, has sought cooperative-driven investments in sustaining growth of poultry industry in Nigeria.
He said the poultry industry was at a defining moment and requires urgent structural reforms to secure its future and ensure long-term sustainability.
Speaking on the theme, “Strengthening Poultry Farming Through Cooperative Synergy and Strategic Investments”, at the recently concluded Oyo Mega Poultry Workshop 2025 in Ibadan, Okediji called on poultry farmers, cooperative leaders, financial institutions and policy makers to rethink the existing structure of the poultry sector.
He stressed the need to transition from fragmented, individually-driven operations to well-structured, cooperative-led enterprises capable of attracting sustainable financing and securing long-term viability.
He said, “Our poultry sector cannot thrive on individual effort alone. We need to organise ourselves into cooperative clusters, build strong governance systems and position ourselves to attract the level of investment needed to sustain this industry beyond this generation.”
Drawing on lessons from successful global cooperative models such as Rabobank in the Netherlands and Landus Cooperative in the United States, Okediji introduced the FarmClusters Poultry Model, a locally adapted solution developed by Agribusiness Dynamics Technology Limited (AgDyna), a subsidiary of AgroInfoTech Africa.
According to him, the model is currently being piloted in Oyo State in partnership with PANOY Agribusiness Limited and local poultry cooperatives.
The Rivers State Representative of the Nigeria Chambers of Commerce, Mines, Industries and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Mr. Erasmus Chukwundah, has urged palm oil farmers to consider hybrid seedlings for planting, if they must break even in palm oil business.
Chukwundah said this recently at the Free Oil Palm Business Climate Smart Best Management Practice/Assistance Training organized by Partnership Initiative In Niger Delta (PIND) for Palm Oil Farmers in Elele, Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The Rivers representative said until palm oil farmers begin to consider such hybrid oil palm seedlings, they may not meet up with the daily increasing demand of palm oil in the market.
According to him, the seedlings produce up to 30 bunches at once that ripen same time.
He said PIND decided to partner with Oil Palm Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN) to ensure that the message was received by the targeted audience.
According to him, palm oil remained a popular choice of industry operators as it could be converted to many other products such as vegetable cooking oil.
He also noted that products such as motor tyers, marine ropes and others are now gotten from the palm tree.
Chukwundah, who is the immediate past Director-General of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Mines, Industries, and Agriculture (PHCCIMA), further warned against use of unrecommended fertilisers in growing oil palms.
He noted that such practices could limit its export value or chances as the foreign marketers have a way of detecting such .
He reiterated the need for organic fertilizers, including poultry droppings, to enable them have a natural palm oil.
“People must reduce physical contact with palm oil production. That is why we are campaigning for hydrolic oil mills. The foreign markets are no longer interested in crude method of palm oil production”, he said.
Meanwhile, one of the farmers, Sonny Didia, who appreciated Chukwundah’s commitment towards the concern of farmers, appealed for an urgent need for loan opportunity with low interest rate in order to enable them beat the target.
King Onunwor