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RSG’ll Commission Cassava Processing Firm Soon, Nsirim Confirms
The Rivers State Government would soon commission the Rivers Cassava Processing Company as a model for agricultural development in the state.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, disclosed this when he appeared as a guest on a live radio current affairs programme in Port Harcourt, last Saturday.
Nsirim said that 3,000 uptakers, who would be involved in what he called ‘Cassava Revolution’, have already been engaged.
“The truth of the matter in governance is that you cannot take everything at once. But we are looking at this cassava processing company as a model for agricultural development in the state.
“You know when you want to start something, you can start with a little thing at first; progress, see the challenges, and then, you move on to the next one. But this one that is going to happen very soon, you can’t find it anywhere in this country.
“It is designed in a way that machines go to the farms, harvest the cassava, clean them up at the farm, and then, bring them to the factory. The farmers don’t need to go to harvest; they don’t need to enter their farm locations.
“It is novel, so gradually; we will be building on this because Governor Nyesom Wike desires to also make agriculture the centre-piece of this administration. So, we are kick-starting with this cassava processing company in the next few weeks”.
He assured that with the concentration of large cassava farmers in Ikwerre, Etche, Oyigbo, Ogoni, amongst other ethnic groups in Rivers State, the company would not lack adequate supply of raw materials for its effectiveness.
“And this is what we need to note: feasibility study was carried out before siting the project. So, what is happening here is that feasibility study has shown clearly there will be raw materials for this factory! You can’t just go and put an investment when you can’t get raw materials for it,” he said.
He enumerated the huge socio-economic benefits of the flyover bridges being constructed by the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration, adding that aside from saving man-hours and easy access to economic activities, the government has, as part of the contract agreement with Julius Berger, a trainee engineer scheme for indigenes to be equipped with relevant skills in their areas of discipline.
He said it was important to showcase the good works of Governor Wike because “what you see happening in Rivers State is essentially an infrastructural revolution, and for people who thought that Governor Nyesom Wike will not even have money to pay salaries, when he took over office as governor, I think that it is important for them to see that visionary leadership and strategic thinking can turn a state like ours into a model. And so, the truth of the matter is, a lot of people want to come to Rivers State now because of the developmental strides that are going on,” he emphasised.
Nsirim reassured the people of the state of the commitment of Governor Wike to the prompt completion of the new flyover projects to be flagged-off at Waterlines and Ikoku axis of Port Harcourt, adding that all contracts awarded by the administration strictly complied with the Public Procurement Laws of the state.
“You see, why I am excited working with Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, is that, follow through, since he came onboard: show me one promise he made that he has not kept?
I was the Commissioner for Information and Communications when we flagged-off the three flyover projects, and it was to be delivered in 16 months. If you go to my Facebook wall, people were saying how can this thing be?
“It’s just like that man in the Bible you know, when the Prophet said, by this time tomorrow, food will be all over Samaria, and the man said it’s not possible even though God opens everywhere. That’s what people were saying. But today, all of them are completed within schedule.
“It is uncommon in politics; it is uncommon in the governance of Nigeria. What people do, we have seen previous administrations here leave behind white-elephant projects. Governor Nyesom Wike’s love for Rivers State is genuine, and he keeps repeating it by saying, ‘I will not leave any abandoned project for whoever that will succeed me’.”
He emphasised that it is the vision of Governor Wike to make Rivers State an investor’s destination of choice, “and of course, that’s why our campaign ‘Our State Our Responsibility’: We are trying to make everybody who lives and does business in Rivers State to understand that we have a shared prosperity to protect.
“Governor Wike is giving us the roadmap. He is giving us the roadmap on daily basis to achieve a Rivers State of our dream. A lot of people in other states desire to have Governor Wike govern their state on loan for just six months because what they see happening under this Covid-19 baffles them. What is the magic wand? Vision, prudent management of resources, and that determination to build a Rivers State that all of us will be proud of,” Nsirim said.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had lauded the courage and commitment of troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.
Abubakar gave the commendation during a morale-boosting visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, yesterday, in Abuja.
The CAS said their sacrifices were etched in the history of the nation, and in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who sleep safer because of the troops’ vigilance.
He emphasised that their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity have not gone unnoticed, saying his visit underscored the vital role airpower plays in neutralising threats and protecting communities.
Abubakar pledged continued investment in cutting-edge technology to empower frontline units.
According to him, the NAF remains steadfast in its mission, guided by leadership, strengthened by unity, and driven by the selfless service of its personnel.
The visit comes at a critical moment, reinforcing the importance of public support for military operations and spotlighting the human element at the heart of national defence.
Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show strong growth potential, making it the leading consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association.
A statement by the VDMA disclosed during a press conference held in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024, placing it well ahead of other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite challenges such as inflation and a weakening naira, Nigeria’s growing population, rising urbanisation, and expanding middle class are key factors driving demand in the beverage sector.
Bottled water led the segment with 48.7 billion litres sold in 2024, a figure projected to rise by 27% to 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated soft drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres, expected to reach 4.4 billion litres by 2028, while energy drinks are forecasted to grow by 30% over the same period. Juices, though relatively small, are also on an upward trajectory.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” VDMA stated, citing data from Euromonitor International.
Set to take place in Munich from 15 to 19 September 2025, drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
VDMA, a key exhibitor and technical partner for the event, revealed that Nigerian participation is expected to be strong, especially as the country anticipates economic recovery.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.
Abdulkareem had waxed a song titled “Tell Your Papa” which criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, yesterday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.
He expressed irony in suggesting that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”
Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.
“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.
He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.
The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him,” he added.
The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.
“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.
He warned that the ban creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
Soyinka’s statement also touched on broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, lamenting the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatised survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
Referencing the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticised the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”