Nation
LASG Charges FG To Evolve National Policy On Coconut
The Lagos State Coconut Development Authority wants the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) to develop a national policy on coconut value chain.
Its General Manager, Dr Dapo Olakulehin, expressed the desire in Benin yesterday at a one-day stakeholders meeting on coconut value chain.
The meeting was organised by FMARD in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research (NIFOR).
Olakulehin said such policy could make the crop the mainstay of the nation’s agriculture economy.
In his paper entitled: “The Coconut Tree: Economic Benefits for Nigeria’’, Olakulehin said coconut was a major non-oil export foreign exchange earner for the country and provided livelihoods for millions of Nigerians.
He said that only proactive interventions such as the development of a national policy and a regulatory agency could reposition the agriculture sector for employment generation along the value chain.
He added that Lagos State had dedicated about 1,000 hectares of land for commercial coconut plantation to be blocked into 100 plots apiece.
Olakulehin said also that Lagos State accounts for about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s coconut production and is committed to the production of more than 200 million seedlings in the next five years.
In his remarks, President, National Coconut Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NACOPPMAN), Mma Okoroji, supported Lagos State’s call for a national policy on coconut.
Okoroji said Nigeria was lagging behind other countries in coconut production and that there was the need to re-evaluate production among stakeholders to identify the current constraints responsible for the decline in the sector.
He said that NACOPPMAN was committed to planting about 10,000 coconut trees in each of the coconut viable states annually.
“Nigeria can make more than N300 trillion from coconut without value addition. So, if you now add value, Nigeria can earn more,’’ she said.
Earlier, a Deputy Director at FMARD, Chukwuemeka Ukattah, said Nigeria was expected to generate about 250 million dollars from coconut and its derivatives by the year 2022.
“Nigeria is ranked 19th among world’s coconut producers. It is a prominent crop cultivated in 22 out of the 36 states of the federation.
“Nigeria’s coconut national production is about 229,578 tonnes. The area under cultivation is estimated at 30,420 hectares.
The national demand is estimated to be one million tonnes per annum, leaving a deficit of 716,000 tonnes.
“There is the need for stakeholders to cash in on this deficit and see it as an opportunity to increase production through replanting of aged plantation and value addition,’’ Ukattah said.
He said the meeting was for stakeholders to discuss critical issues affecting coconut value chain and evolve strategies that would help to address inherent challenges.
Dr Celestine Ikuenobe, Executive Director of NIFOR, also noted that Nigeria’s coconut production was far below the demand.
In his paper entitled: “Overview of Production and Challenges of Coconut in Nigeria’’, Ikuenobe said it was regrettable that Nigeria is an importer of coconut and its products.
He said that NIFOR was strengthening its capacity to meet the sudden upsurge in the demand for coconut seedlings.
“We are working to invigorate our coconut gardens in addition to other identified trees seeds.
“We are confident that the coconut sector will sooner than expected, be repositioned as a very significant sector of the economy providing employment and income,’’ he said.
Among those present at the meeting were CBN officials, those of the Bank of Agriculture and Edo Investment Promotion Office.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi