Business
Stakeholders Inaugurate Cooperative To Boost Industrial Agriculture
Some stakeholders in agri
culture yesterday called for replacement of subsistence farming with mechanised farming to eradicate poverty and guarantee food security in the nation
The stakeholders, at the inaugural meeting of the National Cooperative for Commercial and Industrial Agriculture (NACCIA) in Lagos, stressed the need to organise the sector for higher productivity.
Reports say that NACCIA was formed to reposition agricultural practice in Nigeria to global standard.
The founder of the cooperative, Chief Felix Okonti, told newsmen that NACCIA was formed to address problems that reduced output of farmers in Nigeria despite massive deployment of labour.
Okonti, who is also the Managing Director of Lix-Konti Ranch, said that NACCIA was forming farmers into clusters to relate as federating members to address problems of funding, processing, storage and markets for produce.
“What we want to achieve is to do it differently for Nigeria whereby less than a hundred or a thousand people can produce what more than 50 million people are producing today.
“The aim is to place Nigeria in the map as industrialised agro based commercial country that can fulfil its potentials.
“Why would Argentine maize producer produce 16 tons per hectare, while the Nigerian farmer is doing 0.3 tons per hectare?’’ he queried.
Okont said that NACCIA already had over 100 federating units where every farmer ran his farm but fell back to the cooperative to cultivate, process and sell without losses.
He said that the cooperative would also set up processing plants for clusters of federating farms that would extend the model to all farmers in their environment to curb wastages and financial losses.
Okonti said members would be mobilised with a minimum of N100 million to start, adding that various committees were being formed to properly guide farmers towards investments.
He appealed to the Federal Government to construct roads leading to farms and develop other infrastructure and power to promote commercial agriculture.
Prof. Mohammed Yisa, the immediate past Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, who was chairman of the occasion, lamented that Nigeria imported almost all agricultural products it could produce.
“It is not good for a country with over two million hectares of arable land to be buying things. “We cannot rely on hoe and cutlass or peasant farmers who do about two acres to feed us; that is why we need mechanised farming’’ he said.
Yisa, a former Commissioner for Agriculture, said that there was need to revolutionalise the sector to attract foreign investors and encourage Nigerians to do business and plan for it.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Dr Danju Danbala, delivering a keynote address, said commercial agriculture was the antidote to poverty and food insufficiency.
“In many developed economies cooperatives are known to have made invaluable impact in agriculture, commerce, industry and have transformed their society greatly. Not so in Nigeria, why?”, he said.
MoniePoint Inc. a digital financial firm in Nigeria, has said it is empowering community pharmacists across the country with innovative payment solutions to improve access to drugs.
The financial firm said it had also provided loans for pharmacists under the aegis of the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) to drive healthcare delivery in the country.
MoniePoint in a release titled, “Inside Nigeria’s community pharmacies: How Moniepoint drives healthcare access with payments and funding”, has reaffirmed its commitment to providing digital payment solutions to improve health outcomes in Nigeria.
The release examined how community pharmacies play a crucial role as vital access points for medical care in Nigeria, especially in areas with limited hospital or clinic access.
According to the release, the ACPN National Chairman, Ambrose Igwekwam, highlighted the critical role played by community pharmacies in Nigeria’s healthcare system over the years.
Igwekwam, however, expressed concerns over the challenges confronting the nation’s pharmaceutical industry which he said was hindering access to affordable medicines.
The pharmacist listed poor infrastructural systems, power, transportation, regulatory bottlenecks, importation dependency, and limited research opportunities as major challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector.
He also stressed the need for robust collaborative efforts with institutions like Moniepoint to strengthen the sector.
“As Nigeria continues to grow, improving local pharma manufacturing to meet the demands of this growth presents a key opportunity for us all.
“There is also the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, which is expected to boost our industry, especially when we start producing our drugs locally, which will provide the much needed foreign exchange from exports.
“We are also seeing advancements in digital health and technology which would hopefully deepen the practice of e-prescription in Nigeria”, the ACPN boss said.
Corlins Walter
In order to enhance customer service and streamline operations, the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) has called on stakeholders in the insurance industry to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The President of the institute, Yetunde Ilori, made this call at the 2024 Office Representatives Committee (ORC) Workshop, organised by the institute, with the theme “AI and the Future of the Insurance Industry”, in Lagos.
Ilori at the event, emphasised the importance of AI adoption, noting that it was not a threat to jobs but rather a tool to improve efficiency across the insurance sector.
“It is not about AI taking over our jobs, but about us using AI to simplify processes and give maximum satisfaction to all the customers we serve whether as underwriters, brokers, loss adjusters, or in educating our members”, she said.
The workshop, which brought players in the insurance sector together, aimed to address how AI could be leveraged to transform business processes and improve customer interactions.
The Chairman of the ORC, Monica Nwachukwu, underscored the role of AI in modernising the industry, adding, “AI can automate customer and claims processes, allowing insurers to provide faster and more efficient services to their customers”.
She explained how AI could help extract data from legacy systems, enhancing decision-making processes.
“By integrating AI with APIs, insurers can feed valuable data into AI solutions to improve operations and customer service”, she added.
In his address, the Managing Partner of A4S and Training Heights, Orlando Odejide, stressed the need for companies to align their strategies with future technologies like AI, especially as they prepare for 2025.
“Any organisation that wants to grow into the future must have its strategic plan in place. If your strategy for 2025 is not ready, it should be done by October”, he advised.
He encouraged participants to think critically about how AI could be integrated into their business models to ensure they remain competitive.
“The idea is for you to use this workshop as a platform to think about your organization and how AI can help streamline your processes and improve growth”, Odejide noted.
In order to gain global respect and recognition, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has reaffirmed its determination to pursue its goal in ensuring that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to positioning Nigeria as a key player in the global space economy.
In a statement by the Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale, NASRDA revealed that the Director-General of the agency, Matthew Adepoju, emphasised this during recent engagements at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Global Alliance Business Association international conference in Michigan, United States.
The statement noted that Adepoju outlined a forward-thinking agenda, stressing the importance of Nigeria’s space programme as a leader in research, exploration, and technological innovation.
“Our goal is to ensure that Nigeria’s space capabilities are recognised on the world stage.
“We must foster collaborations with global space agencies to enhance our satellite capabilities and technological infrastructure”, he stated.
The NASRDA boss said the agency is focusing on enhancing satellite capabilities, expanding international collaborations, and leveraging space science for national development.
He said NASRDA will have no stone unturned in pursuit of excellence, ensuring the agency secures the necessary resources and recognition to propel it forward.
“The relationships we build today will pave the way for tomorrow’s advancements in space science.
“Innovation and progress thrive in an environment built on collaboration and inclusivity”, he stated.
He emphasised that with the support of the government, international partners, and a dedicated team, NASRDA is poised to make significant strides in the evolving global space landscape.
“We are on the brink of a new era for Nigeria’s space agency. Together, we will ensure our nation stands out in the global space economy”, he said.
Corlins Walter