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Food smuggling: Customs deploy drones to monitor 1,500 illegal routes

In a move to tighten the noose on food smugglers, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has deployed drones and more operatives to restrict the diversion of foodstuff to neighbouring countries through about 1,500 identified illegal border crossings.

The National Public Relations Officer of Customs, Abdullahi Maiwada, confirmed to The PUNCH on Sunday that the NCS had increased its presence across the borders, including the illegal routes.

The development, he added, was in compliance with the Presidential directive to the security agencies to stop the smuggling of food out of the country as part of decisive measures to stem the food crisis in the country.

Amid the falling value of the naira, traders who deal in grains have been taking grains and other staples to Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon for higher profits.

This had driven up the prices of food in Nigeria, resulting in protests by citizens and attacks on food trucks by desperate citizens in some states.

Worried by the situation, President Bola Tinubu directed the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director, Department of State Services (DSS) to go after food hoarders and smugglers.

The government ruled out the importation of food as part of strategies to address the high costs of foodstuffs and the economic hardship troubling the country.

Following the directive, dozens of food trucks leaving the country had been intercepted and sent back.

Giving an update on the measures against food hoarding and smuggling, the NCS spokesman, Maiwada, explained that the deployment of drones was under the Trade Modernisation Project (TMP) of the Federal Government, noting that the equipment needed for the protection of the borders was being provided through the TMP.

“The deployment of drones and other software is part of our Trade Modernisation Project, which has been concessioned. The TMP was approved by the Federal Government for 20 years. So any development that has to do with what you are asking is part of the contract”, he stated.

In July 2023, it was reported that the NCS was collaborating with the Trade Modernisation Project Limited under a public, private partnership arrangement.

Speaking at the inauguration of the NCS Trade Modernisation Project management office in Abuja at the time, Saleh Ahmadu, chairman of the project, said the TMP would invest a total of $3.2 billion in the aforementioned period.

“The project would result in efficiency in NCS’ service delivery. Under the terms of the concession agreement, TMP will invest a total of $3.2 billion over a 20-year period, which will generate more than $200 billion in revenue for the Federal Government.

“As trade becomes increasingly complicated, the project will equip the NCS with the necessary technology tools and platforms to drive trade harmonisation”, Ahmadu had stated.

Asked about the number of personnel that would be recruited, the Customs spokesperson said, “We have recruited a large number of personnel in the last few years in terms of human resources. And even this year, based on the approved budget, there is going to be the recruitment of more junior staff to be able to effectively manage the border areas. I may not be able to give the exact figure now, but I know that over 2,000 officers have been recruited from 2019 till now.

“In terms of equipment, modernisation, the use of drones and other sophisticated technologies in managing the borders that are contained in our Trade Modernisation Project which is concessioned for 20 years.

“The concession agreement is between the Federal Government and Trade Modernisation Limited. They are providing scanners, software and all necessary technologies required at the seaports, airports and borders”.

On whether the concession was already in place, Maiwada stated that the concessionaires had started working.

“It is in place and they are working assiduously. They have started working and very soon we will see the manifestation of what they are doing”, he stated.

On the deployment of technology to check food smuggling, the chief superintendent of Customs admitted “There is still room for improvement”.

He added, “However, very soon you are going to see the deployment of Non-intrusive Inspection Technology across our borders. I think they are providing about 74 of them or more. These are to be deployed on the seaports, airports and land borders”.

NIT technologies are force multipliers that enable Customs officers to screen or examine a larger portion of the stream of commercial traffic while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade, cargo and passengers.

They include digital X-ray and vibration monitoring, ultra-high frequency analysis and dynamic contact resistance measurements

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Food

FG releases 2 new chicken breeds, 14 new high-yield crops varieties

FG charges Lagos dredgers, miners on land degradation

The Federal Government has released two new chicken breeds and 14 new high-yield crop varieties towards increasing agricultural production and improving the nutritional status of Nigerians.

The release of the new chicken breeds and the crop varieties were announced on Thursday during the 34th meeting of National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports

The Chairman, National Variety Release Committee (NVRC), Prof. Soji Olufajo, presided over the meeting attended by committee members as well as researchers, geneticists, scientists and breeders.

Olufajo explained that the registration and release of the two new chicken breeds and the varieties of seven crops were based on the recommendation of its two technical sub-committees.

He said the new chicken breeds are Noiler and Cobb 500, while the high-yield crops are wheat, barley, maize, caassava, rice Castor and conchorus.

NAN also reports that the technical sub-committee chaired by Prof. S. Ado during its 38th meeting on Tuesday deliberated on the 19 varieties received.

The sub-committee, after deliberation and consideration of the 19 submissions, recommended 14 varieties, which were put before the NVRC for final approval during the Thursday meeting.

In the same vein, the technical sub-committee during its 9th meeting on Wednesday deliberated on the two new chicken breeds received.

The sub-committee, chaired by Prof. Waheed Akin-Hassan, reported that the new chicken breeds – Noiler —- was a locally-developed dual purpose chicken while the Cobb 500 was a meat type chicken breed.

The two technical sub-committees thereafter on Thursday put their recommendations before the NVRC for final approval.

The NVRC, after exchange of ideas and proper scrutiny of the recommendations put before it, announced the registration and release of the 14 new crop varieties and the two new chicken breeds.

He emphasised that the two breeds were already in the hands of end users, such as poultry farmers, consumers and researchers, saying the release and registration of the breeds are to make it official.

In his remarks, the Director of NACGRAB, Dr Anthony Okere, expressed optimism that the release and registration of the crop varieties would enhance food sufficiency in the country.

Okere urged farmers to embrace the newly-released crops to enable them produce quality and quantity with little stress.

He equally commended the research institutions and other organisations which contributed towards the hosting of the meeting.

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Food

Ekiti returning to Awolowo’s Farm settlement era to boost food security – Oyebanji

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has said his administration is returning the state to the farm settlement era witnessed in the old Western Region under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, in order to boost agriculture and food security.

The Governor who utilized the Independence anniversary public holiday to undertake a visit to young farmers in three cluster areas in the state, on Tuesday disclosed this during his visit to the Ikere Farm settlement. He also said construction work on ultramodern dormitories at the farm settlements would commence within the next three weeks.

About 930 youths are involved in the youth agriculture scheme known as “ Bring Back Youth into Agriculture” being carried out the state government in collaboration with a private entity YSJ Farms. Under the scheme the Government provides land to the young farmers, assists them with land clearing and seedlings as well as agric extension services among others. It also has an arrangement to buy their products for storage purposes.

The Governor said he was determined to invest hugely in agriculture, as a form of empowerment for the youths, to ensure food security and to drive industrialization. He stressed that revamping the old farm settlement strategy of the late Chief Awolowo was the only way to ensure the young farmers stay on the farms and maximize government’s support for the scheme.

Governor Oyebanji also made stopovers at some farms and took time to personally interact with farmers and asked of their needs which he drew the attention of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr. Ebenezer Boluwade to for prompt action.

The proposed dormitories for the young farmers, according to him, would have facilities like sitting rooms, kitchens, security posts, sick bays, among others in his administration’s bid to attract more young farmers into agribusiness and turn the state into a huge agriculture hub.

The three clusters visited by the Governor and some officials included those in Eporo-Emure, Ikere and Aramoko-Erio where he monitored the young farmers who are participating in one of the agricultural initiatives of his administration “Bring Back the Youth in Agriculture.

Oyebanji also assured of the readiness of his administration to expedite action on other requests of the young farmers which include motorable roads, security at the locations and provision of vehicles and motorcycles to aid mobility of the participants.

The Governor had to defy the challenge of muddy and swampy terrain posed by the road which led to the Aramoko-Erio cluster by hopping on a motorcycle in his determined bid to reach the young farmers who were excited by his gesture of getting to the place to pay them a morale-boosting visit.

Oyebanji who had earlier paid visits to Oke Ako, Iyemero and Igede Farm Settlements over the weekend, said it was unacceptable for the people of the State to be complaining of hunger and be queuing up for palliative materials when the State is blessed with arable land, stressing that a paradigm shift has just begun with his administration’s investment in agriculture.

He described agriculture as a lucrative business noting that farmers are among the richest set of people in developed economies pointing out that the participating youths in particular and the state in general would reap bountiful harvest in agribusiness in the long run.

The Governor assured the youths of security in all the clusters visited, adding that a massive security cordon has been woven around the locations which he said would be consolidated upon to eliminate all forms of criminality in the area.

He commended the Chief Executive Officer of YSJ Farms, Mrs Yemisi Joluwe, for partnering with his administration to take agriculture to a higher pedestal.

Oyebanji explained that with the massive clearing of land for agricultural purposes carried out by his administration, the stage has been set for the resuscitation of farm settlements established during under the leadership of Awolowo to ensure mass production of food for location consumption, export and provision of job opportunities for the teeming youths.

“The land we are returning to now were last cleared by Chief Awolowo during his time as Premier in Western Region.

“This is the beginning of greater things that will happen in Ekiti State. Western Region was renowned for agriculture under Chief Awolowo and he developed Western Region without oil money and we had food surplus in those days. With what we are doing with our youths now, we are returning to the era of Awolowo’s farm settlements.

“In Ekiti State, only six local government chairmen have keyed into this initiative. I want to ask other local government chairmen that have not keyed into this project to do so.

“Within the next three weeks, construction of the dormitories will start. We now have more youths showing interest in the scheme, they will have that opportunity to join in the next stage once we get more land”, the Governor added .

The Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu Alagbado, who lauded the Governor’s vision to invest in agriculture pledged the support of his kingdom for the project and charged the youths of the town who are participants in the scheme to work hard and justify their inclusion.

In all the three locations visited by the Governor, the participants including Margaret Basorun, Olu Okeya, Kolawole Ganiyu and Folasade Filani hailed the state government and YSJ for giving them a platform for self development and to contribute to the state economy.

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Food

Zamfara govt begins distribution of 135 trucks of fertiliser to farmers

Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has inaugurated the distribution of 135 trucks of fertilizer to farmers across the state’s 14 Local Government Areas.

The ceremony took place at the Ministry of Agriculture, where the fertilizers had been stored.

In a statement released on Wednesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, it was announced that 81,000 bags of various fertilizers would be distributed free of charge to 40,500 farmers across the 14 Local Government Areas.

Governor Lawal emphasized his administration’s commitment to boosting agricultural production in Zamfara. “We are dedicated to overcoming challenges in the sector and providing our farmers with the necessary support and incentives,” he stated.

“Our goal is to ensure that agricultural activities extend beyond the rainy season and become a year-round endeavor, enhancing food sovereignty and increasing farmers’ incomes.”

He highlighted the importance of fertilizers in crop production, noting their role in enhancing soil fertility, increasing yields, and improving the quality of produce.

Governor Lawal also reiterated his earlier visits to all 14 Local Government Areas to launch the distribution of fertilizers and farming implements under the NG-CARES program.

“Fertilizer is crucial for effective crop production,” he said. “We will continue to work diligently to support our farmers and ensure they can cultivate their lands without fear.”

Concluding his remarks, Governor Lawal urged beneficiaries to use the fertilizers appropriately and assured them of ongoing support to foster a conducive environment for agricultural production in the state.

With these statements, Governor Lawal officially launched the distribution of 135 trucks of fertilizers for the 2024 wet season farming.

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