As Nigeria diversifies its economy from an oil dependent economy to make Agriculture its mainstay, many are beginning to think I outside the box. This implies that agriculture will no longer be treated to make something by the side but a real business. A lot of Nigerians including the young ones have keyed into the sector as their means of livelihood. Many are in the farm while many others are in other aspects of the value chain including processing.
Nigeria's largest Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric Plc (IE), has commenced a data capturing exercise of its numerous customers across its network. Head Corporate Communications, Mr. Felix Ofulue said this has become necessary to enable the company be able to reach its consumers promptly when the need arises.
The exporters of yam to the UK and the United States of America have disputed the reports, initially aired by the Africa Independent Television (AIT) purporting that the yams exported after the official launch of the programme on June 29, 2017 were rejected at their export destinations.
Based on the misleading reports in various media platform, the symbolic event, done at the Lilypond Container Terminal in Lagos, southwest Nigeria by the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, meant to boost the morale of Nigerian exporters and make a bold statement to the global marketplace, has drawn widespread criticism based on the misleading reports.
In line with the Nigeria's government decision to diversify its economy from a mono economy that was dependent on oil, to Agriculture as its mainstay, the Babcock University in collaboration with Mushroom Development Foundation Nigeria, MDF-N have taken steps to support government's efforts at making Agriculture a major foreign exchange earner as well as boost food production for local consumption. To this end, the university in partnership with MDF-N have set up Agropreneurship Centre where stakeholders in the agro value chain would be trained in necessary skills required to boost food production from cultivation to marketing of their agro products, while calling on supports from stakeholders and other good spirited Nigerians to support the project.
Nigeria's government’s effort at diversifying the economy away from oil took a giant leap after the National Committee on Export Promotion Council (NCEP), set up by the federal government at its inaugural meeting, identified mainly six potential commodity products as alternative to oil.
The thirteen-man NCEP was instituted last week by the National Economic Council (NEC) Chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on export promotion. The committee has a Zero Oil Plan (ZOP) initiative to replace oil as the major source of foreign exchange earner by growing non-oil exports from the present five billion dollars approximately to thirty billion dollars ($5 billion approximately to $30 billion) by 2025. The committee is expected to submit an interim report to the Federal Government by the 16th of November this year.
