Having seen the impacts of climate change on rural farmers and rural settlements, we appeal to climate researchers and environmental activists to raise their voices in pushing advocacy and campaigns for climate justice and resilience actions.
A flooded farmland
The campaign is most fundamental because we have seen climate change becoming a major threat facing rural farmers in Nigeria. Addressing it will be a major milestone in curbing food security and eliminating hunger.
Across rural communities in Nigeria especially the northern zone, we have seen how farmers are becoming vulnerable to climate change. Farmers in Gombe, Yobe, Sokoto, Jigawa, and Abuja just to mention five among many, are facing poverty and starvation.
For instance, rural farmers in Yobe and Abuja are facing poor harvests while a good number of them are struggling to grow food crops. A situation they attribute to a shortage in rainfall that is a consequence of climate change.
In another narrative, FCT-Abuja community farmers who spoke to MAWA-Foundation pointed out how soils are drying rapidly because of high temperatures. The farmers say apart from a shortage of rainfall, pests and diseases are invading their farms on a large scale, contributing to poor yields and harvests.
They also pointed out that raising livestock is becoming increasingly difficult, mainly because fodder and pasture for livestock are becoming harder to find because of dry weather conditions. In a rural community like Kanzo, in Kuje Area Council of FCT-Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, farmers say excess hot weather condition is drying up their source of water and exposing them to more dangerous conditions.
Corroborating this claim, a report by Aljazeera shows how rural farmers at Toshia community in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe state, northeast Nigeria are suffering climate change impacts.
Having seen climate change in rural communities in Nigeria, there is an urgent need for increased public financing targeted at climate change solutions. And, in doing that, all three tiers of governments, from the federal to local governments, must have a functional approach with tree planting as a core, targeted at addressing climate justice.
We are aware that past efforts by the government such as the African Union’s Great Green Wall initiative targeted at climate change mitigation and adaptation failed because of no community involvement in the design and implementation.
We appeal that in designing climate justice initiatives, community engagement using the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) approach, must be prioritised. This will enable communities the initiatives are meant to serve to get connected to them and own the process by ensuring they succeed, and remarkable impacts are recorded.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will deliver a set of reports assessing the latest climate change science during the seventh assessment cycle. More than 300 delegates from 120 governments decided on the IPCC’s scientific structure of work for the new cycle at the Panel’s 60th Plenary session, which concluded on Saturday, January 20, 2024, in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Jim Skea, IPCC Chair
In deliberations during the four-day meeting, the governments agreed to produce the three Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report, namely the Working Group I report on the Physical Science Basis, the Working Group II report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability and the Working Group III report on Mitigation of Climate Change. The Synthesis Report of the Seventh Assessment Report will be produced after the completion of the Working Group reports and released by late 2029.
The Panel decided already during the previous cycle to produce a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities and a Methodology Report on Short-lived Climate Forcers. Scientists have also been asked to deliver a Methodology Report on Carbon Dioxide Removal Technologies, Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage.
In addition, a revision of the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation as well as adaptation indicators, metrics and guidelines, will be developed in conjunction with the Working Group II report and published as a separate product.
“The Panel has taken a critical step in plotting the course for the entire cycle. Their decisions reflect the interest of member governments in getting policy-relevant, timely and actionable scientific information as soon as possible and providing input to the 2028 second Global Stocktake. There is a notable emphasis on adaptation to climate change,” said IPCC Chair, Jim Skea.
“Today’s decision is also a clear signal to the scientific community that the work on the new assessments of the climate change science can now begin in earnest.”
The delegates also decided on a range of budgetary and other matters related to the delivery of reports, as well as on the admission of new observer organisations and IPCC’s scholarship programme.
Malaria continues to be a significant public health challenge in Nigeria, with millions of cases reported annually.
Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare
Malaria is an acute fever illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. Though it can be a cause of death, it is preventable and curable.
In spite various efforts to combat the disease, including the distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets and the administration of antimalarial drugs, Nigeria still grapples with high morbidity and mortality rates related to malaria.
One critical factor in effectively tackling this disease is the presence of strong political will and sustained commitment from government authorities, policymakers, and stakeholders.
However, the decline in cases and fatalities falls short of meeting the benchmarks outlined in the World Health Organisation (WHO) Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030.
This strategy serves as a technical guide for achieving the corresponding Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Alarmingly, the deceleration in the reduction of malaria incidence and mortality has been evident since 2015, with numerous countries worldwide reporting spikes in cases.
Notably, between 2016 and 2017, all 10 African countries, including Nigeria with the highest malaria burden, experienced an increase in cases.
This trend raises significant concerns, necessitating immediate action to realign the response efforts.
However, on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024, the World Health Organisation (WHO) certified Cape Verde as being malaria-free, hailing it as a significant milestone in the fight against the disease.
Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 islands in the central Atlantic Ocean, faced severe epidemics in densely populated areas before it implemented targeted interventions.
“It gives us hope that with existing tools, as well as new ones including vaccines, we can dare to dream of a malaria-free world,” WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, had said in a statement.
Worldwide, some 43 countries have been certified malaria-free by the WHO, which requires showing that the domestic chain of transmission has been broken for at least three consecutive years.
According to Severe Malaria Observatory, Statistics and Facts of Malaria in Nigeria, malaria is a pervasive health issue in the country, affecting 97 per cent of the population.
It says the predominant malaria species was Plasmodium falciparum, transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. In 2021, the country reported the highest global malaria cases and deaths.
It says efforts to combat malaria include the High Burden High Impact approach, the 2021–2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan, and securing $364 million from multilateral banks. Severe malaria treatment shifted to injectable artesunate.
It also notes that malaria in pregnancy faces challenges in sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine uptake, slightly decreased insecticide-treated net ownership , as well as seasonal malaria chemoprevention in the Sahel region aimed to cover 35 million children.
It highlights the healthcare sector and efforts on malaria control, elimination and prevention.
“Healthcare tiers range from federal to local levels.
“The public health care system covers tertiary, secondary, and primary care. Nigeria receives funding from various sources for malaria control, with Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC), programmes implemented in specific states.
“Populations with low access to treatment include those in North Eastern Nigeria due to insurgencies, rural communities, and nomadic populations.”
Meanwhile, the WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Moeti Moshido, commends Nigeria at the launch of the 2022 Nigeria Malaria Report in Abuja for a significant 55 per cent reduction in malaria deaths, from 2.1 to 0.9 per 1000 population.
Moshido says despite the country contributing 27 per cent of global malaria cases, progress has been made, with a 26 per cent decline in malaria incidence since 2000.
“The Report on Malaria in Nigeria 2022 is an excellent model from which to use data to prioritise health interventions.
“Using data, we can prioritise and target interventions, optimise the allocation of resources and facilitate the monitoring of performance at federal and state levels.
“This report is a result of the collaboration between the Nigeria Malaria Elimination Programme, the WHO Regional Office for Africa, and the Global Malaria Programme,” she says.
She emphasises the importance of maintaining essential health services, particularly in populations affected by humanitarian emergencies. Environmental factors like climate change and certain practices may increase transmission.
To also show the will to eliminate malaria, efforts by the federal government to eliminate malaria are emphasised in the 2024 budget where there is an allocation of N57.392 billion without details.
This sum of money is for a new project titled “Immunisation plus and malaria progress by accelerating coverage and transforming services (impact)–immunisation (multilateral/bilateral project tied loan).”
Considering the huge sum of N57.392 billion, experts say a breakdown of the amount should have been provided.
“It would have been better if a little more detail were provided.
“There is a need for the country to foster a multi-sectoral approach, to build and sustain the political will to eliminate malaria within its borders,” they say.
Proffering some ways forward, Mr Odinaka Kingsley Obeta, a Biomedical Scientist and Executive Director of Block Malaria Africa, stresses the need for sustained political commitment in the country’s fight against malaria, citing Algeria’s success after over 20 years of dedication.
He also emphasises the need for increased youth engagement in the fight against malaria considering that youths makeup over 60-70 per cent of the Nigerian population.
According to him, this strategy has already been adopted in Kenya, Zambia, Eswatini and a number of countries in Africa with outstanding contributions already being made by young people in these countries towards achieving zero malaria.
Obeta says some factors impede efforts at eliminating malaria of which some are the evolving challenges, including antimalarial drug resistance, fake antimalarials, and new threats such as climate change and the emergence and spread of Anopheles stephensi across Africa.
He criticises the country’s inconsistency in commitment, noting a decline in external funding due to insufficient domestic support.
He highlights the country’s limited involvement in the clinical trials and production process of the recently approved malaria vaccines, expressing concern about the nation’s seriousness in tackling the global burden of the disease despite being a high burden country.
“The low funding support for the Nigeria National Malaria Elimination Programme raises questions about the government’s commitment to malaria eradication,” he says.
Prof. Oyewale Tomori, a Virologist, advocates that the country studies the successful malaria eradication strategies of countries like Cape Verde.
Tomori says the need for a multifaceted approach involving reliable laboratory diagnosis, street-wise diagnosis, therapeutics, mosquito control, environmental sanitation, and vaccination.
He underscores the importance of coordinated efforts from individuals and governments, stating that both play crucial roles in ending malaria.
He calls for proper education to define specific responsibilities for all stakeholders, rejecting the idea that the government alone can achieve sustained malaria eradication.
Instead, he emphasises collective responsibility to address the malaria challenge.
Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Ilorin and Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, also says multifaceted approaches are need to achieve the fight to end malaria.
“Nigeria is progressing steadily, but the malaria situation varies among countries, making comparisons challenging.
“To strengthen our gains, we must enhance intervention coverage, target them effectively, and pursue malaria vaccine access.
“Insecticide resistance prompts the procurement of costlier nets, while deploying additional strategies like Indoor Residual Spray and Larva source management is crucial, especially in high-burden states,” he says.
Mokuolu, who is also the former National Malaria Technical Director, says uptake of the malaria vaccine and ensuring continuous improvement in data quality are essential measures the country could use.
Meanwhile, Dr Charles Ugwuanyi, a Consultant Neurosurgeon and NMA-FCT, emphasises the importance of developing and executing comprehensive public awareness campaigns in the country to educate citizens on malaria’s devastating effects.
Ugwuanyi urges political leaders to publicly commit to ending malaria, allocating resources to maintain momentum and political will.
“Collaborating with civil society organisations, advocacy groups, and international partners can mobilise support and resources for malaria control.
“Establishing transparent monitoring and evaluation systems ensures accountability and effective resource utilisation in the fight against malaria.
“Engaging local communities is crucial for grassroots support, sustaining political will through collective action, and advocating for improved access to prevention and treatment services.
“Supporting research and innovation in malaria control demonstrates the value of ongoing investment, providing evidence for policymakers to prioritise these efforts,” he says.
He also recommends that the government establishes dedicated funds and sustainable financing mechanisms for malaria control programmes to ensure continuous support and resources.
Stakeholders led by the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have visited Foropa, a fishing settlement along the Atlantic coastline in Bayelsa State in Nigeria, to assess the impact mystery spill reported on January 3, 2024.
An oil spill site
Mystery spills refer to crude oil leaks from unknown sources where there are many oil firms operating near each other.
The visiting team include officials from NOSDRA Yenagoa field office, Bayelsa State Ministry of Environment and Bayelsa State Ministry of Mineral Resources.
Others are representatives of Foropa Community and all the operators operating within the spill impacted areas.
A notification letter signed by Pastor Olabai Olozulu, traditional ruler of Foropa, Middleton, on Jan. 8, indicated that the oil leak at the coastline was noticed on Jan. 3.
Mr Darius Sese, Chairman of Community Development Committee (CDC) in Foropa who spoke in a telephone chat, said the Joint Investigative Visit (JIV) involved representatives from all the oil firms operating in the area.
He said that the traditional ruler of the area, Olozulu, led the JIV team to the spill impacted areas.
He listed the operators to include First E & P, Conoil Exploration, NEPL, Shell and Nigdel United Oil Company.
He explained that the joint team took samples, which would be taken to the reference laboratory in Port Harcourt in Rivers State to determine the source.
He lamented that the incident had adversely impacted fishing in the area.
He said that fishermen no longer made catch since the spill occurred as fishes had migrated deeper into the Atlantic waters away from the coastline.
The Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, on Friday, January 19, 2024, reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to collaborating with key stakeholders to restore Jabi Lake.
Minister of State for Water Resources and Sanitation, Alhaji Bello Goronyo, with project officials at the comprehensive progress report presentation in Abuja
The announcement came to light during a comprehensive progress report presentation which held in Abuja.
Expressing deep concern over the diminishing eco-hydrological value of Jabi Lake, Goronyo attributed the decline to encroachments by miscreants and vandals.
Stressing the urgency of halting unauthorised activities threatening the lake and its ecosystem, the Minister emphasised the need to preserve it for future water needs.
During the presentation, Goronyo shed light on the challenges faced by the eco-hydrology research team, citing increased building structures around the lake as hindering access to its shorelines.
He assured stakeholders of the government’s unwavering commitment to reaching out and collaborating to address these threats and safeguard Jabi Lake.
Prof. Emmanuel Adanu, Chairman of the Regional Centre for Integrated River Basin Management (RC-IRBM), underscored the importance of addressing identified threats and security challenges in the Jabi area.
Dr Sani Ahmed, Coordinator of Training and Education at RC-IRBM Project Desk Office, provided updates on research and capacity building in eco-hydrology and Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) on Jabi Lake.
Highlighting escalating threats due to rapid urbanisation and socio-economic activities, Ahmed emphasised the adoption of eco-hydrology as a crucial strategy for reviving the lake.
He stressed the potential for gaining valuable insights into threats confronting the water body and developing effective approaches to mitigate them.
Ahmed revealed that embracing eco-hydrology for Jabi Lake would effectively tackle Water Resources Management challenges impacting the lake and its surrounding ecosystems.
Additionally, it becomes instrumental in safeguarding and preserving vital water resources to meet future demands, he said.
Considering the lake’s role as a habitat for migratory birds, eco-hydrology practices aim to preserve the lake’s ecosystem and establish Jabi Lake as a model for eco-hydrology in Nigeria, supported by UNESCO.
Chosen as Nigeria’s first eco-hydrology demonstration site, Jabi Lake faces threats that demand collaborative efforts for conservation.
The eco-hydrology programme, supported by UNESCO, aims to integrate social, ecological, and hydrological research to develop effective policies for Water Resources Management.
A legal practitioner in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Mr Abayomi Fabunmi, has called on the Federal Government to enact a law against siting petrol and gas stations in communities.
An NNPC station in Lagos
Fabunmi, who gave the advice in an interview on Friday, January 19, 2024, said that the havoc caused by Premium Motor Spirit, known as Petrol, kerosene, diesel and Gas on lives and properties was alarming.
According to him, town planners should justify their work by doing it right, saying that approving filling stations within the residential premises is bad.
“They must know fully that whatever we do on earth, either good or bad, we would give account of it before the Almighty God.
“Gone are the days when filling stations are sited at the extreme end of the town but, now, town planners would approve filling and gas stations within, without minding the adverse effect of loss of lives and properties,” Fabunmi said.
The lawyer urged town planners to ensure that they give enough space for vehicular movement, to curb any crisis that might arise.
He admonished petroleum marketers to emulate developed countries, using underground pipelines, rather than tankers carrying petroleum products which could explode and destroy lives and properties.
Fabunmi urged filling station owners to get the necessary materials for precaution, such as fire extinguishers and also respond to distress calls, among others.
He emphasised: “We have one life to live and once it is affected, there is no remedy.’’
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) has boosted the economic value of 1,000 Nigerians with the planting of 276,860 trees in 2023 in its Green Recovery Nigeria (GRN) programme.
L-R: Joseph Onoja, Director General, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF); Odiri Erewa-Meggison, FCIS, Board Director, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF); Oludare Odusanya, General Manager, British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation; and others at a tree planting flag-off
This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Oladapo Soneye, the Head Communications, NCF, on Thursday, January 18, 2024, in Lagos.
Soneye said the overall goal of the GRN programme was to contribute and facilitate reforestation scheme in 25 per cent of Nigeria’s total landmass.
According to him, the GRN is a 30-year programme that will run from 2017 to 2047, while simultaneously promoting actions to curb further deforestation and forest degradation.
He mentioned other activities of the programme to include fuel-efficient cook stove training, provision of clean water, employment as eco-guards, tree nursery raising, enterprise development around non-timber forest products and many others.
Soneye noted that the livelihood support component of the GRN programme was to reduce total dependence of communities on the forest and to reduce deforestation caused by fuel-wood extraction.
Others are encouraging conservation of wildlife, and prevent hideouts of criminals in the forest reserves.
He listed some of the beneficiary communities in the livelihood component to include Iko Esai and Becheve in Cross River; Ajingi in Kano; Guzape in Abuja; Awka-Etiti in Anambra, among others.
“The tree planting exercise happened across the six geo-political zones of the nation.
“Economic trees planted include avocado, mango, cashew, orange and timber trees like Melina and teak etc.
“The trees were planted in forest reserves, national parks, community forests, secondary schools, and tertiary institutions among others,” Soneye said.
He said the livelihood support and tree planting projects were made possible through the support of the German Government through the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union and Stanbic IBTC Holdings.
He mentioned others supporters of the programme as Access Corporation, AFR100, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, International Labour Organisation and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.
Others are the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, ATC Nigeria Wireless Infrastructure Ltd., and many others.
The NCF is the foremost environmental NGO dedicated to nature conservation and biodiversity resource management for over 40 years.
It has remained resolute in ensuring that people live and prosper in harmony with nature.
Leading (re)insurance companies SiriusPoint, Riverstone International, Enstar Group, and specialty insurers Blenheim and SA Meacock, have reportedly ruled out involvement in the controversial East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project.
Total is participating in the controversial East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), in partnership with Tullow Oil and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC)
A total of 28 (re)insurers are said to have declared they will not offer insurance for EACOP because of the significant pollution and human rights risks it poses.
These decisions come after months of targeted efforts by environmental organisations, including Coal Action Network, Insure Our Future and StopEACOP, to hold insurance firms accountable for their involvement in dirty energy projects that endanger local communities and pollute vital ecosystems.
Observers believe that pressure will now grow on remaining insurers, including AIG, Tokio Marine, Chaucer and Hiscox, to rule out involvement in the pipeline.
Riverstone International announced in a statement to campaigners that it “does not underwrite the EACOP project directly or indirectly, and nor does it intend to”. Enstar, Blenheim and SA Meacock offered equally clear statements, while SiriusPoint confirmed: “(We are) not participating in the EACOP tender.”
According to StopEACOP officials, these companies’ decisions to publicly distance themselves from EACOP underscore the project’s increasing financial risk and the growing consensus on the need to protect current and future generations from dangerous overheating and extreme weather events.
The proposed pipeline is majority-owned (62%) by French oil giant Total, with stakes also held by the state oil companies of China, Uganda and Tanzania. However, the project has struggled to raise adequate insurance, as well as $3 billion needed in financing, causing construction to be delayed by over four years.
Uganda’s Energy Minister said in October 2023 that securing insurance has been the biggest challenge to the pipeline’s construction. Industry sources say local and international criticism has led Western banks to recoil from the project, while Chinese lenders are still months from making a final decision as they assess potential blowback.
There is agreement among climate scientists that new or expanded fossil fuel projects, like EACOP, threaten the future of human life on Earth.
Plans for the 1443 km pipeline, intended to stretch from Hoima in Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania, have been marred by disturbing crackdowns on environmental and human rights defenders by authorities in Uganda and Tanzania.
Reports from Global Witness and Human Rights Watch have detailed harassment, rights infringements and dozens of arbitrary arrests, while the European Parliament has condemned the project.
Faith leaders have also discovered massive disruption of sacred burial grounds to make way for the pipeline.
Seven Ugandan university students were recently imprisoned for peacefully petitioning their government to halt EACOP and were held at the Luzira Maximum Security Prison for weeks prior to their release.
Meanwhile, seven other peaceful protesters, arrested on November 20, 2023, have been charged with “incitement to violence” for delivering a petition to the Chinese embassy in Kampala and are currently awaiting trial. The arrests have been condemned by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders.
The recent COP28 reportedly made history, as over 190 nations finally acknowledged the necessity of transitioning away from fossil fuels and the importance of financial institutions investing in clean solutions.
Building on that momentum, the insurance industry was urged to take responsibility to help steer the world towards a safe, healthy and just future. The withdrawal of SiriusPoint, Riverstone, Blenheim, Enstar and SA Meacock from the EACOP project is seen as a step in that direction.
Will Attenborough, Climate Finance Strategist for Coal Action Network, said: “Insurers are the great enablers. They can determine whether polluters continue to put our kids and communities in danger, or whether we build clean energy solutions that will protect us from global overheating. What will AIG and Chaucer choose at this crucial moment? Short-term profits from dirty energy, leading to increasingly violent wildfires, floods and rising food prices? Or the safe, healthy world we all want for our loved ones? We need companies like Tokio Marine and Hiscox to make the right choice now – later is too late.”
StopEACOP Campaign Coordinator, Zaki Mamdoo said: “The decision by SiriusPoint, Riverstone International, Enstar Group, Blenheim and SA Meacock to rule out involvement in the EACOP project is a significant win and further proof that even the insurance industry, with its deep-seated history in providing cover for the harmful and damaging projects of profit-driven corporations, is waking up to the enormous climate and socio-economic risks of supporting new oil and gas projects. We urge the remaining insurers linked to EACOP, including Lloyd’s and Liberty Mutual, to follow suit and withdraw in the face of widespread human rights abuses and threats to communities and protected ecosystems across East Africa.”
Samuel Okulony, Director of Environment Governance Institute Uganda, said: “The withdrawal of these insurers deals a major blow to the viability of the EACOP project and provides hope to local communities facing displacement and activists risking their lives to defend land and nature. The lack of insurance and rising costs reinforce that this pipeline contradicts Uganda’s climate commitments and the need for a just transition that protects human rights. Given the devastating social and environmental consequences, we call on all remaining project partners to put frontline communities above profit.”
The Lagos State Government says it is committed to implement the five-year Agricultural and Food Systems Roadmap to achieve 40 per cent food self-sufficiency by 2025.
Rice farming
Ms Abisola Olusanya, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, stated this at the Lagos Food Systems Stakeholders’ Breakfast Meeting, on Thursday, January 18, 2024, in Lagos.
The five-year Agricultural Food Systems Roadmap was launched in 2021 by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Olusanya said the state government would provide funds for agric service providers, improved rice paddy production and land bank collaboration with sister states.
“We will go live on eight projects which include, Central Logistics Hub, Lagos Aquaculture Centre of Excellence (LACE), capacity building for horticulture stakeholders, full operations and capacity building for stakeholders in the Lagos Food Production Centres.
“Others are execution of state-wide intervention and Green Wall Initiative,” she said.
Olusanya listed others as the establishment of Agricultural Value Chains Entreprise Activation Programme, Agri-thon, Lagos Cares, Lagos Entrepreneurship Programme and the Lagos Agric Scholars Programme.
“The state government will also create the Lagos Agrinnovation Clusters, the Food Value Chains’ Destination, the Lagos Central Food Security System and Logistics Hub and the Middle Level Agro Product Hub.”
Olusanya said part of the roadmap was to increase production of rice paddy in order to meet with the growing rice consumption of the state.
The commissioner said the state government would increase the production of rice paddy by partnering with other sister states such as Niger and Kebbi states on land bank collaboration.
Olusanya listed the projects to be undertaken by the state government to include Lagos Rice Mill, the Central Logistics Hub, the Red Meat Initiative, Lagos Feedlot System and Butchers’ Academy, among others.
The commissioner said the ministry would set up the Lagos Feedlot System, establishment of Butchers’ Academy, creation of Last mile meat Shop.
Olusanya said the purpose of the meeting was to intimate the stakeholders on the ministry’s activities for the year 2024 and also get their contributions.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the governor on Agriculture, Dr Oluwarotimi Fashola, said the state government would require N50 billion to produce 100,000 tonnes of rice paddy in 2024.
Fashola said the Imota Rice Mill was able to produce 15,000 tonnes of rice paddy in 2023.
“We started off with about 5,000 tonnes of paddy and with the genuity of the team we were able to partner with the Commodity and Exchange Board that brought another close to 10,000 paddy for us to end the year.
“We were able to do roughly about 15,000 tonnes of paddy which is over 120,000 bags of rice in 2023, but this year we are hoping to do 100,000 tonnes of paddy.
“Believe me, that is not cheap because last year we started about N200,000 per ton but today as I speak, the cost of paddy is about N510,000 per ton.
“In other words, if we are going to do 100,000 tonnes per paddy we will need N50 billion,” he said.
Fashola said the state government was currently in talks with Niger and Kebbi states to give them farmers on a large scale that it could buy paddy from at reasonable costs.
Also, Mr Emmanuel Olotu, Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture, urged stakeholders in the agric space to improve agricultural production in 2024.
Olotu commended the Ministry of Agriculture for its contributions in heading the programme to allow them to collectively share the goal and projects for the year 2024.
He said: “Our shared goal should be the development of resilient and efficient that can benefit our farmers and customers, and improve on the agricultural plan agenda.
“Lagos State through the Ministry of Agriculture is to create agro stakeholders in order to leverage on the developmental agenda of the state.”
Olotu said as agro stakeholders their role was pivotal by maximising the ground work led by the ministry.
He urged stakeholders to collectively shape the food system by offering a full support to unlock the full potential of food system and contribute to the development of agriculture in state.
The state’s Head of Civil Service, Mr Olabode Agoro, said the state government was bringing back operation feed the nation by allowing the civil servants to participate in the agricultural sector.
Agoro said his mother, a retired civil servant, was also into agriculture produce, urging the civil servants in the state to engage in the agriculture.
In his remarks, Mr Mosopefolu George, the State Commissioner for Economy, Planning and Budget, said the state government has already increased its budget on agriculture.
George attributed the increase to the importance of food chain and agriculture system to the state.
He noted that the ministry had been doing well in the area of rice mills, food and logistics hub, just to mention a few.
The Federal Govemment has identified the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry as one of pivotal ministries critical to achieving a one trillion dollar economy by 2026.
Fourth from right: Mr Pius Akutah, Executive Secretary, NSC; Mr Etienne Rocher of TICT, with other official of NSC and TICT on Thursday in Lagos
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), Mr Pius Akuta, said this on Thursday, January 18, 2024, during a courtesy visit at the Tincan Island Container Terminal Ltd., Lagos.
Akuta added that the Federal Government had concluded plans to come up with policy documents that would boast port efficiency.
President Bola Tinubu in October 2023 set a target of growing the economy to $1 trillion by 2026 and increasing it to $3 trillion by the end of the decade in 2030.
Akuta said that the President and his New Hope Agenda for this country was looking at moving from $500 billion economy to $1 trillion economy by 2026.
“We have a lot of issues to put together and Nigeria has taken a bold steps by establishing the Marine and Blue and that is geared towards restructuring the marine environment so that it contributes to the Gross Domestic Product of the country.
“The minister has been working day and night meeting with stakeholders on issues relating to challenges the sector is facing and a policy will be roled out to address these issues so as to ensure port efficiency.
“To achieve port efficiency, there is need for stakeholders impute. On tariff, if we achieve port efficiency, the turnaround time is improved and it will trickle down,” he said.
Akuta noted that going forward, things would change drastically, the checkpoint would be looked at holistically and steps would be taken in all directions to improve port efficiency.
He described automation as the most important way to go in terms of port efficiency, stating that this would lead to less gridlock on the port corridors.
“My concern also is achieving the International Cargo Tracking Note that will help all stakeholders in cargo clearance and the country achieve port efficiency.
“This is in the front burner of the presidency and we are going to work to achieving it in record time and probably before the end of the year,” he said.
Earlier, the Managing Director/CEO, Tincan Island Container Terminal Ltd., Mr Etienne Rocher, said the rehabilitation and modernisation of Lagos ports were critical to meeting the requirements that would attract shipping lines and make the country competitive in West and Central Africa.
Rocher also blamed poor access roads as one of the obstacles hindering ease of doing business in the country.
He noted that the number of containers handled by the terminal had reduced due to congestion.
“Although rail and barge are alternatives for evacuation of cargoes from the seaports, they remain secondary to the roads, which remains the core avenue for cargo movement and take up about 97 per cent of the consignments,” he said.
Rocher wondered how it took less than 24-hour to clear the port access roads of traffic during presidential visit to the port and a whole decade to resolve the issue permanently.
