Agro Hub Nigeria

Nigeria’s Federal Universities of Agriculture have been returned from the supervision of the Ministry of Education to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Minister of Agriculture and Rural development – Chief Audu Ogbeh who made the disclosure at a recent stakeholders meeting with Vice Chancellors and Governing Boards of the universities in Abuja, said returning the universities to their original supervisory ministry was aimed at refocusing the institutions to fulfil their core mandates. Describing the move as one informed by sound reasoning and logic, the minster stated that the universities are expected to train Nigerian youths in agriculture, help to move agriculture forward and proffer solutions to the challenges faced in the sector especially in the area of research. Chief Ogbeh regretted the long departure of the universities from agricultural disciplines to non-agriculture courses such as accounting, engineering and medicine etc. which were being thought

The federal government of Nigeria has disclosed plans to stop importation of rice by 2018. The minister of agriculture and rural development, audu ogbeh made it known that the Federal Government targets at generating seven million tonnes of rice to fulfill the country's demand. “i suppose we've attained the level of being considered one of the largest manufacturers of rice, even though many humans are still doubtful about that. So, for people who say it isn't always true, i assume they want to take another appearance,” he expressed. He stated that Nigeria has gotten to the level in which it would not depend on different countries for rice production having located rice plantations in different international locations. “i've been in Vietnam , the same kind of rice plantation you spot there is what you spot in Nigeria ”, he said. He but cited that there has been need to enhance the milling ability to beautify production. “the simplest factor we need to feature is t

There are signs that the European Union is considering reversing its ban on Nigeria's agricultural produce as revealed by the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service .The Coordinating Director of the agency, Dr. Vincent Isegbe, gave the hint in Lagos at the opening of a two-day training workshop on plant health inspection and certification of vegetables for exporters and farmers. Isegbe revealed  that the EU had promised to reverse the ban if necessary measures were put in place before 2019.He lamented that the European Union ban on Nigeria’s beans had a crippling  effect on the economy, emphasizing the need for Nigeria to avoid such rejection of the Nation’s agricultural commodities in the future.According to him “We have had issues in the past concerning beans where the European Union suspended Nigeria for three years for beans export. That is not good for us because it means that all thefarmers who are producing beans can no more export the quantity that they used to export”.“

The Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh has said that The Green Alternative Policy roadmap will help to assemble agro information, harness intelligence & capacity and make knowledge available to farmers for practical implementation. The Minister said this in Abuja at the official launch and public presentation of the Green Alternative. He cited that it is a policy document that would exploit  the sector’s potential for economic development. Identifying the policy as central to the development of the agricultural sector, Ogbeh said it is an attempt to build on a previous foundation and avoid policy somersault. He added that, “we are not throwing old policies overboard but expanding, deepening and adjusting policies where necessary.” The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, speaking at the launch, said the problem has never been with the lack of policy but implementation. He thereby requested for the full participation of everyone as the new policy document navigates eve

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has launched a Smart Phone Application – “Wetin App” for flood forecasting especially along the Niger and Benue rivers. The application, which will be available on Google App Store is a collaborative project of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, said Nigeria sought the help of the International Agency to develop the application following the devastating flood of 2012 which led to huge destruction of farms, houses and human lives. The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Agricultural Businesses, Processing and Marketing, Alh. Azeez M. Olumuyiwa added that the country had decided to turn that bitter experience into a blessing by looking at the various ways farmers and government could take advantage of the tech

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has threatened to shut down any fertiliser plant that makes their product unaccessible to local farmerswhile exporting the same commodities. The minister made this decision following  allegations that one of the two big urea plants in the country is producing for export while selling to Nigerian farmers at a very  high rate, making affordability and accessibility very difficult. The minister disclosed this  in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on media, Dr. Kayode Oyeleye. He said: “Two urea plants are big enough to run the Nigerian demands. We know their capacities. But where there are allegations that some people are exporting instead of putting in the Nigerian market, and prices shot to N10,000 per bag of urea, we became extremely angry with them. Thank God now, many of them have started producing and putting into the market. The price is already dropping.” Ogbeh cited  that the Nigerian market is

The Federal Government in it's effort to provide food and employment , is set tostart its Graduate Farmers’ Scheme as the Minister of Water Resources, Engr. Suleiman H. Adamu starts  off the programme. Engr. Adamu launched the first Graduate Farmers’ Scheme recently at Kampe Irrigation Scheme (Ejiba), Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. It would be recalled that the Federal Government of Nigeria in June 2016 signed an agreement with the Songhai Nigeria Farms on Graduate Employment Scheme/Farm Settlement Schemes. The scheme would be located across the 109 Senatorial District. They will facilitate the ability of the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) to package their water services with the provision of complementary basic rural infrastructure which would improve agriculture and food security. According to the Director of River Basin Operations and Inspection of the ministry, Dr. Musa Ibrahim, the project is anchored by the Lower Niger Basin Development Author

Thai Borneo Energy Ltd, Thailand,and  Anambra Government are collaborating to attract agricultural investment projects worth up to 400 million dollars to the state. The Managing Director, Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency (ANSIPPA)Mr Billy Ekwunife made  this known  to the press after a meeting with the business group and others in Awka. Ekwunife stated that the main focus of the investors was massive farming and production of rice and oil oil palm for both  local consumption and for  export. “The state government will provide the land and some other logistics for the investment, while Thai Borneo Energy Ltd will finance the project through their partners, the Bukham Group. Their rice specie is quite different from the rice we have in the country, which will be harvested three times a year. The oil palm tree to be introduced is three times better than what is obtainable in Nigeria,” he said. Ekwunife cited that the investment will create jobs for unemployed