The Federal Government in partnership with the African Development Bank and other stakeholders is set to roll out a Special-Agro Industrial Processing Zones programme aimed at concentrating agro-processing activities in demarcated areas to boost productivity and integrate production, processing and marketing of selected commodities.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), commended the progress in the plan at a meeting at the Presidential Villa on Friday, where he was briefed about the status of the collaboration.
Akande said: “Under the programme, the Nigerian government, in collaboration with the AfDB and working with other stakeholders such as the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Bank of Industry, will demarcate areas across the 36 States and the FCT where the agro-processing centres will be established. About 140 of such centers are being envisaged across the country.
“The agro-processing centres will be provided with basic infrastructure such as water, electricity and roads as well as facilities for skills training. Small-holder farmers in the catchment areas will be linked to markets across the value chain.
“To set off the plan in the opening phase, 7 States representing most of the geo-political zones in the country have been selected in addition to the Federal Capital Territory. The States are Ogun, Oyo, Imo, Cross River, Kano, Kaduna, Kwara. All the other States in the country would be added later as the scheme progresses.”
The programme aligns with the Economic Sustainability Plan and Next Level programme of the Buhari administration regarding agriculture.
Briefing Prof. Osinbajo on the progress made so far in the implementation of the programme, AfDB’s Acting Vice President, Agriculture, Human and Social Development, Toda Atsuko, said the bank in collaboration with other stakeholders was ready to start the first phase of the Special-Agro Industrial Processing Zones programme, having completed a joint appraisal mission across the 36 States with the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
Atsuko, who commended the Buhari administration for its efforts, said the success of the project is hinged on the political will of the Buhari administration, adding that the plan will create jobs and leverage on technology with significant youth participation.
Osinbajo said: “I am very pleased to see that work has advanced and quite a bit is already being done. There is a need to synergise really concretely with Green Imperative (which is the partnership with the Brazilians), I think there are areas where these two programmes can complement each other.
“I am absolutely certain that we have enough room given the sheer size of the agric enterprise in Nigeria, we have enough room to accommodate these programmes, especially when they are synergized in a way that it will benefit the entire sector.”
Emphasising the need to also ensure effective synergy with the 36 States, the Vice President said: “Again, synergy will be crucial with the States because there is no way of getting this thing done without a close collaboration with the States because the States are where these projects will be cited.”
Prof. Osinbajo then commended the efforts of all stakeholders on the project, noting: “This is a very good progress that we have made and we must ensure this actually works. Particularly with the collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.”
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Mohammed Nanono, and his counterpart in the Industry, Trade and Investment Ministry, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, were also at the meeting.
Earlier in his remarks, Nanono welcomed the partnership to establish agro-processing zones across the country, noting that it would be to the benefit of farmers and the agric sector at large.
He also emphasised the need for synergy of ideas and efforts to ensure that the Special-Agro Industrial Processing Zones programme complements the Green Imperative initiative of the Buhari administration.
On his part, Associate Vice President of the IFAD, Donal Brown, who joined virtually, said the organisation would co-finance the project with the AfDB with the view to creating an important opportunity for small-holder farmers in Nigeria to improve their farm yields, enhance their income and livelihoods.
Already, IFAD is working with about 150,000 Nigerian small holder farmers.
Besides the Ministers, other officials at the meeting included the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Matters, Dr. Adeyemi Dipeolu; MD/CEO of Bank of Industry, Kayode Pitan; and Senior Special Adviser to the AfDB President on Industrialisation, Prof. Oyebanji Oyeyinka.
- Commitment to creative arts, ideapreneurship will put Nigeria on global map – Adegunwa
Rite Foods Limited, makers of Bigi soft drinks and sausages, has recently restated its commitment to creative arts, ideapreneurship and the Nigerianness of positive energy portrayed through music, which it said it believes would put Nigeria on the global map.
Seleem Adegunwa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rite Foods Limited, made the statement at the maiden edition of Bigi Media Idol, held in Lagos.
“The purpose of having you is to first express our commitment to talent discovery in music through the Nigerian Idol, which we now sponsor, and secondly, espouse our interest in creative art and ideapreneurship,” he stated.
Adegunwa further explained that music brings the best out of our culture and Nigeria is littered with abundance of talents in music, movie, comedy, spoken words and dance.
“We are putting our weight behind the Nigerian Idol because it will bring the best out of the many talents we have in the country,” he said.
“For the best to be discovered, groomed and given the necessary push, there must be a propelling platform which the boss said, the company believes the Nigerian Idol provides.”
“We are putting our weight behind the Nigerian Idol because it will bring the best out of the many talents we have in this country. Bigi has come to take over the mic.”
It was a night of fun and laughter as different variants of Bigi drinks represented mics for top industry journalists and media practitioners who took over each variant mic to entertain guests and stakeholders with their sonorous voices in a keen music contest.
Rotimi Ige, a Nigerian Tribune Reporter, emerged winner of the grand prize of N250,000.
The sum of N150,000 was awarded to the first runner up, Osigwe Blessing, a reporter from High Society Magazine, while Funsho Arogundade, a reporter from PM Express, went home with N100,000.
All winners will also be given 1o crates of Bigi drinks each.
Arogundade stated that Rite Foods is taking its footprint in the creative industry higher by setting the pace and raising the bar for other corporations to emulate.
He said: “Rite Foods has clearly demonstrated its unwavering support and commitment to rewarding talents in the country.
“The bar has been raised for other brands and corporations to emulate this great feat by Rite Foods.”
All other contestants were awarded cash prizes of N50,000 each as Nigerian Idol music judges, Obi Asika and DJ Sose, were on ground to spice up the contest and select the best Bigi Media Idol of the year.
Established in 2007, Rite Foods Limited, a truly world-class and proudly Nigerian Food and Beverage Company, is a subsidiary of Ess-Ay Holdings.
Its product line comprises Bigi Cola, Bigi Orange, Bigi Apple, Bigi Bitter Lemon, Bigi Soda Water, Bigi Lemon & Lime, Bigi Tropical, Bigi Chapman, Bigi Tamarind, Bigi Cherry Cola, Bigi Ginger Lemon, Bigi Ginger Ale, Bigi Premium Table Water, Fearless Redberry and Fearless Classic Energy Drinks, Rite Spicy, Bigi Beef Sausage roll and Rite Sausage roll.
The company’s inventiveness has earned high recognition in the energy drinks market with the first ever packaged polyethylene terephthalate bottle brands for the Fearless Red Berry and Fearless Classic.
- Commitment to creative arts, ideapreneurship will put Nigeria on global map – Adegunwa
Rite Foods Limited, makers of Bigi soft drinks and sausages, has recently restated its commitment to creative arts, ideapreneurship and the Nigerianness of positive energy portrayed through music, which it said it believes would put Nigeria on the global map.Seleem Adegunwa, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Rite Foods Limited, made the statement at the maiden edition of Bigi Media Idol, held in Lagos.
“The purpose of having you is to first express our commitment to talent discovery in music through the Nigerian Idol, which we now sponsor, and secondly, espouse our interest in creative art and ideapreneurship,” he stated.
Adegunwa further explained that music brings the best out of our culture and Nigeria is littered with abundance of talents in music, movie, comedy, spoken words and dance.
“We are putting our weight behind the Nigerian Idol because it will bring the best out of the many talents we have in the country,” he said.
“For the best to be discovered, groomed and given the necessary push, there must be a propelling platform which the boss said, the company believes the Nigerian Idol provides.”
“We are putting our weight behind the Nigerian Idol because it will bring the best out of the many talents we have in this country. Bigi has come to take over the mic.”
It was a night of fun and laughter as different variants of Bigi drinks represented mics for top industry journalists and media practitioners who took over each variant mic to entertain guests and stakeholders with their sonorous voices in a keen music contest.
Rotimi Ige, a Nigerian Tribune Reporter, emerged winner of the grand prize of N250,000.
The sum of N150,000 was awarded to the first runner up, Osigwe Blessing, a reporter from High Society Magazine, while Funsho Arogundade, a reporter from PM Express, went home with N100,000.
All winners will also be given 1o crates of Bigi drinks each.
Arogundade stated that Rite Foods is taking its footprint in the creative industry higher by setting the pace and raising the bar for other corporations to emulate.
He said: “Rite Foods has clearly demonstrated its unwavering support and commitment to rewarding talents in the country.
“The bar has been raised for other brands and corporations to emulate this great feat by Rite Foods.”
All other contestants were awarded cash prizes of N50,000 each as Nigerian Idol music judges, Obi Asika and DJ Sose, were on ground to spice up the contest and select the best Bigi Media Idol of the year.
Established in 2007, Rite Foods Limited, a truly world-class and proudly Nigerian Food and Beverage Company, is a subsidiary of Ess-Ay Holdings.
Its product line comprises Bigi Cola, Bigi Orange, Bigi Apple, Bigi Bitter Lemon, Bigi Soda Water, Bigi Lemon & Lime, Bigi Tropical, Bigi Chapman, Bigi Tamarind, Bigi Cherry Cola, Bigi Ginger Lemon, Bigi Ginger Ale, Bigi Premium Table Water, Fearless Redberry and Fearless Classic Energy Drinks, Rite Spicy, Bigi Beef Sausage roll and Rite Sausage roll.
The company’s inventiveness has earned high recognition in the energy drinks market with the first ever packaged polyethylene terephthalate bottle brands for the Fearless Red Berry and Fearless Classic.
– Ifeoma Ekeke
