Tag Archives: 2018

Nigeria targets seven million tonnes of rice by 2018.

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The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, says the Federal Government is targeting the production of seven million tonnes of rice by 2018.

Briefing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Mr. Ogbeh said that the target, which would be achieved by the second quarter of 2018, was to meet the national consumption rate.

“I think we have attained the level of being one of the largest producers of rice, even though many people are still in doubt about that.

“So, for those who say it is not true, I think they need to take another look.

“I have been in Vietnam, the same kind of rice plantation you see there is what you see in Nigeria.

“The only thing we need to add is the milling capacity, which we are increasing,’’ he said.

The minister, however, attributed the current hike in price of rice to the increase in the people’s demand for the produce.

Mr. Ogbeh said that the country was feeding more than 193 million citizens as well as 100 million others in West and North Africa.

“Nobody argues the fact that trucks come in from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Chad, Mali, to Funtua in Katsina to load our grains,” he said.

On rice milling, the minister said that the Federal Government recently advertised no fewer than 100 rice mills for sale and distribution to farmers.

Mr. Ogbeh said that this would assist rice farmers to boost their production, while reducing the price of the produce and boosting the food security of the country.

“Our milling capacity is still not up to speed but we want to improve.

“Some of the mills, which will mainly go to cooperatives, will do 10 tonnes a day, some 20 tonnes, some 50 tonnes and some 100 tonnes.

“The terms of sale and distribution of the mills to communities and farmers will be very generous,” he said.

Mr. Ogbeh said that the states that were currently producing rice included Adamawa, Kebbi, Kano, Ebonyi, Katsina, Jigawa, Taraba, Anambra, Enugu and Benue.

 

Source: NAN

I may dump PDP in 2018 – Governor Ayo Fayose

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The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said that he may seek another political platform to prosecute his succession battle in the 2018 governorship poll.

 

The governor said this on Wednesday during a meeting with the members of the Suppliers’ Association of Nigeria, Ikere Ekiti chapter.

 

He also argued that the victory of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State did not in any way threaten the supremacy of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti.

 

Fayose said, “I don’t know the platform I will use for the 2018 election yet and at the appropriate time, I will tell you. We are still studying the situation. We have to play the game left, right and centre and whoever we are going to use and the platform, you will all be part of the process because party politics is about the people.

 

“You all saw how people sold their votes in Ondo State, I am confident that that will not happen in Ekiti. I am close to the people; you are the source of my strength. Even if it requires just 48 hours to any election, if I tell you where to go, you will surely follow me there.”

 

At a separate meeting with the junior members of staff in the state civil service, Fayose boasted that he would repeat the victory he got in all the 16 Local Government Areas when he defeated former governor Kayode Fayemi in 2014.

 

“The APC will be fooling itself if it thinks it will conquer Ekiti like it did in Ondo. Ekiti is a peculiar place and I am the man on the ground here. I want to assure my supporters and Nigerians that the APC won’t win a local government here in 2018, even if President Muhammadu Buhari moves down all the money in the Federal Government’s Treasury Single Account.

 

“Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Eyitayo Jegede must have lost in Ondo State, but that does not mean the people had voted rightly. In 2015, people clamoured for change and what have we got now? Nigerians are becoming poorer than ever.

 

“Today, I am the only one among the APC governors in the South-West. I am now like the nation of Israel surrounded by enemies, but I shall defeat and triumph over them.

 

“The APC has never defeated me in any battle, either political or legal. Whether they like it or not, I will win in Ekiti no matter the animosity, because I have the people behind me,” Fayose declared.

 

He promised that he would continue to do his best in the payment of salaries by opening the account of the state to them.

Fayose Hints He Might Dump PDP Come 2018

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Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, Wednesday November 30 hinted that he might choose his successor from another political party besides his party, PDP. Fayose gave the hint when he spoke with members of the Suppliers’ Association of Nigeria in the state.

According to him, the division within PDP led to the party losing Ondo State to All Progressives Congress, APC, in last Saturday’s governorship election.

“I don’t know the platform I will use for the 2018 election yet and at the appropriate time, I will tell you. We are still studying the situation . We have to play the game left, right and centre and whoever we are going to use and the platform, you will all be part of the process because party politics is about the people,”he said.

Credit:

http://dailytimes.ng/fayose-hints-might-dump-pdp-come-2018/

We Are Under Pressure To Win Against Nigeria – Bentaleb

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Algerian midfielder Nabil Bentaleb has admitted that the Fennecs are under immense pressure to deliver when they face Nigeria in their second 2018 World Cup Qualifying match in Uyo on Saturday.

The Desert Warriors were forced to a 1-1 draw at home to Cameroon in their opening fixture, and they must win against Group B leaders Nigeria in Uyo to strengthen their bid for a place in Russia.

Bentaleb who missed the opening fixture in Bilda due to suspension says it will a herculean task recording a win with five of their regular players.

The Algerian team will be without Adam Ounas, Hilal Soudani, Rachid Ghezzal and Ryad Boudebouz in the game against Nigeria.

“I must say that we are a bit under pressure because we need a good result against Nigeria. But I’m optimistic because Algeria always gives good output in difficult times,” Bentaleb told Le Buteur.

The on-loan Schalke 04, played down the timing of hiring a new coach within a qualifying series could have, with Georges Leekens replacingMilosec Rajevac after the opening fixture.

“Risky? No. It remains the choice of the president of the federation. Now, if the old coach did not have the

Dangote Refinery To Start Operation In 2018

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Dangote Group said its 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery currently under construction in Lagos would come on stream by the end of 2018.

The group’s Executive Director, Stakeholders’ Relations/Corporate Communications,  Alhaji Ahmed Mansur , announced this during a media parley in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said this would ultimately end fuel importation.

He said the refinery’s daily production capacity would be 150 per cent of the current total demand of petroleum products in the country, saying that the excess would be exported to other countries.

Mansur said a 1.3 million metric tonnes per annum petrochemical plant was also under construction at the refinery site in Lekki area of Lagos .

In addition , he said that a fertiliser company with capacity to produce 2.8 million metric tonnes of assorted fertilisers was also being added to help the country to achieve food security.

Mansur disclosed that the company had also diversified into gas business as it had started constructing a gas pipeline from the South East to Lagos.

He said that the gas plant, when completed, would have the capacity to produce three million standard cubic metres of gas per annum.

The executive director said the project would help the country to record appreciable improvement in power and manufacturing sectors.

According to him, the company’s huge investment in the oil and gas sector will impact positively in the economy, especially in the areas of employment and preservation of foreign exchange .

Credit: NAN

The Nigerian Population Census need N222bn to conduct 2018 census.

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Nigeria required N222 billion to conduct accurate, reliable and accepted national population and housing census proposed for 2018, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Chief Eze Duruiheoma has said.

Chief Duruiheoma, who disclosed this during a session with the members of the Senate Committee on National Identity Cards and National Population Commission, led by its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) on an oversight visit, said technologies to be deployed into the conduct of the next census exercise are more sophisticated than that of 2006.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee has urged the National Population Commission to commercialised issuance of birth and birth certificates as well as vita data to private and public sectors with a view to generating revenues.

Chief Duruiheoma explained that the N222 billion budget proposal by the Commission was to cover pre-census, the census, and the post census expenditures.

According to him, for the census which we proposed, I want to give you some background information, in preparing for this census, since 2015, we have regularly hinted that given the resources we will be prepared to do a census in 2016.

And we stated how the resources would be made available top us. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. When that didn’t happen, of course we submitted a budget at that time.
He said when another proposal to conduct the exercise in 2017 couldn’t happen again, we came up with a proposal to hold the census in 2018.

According to him, “The Commission will therefore require the support and guidance of the Senate Committee on Population in order to achieve its mandate of managing Nigeria’s population for sustainable development.

“Adequate and timely release of fund is one critical issue that defines the success or otherwise of a census program. We expect the senate committee to ensure that the funding challenge of the 2018 census is overcome.

“For a nationwide project like the census, there will be the need to put in place appropriate legal regime for its effective execution. The commission looks forward to the senate committee to ensure that required legislations on the next census are passed.

“Specifically, the commission will require the support of the senate committee in ensuring that periodic conduct of the population censuses in Nigeria is included in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The task of mobilising the stakeholders and the general public against the background of public apathy and stereotypes can indeed be a daunting task. There will be the need to involve role models and goodwill ambassadors in the census campaign.

“The commission will count on the distinguished senators as opinion leaders to deploy their immense goodwill in enrolling the support of key government functionaries, traditional institution, civil society groups, religious bodies and indeed the generality of Nigerians for the census.”

The NPC Chairman also informed the Committee of the intention of the commission to convene a national summit on the next census in the first quarter of 2017, explained, “The objective of the summit is to deepen national understanding and imperatives for the conduct of the next census and solicit the cooperation and support of stakeholders it its successful conduct.”

In its remarks, the Senate Committee members advised that, given the precarious economic situation in the country, the management of the population commission should approach the international donor agencies to seek more fund to execute the 2018 census exercise.

Senate Tells Buhari To Conduct Census In 2018

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The Senate on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to set machinery in motion to conduct housing and population census in 2018.

Emanating from a motion by Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, at plenary on Tuesday in Abuja, the senate also urged the government to make adequate provision of fund for the exercise.

Motion the motion entitled “A call for The Federal Government to Expedite Action on the Planned 2018 National Census”, Hunkuyi reminded the government of constitutional provision for conduct of census.

He recalled that the last census was conducted in 2006 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and said that by the 10-year provision for the exercise to be conducted, it out to be in this year.

He said that delay in the issuance of a proclamation by President Buhari and poor release of funds to the National Population Commission (NPoPC), were major setbacks to conduct of the exercise.

Hunkuyi said that in accordance with best international practices, a well planned and executed population census should take a minimum of two years.

“It is only pertinent that subsequent population census should be carried out within an adequate timing and an objective of conducting an acceptable exercise.

“Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), NPoPC, Ministry of Budget and National Planning and other supervising agencies must make adequate provision in 2017 budget as critical prerequisite to achieving 2017/2018 population census,” he said.

Sen. John Enoh, in his contribution, reiterated the need for relevant government agencies to include the total cost of conducting the census in the 2017 budget.

He stressed that the Federal Government should adhere to the United Nations provision that censuses should be conducted every 10 years.

Read More:

http://guardian.ng/news/senate-tells-buhari-to-conduct-census-in-2018/

Ekiti 2018 Gubernatorial Elections: PVCs To Be Distributed Today – INEC

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In preparedness ahead of 2018 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to commence the distributions of Permanent Voters Cards.

 

Speaking at the interaction session with stakeholders in Ado Ekiti, the Administrative Secretary of the Commission, Dr Musilim Omoleke, who represented the Resident Electoral Commissioner, said the purpose of the meeting is to demonstrate transparency and fairness of the commission.

 

He stated that the commission still has 224,840 uncollected PVC.

He appealed to all political parties to help educate their supporters and party members on the importance of the PVC.

 

Meanwhile, the representative of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Taiwo Olatubosun, who is also the party’s Publicity Secretary, said the commission should ensure adequate awareness of the PVC collection exercise.

 

The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ekiti State, Mr Gboyega Oguntuase, said his party is ready to support the commission in achieving a free and fair election come 2018.