Economy
Jigawa To Export Goats Soon
By Dipo Olowookere
The Jigawa State government has said it is targeting 18,000 women in the state for its goat multiplication farming programme.
The state government said it hopes this scheme would be a good source of foreign exchange earnings for its economy and as well take out of poverty in the state.
The goat multiplication farming initiative was introduced by Governor Muhammed Badaru Abubakar to wipe out poverty among women in the state.
He said such is practised in many African, Asian and South American countries.
According to the state government, it is targeting about 18,000 women in the 287 wards from the 27 local government areas of Jigawa.
The scheme, it said, was captured in the 2016 budget to rid the state of extreme poverty using agriculture.
Governor Abubakar explained in an interview with Vanguard that livestock development is an area his administration targeted to diversify Jigawa’s economy, improve women participation in economic activities and rid the state of extreme poverty especially amongst women.
He admitted that, “Our state has one of the highest levels of poverty especially amongst women and this is something we must stop,” saying that “The easiest and most effective way [to eradicate poverty] is through the goat multiplication programme which we borrowed from Botswana and South Africa, where millions of women were removed out of poverty.”
Mr Abubakar disclosed that millions of Naira was invested to buy thousands of goats so that, through a revolving scheme, every woman in the state that requires economic independence will be assisted to fulfil her dreams.
“We chose goats because of their high profit in terms of reselling value and capacity and reproductive frequency as well,” he said.
According to him, his administration viewed women as a core group that could be used to tackle poverty.
As part of this scheme, one million livestock in the state were vaccinated, the Governor’s Special Assistant on Community Services, Alhaji Hamza Muhammed Hadejia, said.
He explained that the idea behind the scheme was to provide millions of women and youth the opportunity to rid them out of poverty.
He said a monitoring mechanism had been put in place to supervise the scheme and ensure sustainability and repayment so that others can benefit. Under the programme, a marketing plan has been put in place to support the marketing of the goats.
“We have set up a committee that is working with the over 18,000 beneficiaries so that the output of the multiplication project will be marketed and sold at optimum profit,” Mr Hadejia said.
Already, the Governor’s aide stated, the Saudi Arabian government mass animal purchase scheme is being explored by the committee so that, in the next few years, the beneficiaries will be able to export their goats and also sell locally.
“It is estimated that by end of the year, these 18,000 distributed goats will multiply to over 100,000 and will form a large resources for both the beneficiaries as well as revenue for the state government,” he added.
“In short, millions of people, including the beneficiaries and their families, in few years to come, will be taken out of poverty”.
While the programme attracts wide acceptance amongst women in the state, the opposition described it as a joke and a pointer that the administration has taken Jigawa backward after the former government built an airport that “launched the state into the elite comity of states in the country”.
To this, Governor Abubakar said, “Given the option of a plane ride to Abuja and back from the `wonder airport’ at N50,000 and three goats for N15,000, our rural women opted for the latter.”
Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries of the programme have lauded it, saying it is a welcomed development.
Aishatu Jibrin, a 22-year-old mother of four and a beneficiary of the scheme, who lives in Kudai, a suburb of Dutse, the state capital, said, “I have been knitting since when I was 12 and I have continued even after marriage but the impact on my livelihood and that that of my family has not changed due to exploitation by middlemen.
“I was so happy when my name appeared among pioneer beneficiaries of the scheme and the day I collected my three goats, two she goats and one male, it was the beginning of a dream which I hope will transform my life and that of my family in the next one year.”
Already, Aishatu’s three goats have multiplied and she’s hopeful that, by end of the end year, her backyard will be full of goats.
“My hope is to sell [the goats] by the end of year so that I can buy many sewing machines and open a fashion business in my village,” she said.
Another resident of the state, Indo Dahiru, a 32-year-old mother of four, who lives in Limawa, narrated that, “When I was given the three goats last year, I was apprehensive that they may die because I had never engaged in goat or animal husbandry before. But as I got used to it, I saw them begin to multiply. I became more attracted and began to pay more attention to them.”
“I was never a contributor to the upkeep of the family because I was not involved in any trade or business.
“However, as I became engaged in this project, I can now say, without the fear of being contradicted, that my life and that of my family has changed.
“My hope is to be able to generate enough from the business and afford to pay for hajj.”
Additional information from http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/jigawa-soon-export-goat/
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil was up by nearly 3 per cent on Tuesday as persistent worries about supply constraints from the closed Strait of Hormuz continued, with Brent futures for June rising by $3.03 or 2.8 per cent to $111.26 a barrel, and the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures growing by $3.56 or 3.7 per cent to $99.93 a barrel.
An earlier round of negotiations between the United States and Iran collapsed last week after face-to-face talks failed.
Ship-tracking data showed significant disruptions in the region, with six Iranian oil tankers forced to turn back due to the US blockade, but some traffic is still moving.
Prices trimmed some of the advances after the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the fourth-largest producer in the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), said on Tuesday it would exit the group on this Friday, May 1, 2026.
This dealt a blow to the oil-exporting group and its de facto leader, Saudi Arabia.
The UAE could quickly add between 1 million and 1.5 million barrels per day of output. However, with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, analysts said that there’s nowhere for that supply to go.
The UAE joined OPEC in 1967, but tension with Saudi Arabia over production quotas has been building for years.
Under the OPEC+ deal, the country has been held to roughly 3 million barrels per day while sitting on capacity above 4 million. It has been pushing toward 5 million barrels per day by 2027, and that target is hard to achieve with quotas built around someone else’s view of the market.
The war in Yemen broke whatever was left of diplomatic patience.
President Donald Trump said he was unhappy with the latest Iranian proposal to end the war. The proposal would avoid addressing the nuclear programme until hostilities cease and Gulf shipping disputes are resolved.
The Idemitsu Maru, a Panama-flagged tanker carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, and an LNG tanker managed by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) crossed the Strait on Tuesday, shipping data showed.
Vortexa data showed that the amount of crude oil held around the world on tankers that have been stationary for at least seven days rose to 153.11 million barrels as of April 24.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States fell by 1.79 million barrels in the week ending April 24. The official data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be released later on Wednesday.
By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited returned to winning ways on Tuesday after it closed higher by 2.30 per cent amid cautious trading.
Yesterday, investor sentiment at the Nigerian stock market was weak after finishing with 37 price gainers and 40 price losers, indicating a negative market breadth index.
It was observed that the industrial goods sector rose by 4.86 per cent, the energy index appreciated by 4.66 per cent, and the consumer goods segment soared by 2.74 per cent. They offset the 1.38 per cent loss recorded by the banking counter and the 0.20 per cent decline printed by the insurance sector.
At the close of business, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 5,137.90 points to 228,740.19 points from 223,602.29 points, and the market capitalisation went up by N3.308 trillion to N147.278 trillion from N143.970 trillion.
The trio of FTN Cocoa, Industrial and Medical Gases, and Lafarge Africa gained 10.00 per cent each to sell for N5.50, N39.60, and N324.50, respectively, while Austin Laz grew by 9.71 per cent to N3.73, and Aradel Holdings jumped 9.52 per cent to N1,840.00.
On the flip side, UBA lost 10.00 per cent trade at N44.55, Trans-Nationwide Express slipped by 9.99 per cent to N6.40, NASCON crashed by 9.18 per cent to N187.90, Jaiz Bank depreciated by 8.93 per cent to N8.01, and Berger Paints crumbled by 8.66 per cent to N68.00.
Yesterday, market participants traded 908.0 million equities valued at N68.2 billion in 72,886 deals compared with the 678.2 million equities worth N44.1 billion transacted in 82,838 deals on Monday, showing a drop in the number of deals by 12.01 per cent, and a spike in the trading volume and value by 33.88 per cent and 54.65 per cent, respectively.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria’s oil production recorded a five-year high of 1.71 million barrels per day, marking a significant rebound for the country’s upstream sector amid renewed efforts to restore output and improve operational stability.
The latest figure, released by Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited, covers the period from April 2025 to April 2026 and underscores a steady recovery in crude production after years of disruptions caused by theft, pipeline vandalism and underinvestment.
According to the chief executive of the national oil company, Mr Bayo Ojulari, the performance reflects measurable progress across the company’s upstream, gas and downstream operations, with production gains supported by improved asset management and stronger field performance.
Within its exploration and production business, NNPC recorded a peak daily output of 365,000 barrels in December 2025, the highest level ever achieved by its upstream subsidiary. The company also advanced key contractual reforms, including revised production-sharing terms for deepwater assets aimed at unlocking additional gas reserves.
Nigeria’s gas ambitions are also gaining traction. Gas supply rose to 7.5 billion standard cubic feet per day in 2025, driven by major infrastructure milestones such as the River Niger crossing on the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano pipeline and the commissioning of the Assa North-Ohaji South gas processing plant.
These investments are beginning to strengthen domestic gas utilisation. New supply agreements with major industrial consumers, including Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser and Dangote Cement, are expected to deepen gas penetration across manufacturing and power generation.
On the downstream front, NNPC has continued crude supply to Dangote Refinery under the crude-for-naira arrangement, a policy designed to reduce foreign exchange demand, support local refining and improve fuel market stability. The company also reaffirmed its 7.25 per cent equity stake in the refinery as part of its long-term energy security strategy.
Financially, the national oil company said it has resumed full monthly remittances to the Federation Account since July 2025. It has also reinstated regular performance reporting and held its first earnings call, moves widely seen as part of a broader push towards greater transparency and corporate accountability.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Crude theft, pipeline outages and infrastructure bottlenecks continue to threaten production stability. Sustaining this recovery will depend on stronger security, reliable infrastructure and policy consistency as Nigeria seeks to maximise the benefits of rising domestic refining capacity.
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