Economy
CBN Anchor Borrower Programme Kicks Off in Lagos
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Ten poultry farmers registered under Nigeria’s foremost broiler out-grower scheme, natnuPreneur, have become the first beneficiaries of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s poultry Anchor Borrowers Scheme (ABP).
The farmers took delivery of 1000 birds each in a ceremony which held at Erikorodo farm settlement, Ikorodu, Lagos on Thursday, August 17, 2017.
The event had the CBN, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), the Ministry of Agriculture Lagos state, AMO Farms, Erikorodo Poultry Farmers’ Association well represented; a total of 10,000 Day Old Chicks (DOCs) were formally handed over to the beneficiaries following the delivery of 38 tonnes of feeds for the six weeks rearing period, three days prior.
While addressing newsmen shortly after the handing over ceremony, the Coordinator of natnuPreneur, Mr Gbolade Adewole expressed satisfaction at the success of the event pointing out that it is another feather added to the cap of the natnuPreneur initiative.
“This is another success we are recording here today. It is a thing of joy for us at Amo Farms to have our farmers kick start the pilot phase of this CBN initiative. It tells you that there is something we are doing right and I can assure that this scheme will be a success”.
“With the technical support and training we render farmers through our team of Animal Scientists, veterinary doctors, customer satisfaction representatives, I am sure that in the next six weeks, our farmers would have successfully reared these chicks into healthy broilers, which we’ll be buying back from them, at the agreed off-take price,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Mr Adebisi Adedeji, Head of the Development Finance Office (DFO) CBN Lagos, reiterated the apex bank’s commitment towards reducing Nigeria’s food importation and encouraging locally produced food both for consumption and export.
Mr Adebisi explained that as part of realizing the food security goal of the Federal Government, the CBN in collaboration with Amo Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited, has engaged 33 farmers registered under the natnuPreneur out-grower scheme, in a pilot phase of broiler production.
Explaining the role of the CBN in the programme, Mr Adebisi said “This is the pilot phase for the poultry farmer’s ABP in Lagos. This might appear like a small project at the moment but we assure you that by the end of this year, there will be hundreds and if possible thousands of farmers involved in this scheme.
“The scheme will cut across other areas of agriculture, but, we are starting with poultry because, unlike others, it’s not seasonal.
“The CBN has invested a lot into this programme and we will still invest more. What we have done is to provide the farmers with the finance needed to buy the birds, the feed and other inputs necessary materials to successfully rear the birds.”
He said that as part of measures already in place to ensure the success of the scheme, a ready market has been prepared for the farmers in natnudO foods through natnuPreneur broiler out-grower scheme. He assured them that, market changes will not affect their selling price as the already agreed selling price will apply at the end of the cycle notwithstanding possible market changes.
In his words, “The Anchor, natnudO Foods, who is also the off taker, has guaranteed that they will buy off all the produce at the end of the cycle at a fixed price.
“So it’s not a situation where the farmers at the end of the day will be looking for a market or people to sell their produce to, there is a ready market for them.
“Also, price risk as a result of market changes will not affect them because; the broilers will be bought at the agreed price. So it’s a win –win situation for all the parties involved.”
He expressed optimism that in the next six weeks the DOCs would be ready for culling, and assured that it will be a successful outing.
While also addressing the farmers, the General Manager, Policy and Strategy, AMO Group, Mr Toromade Francis noted that the achievement is an addition to the success natnudO Foods has recorded with its natnuPreneur scheme.
In his words: “For us this is not the first time. So far, we have onboarded about 1,219 natnuPreneur farmers nationwide, culled over 3.8 million birds and paid over N4Billion to farmers across the country. So, this is just an addition to what we have done.”
He advised the farmers to be committed, effective and prudent while assuring them that natnudO Foods being the anchor to the programme will provide all technical support needed for them to succeed. He assured them that the chicks, feed and other inputs that have been given to them are of the highest quality.
“I assure you that, as the anchor in this programme, we will support you with all the technical assistance you require, as we assume that after six weeks, you would have been able to achieve the weight expected.
“This is a journey which is starting today and we hope that by this time next year, we should be harvesting hundreds of thousands of chickens from these farms. We have increased the capacity of our abattoirs, we have decentralized and are now processing in Port Harcourt and Kaduna just to ensure that we accommodate all the chickens that you will raise, we’re also constructing an abattoir in Uyo,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Captain Eka Justus, the Chairman, Erikorodo Poultry Farmers Association thanked the CBN, BOA, Lagos state ministry of Agriculture and AMO Farms for the opportunity and promised that the farmers will not disappoint them.
“We want to express our joy at this opportunity because, to be selected amongst all the farms in Lagos State as the first beneficiary of this programme is an honour and privilege. We say a big thank you to CBN, BOA, Ministry of Agriculture, Amo Farms and natnudO Foods. We assure you that we will not let you down” he said.
The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) was established by the CBN and launched by President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) with the intention to create a linkage between anchor companies and small holder farmers (SHFs) providing them with key agricultural commodities.
The programme thrust of the ABP is provision of farm inputs in kind and cash to small holder farmers to boost production of commodities, stabilize inputs supply to agro processors and address the country’s negative balance of payments on food.
At harvest, the SHF supplies his/her produce to the Agro-processor (Anchor) who pays the cash equivalent to the farmer’s account.
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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