Economy
FG Designs Online Portal to Monitor Agric Interventions to Farmers
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An online portal aimed to ensure efficient and effective monitoring of federal government intervention in the agricultural sector has been designed by the federal government.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Muhammad Sabo Nanono, disclosed that the initiative will capture the biodata of about 10 million farmers and link it with geographical information of their farmed plots, crops and the volumes of production in the country.
Speaking during the opening ceremony of the 44th council meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD) held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Thursday, June 17, 2021, the Minister said the portal was initially designed to “capture the data of 2.4 million farmers across the country, the results from the exercise have encouraged the Economic Sustainability Plan team to expand the data capture to 10 million farmers.”
He stated that the database will be “a platform for the federal government interventions going forward, putting an end to ghost schemes and other unscrupulous practices in the agricultural industry.”
Mr Nanono noted that “a major hallmark of our agricultural interventions is inclusiveness. We have catered for the youths, women, and many demographic considerations in our implementation strategies.”
The Minister explained that “as a stop-gap intervention, we launched the Agric for Food and Jobs Program, originally conceived as an input loan for smallholder farmers across several commodities including maize, rice, cotton, groundnut, sorghum, cowpea, soybean, sesame, cassava and oil palm.”
“The scheme brought into a partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Commodity Association and Agricultural Platform Companies for effective facilitation.
“This we believe will not only improve production significantly but also aid in the off–taking of produce while providing input at a reduced price due to economy of scale,” he said.
Mr Nanono noted that “the challenges brought by the emergence of the COVID–19 pandemic, floods and insecurity has galvanised the government into setting up a necessary structure to address the infrastructural deficiency, technology gaps, security challenges, and extension inadequacy.”
“This approach is believed to be the right one for achieving our desired economic diversification and national development,” the Minister added.
He noted that the NCARD would promote the existing policies, programmes, and projects at the national and sub-national levels for the purpose of entrenching synergy, best practices, entrepreneurship, livelihood, and growth in the sector.
Mr Nanono reemphasised that “agricultural productivity can only improve through the mechanization of production activities. In our effort to improve the agricultural production profile of the country, we have entered into a partnership with the government of Brazil through one of their foremost technology transfer, the Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV).”
He further said that “this partnership has yielded an agricultural mechanisation loan to the tune of €995 million. This shall be granted to Nigerian entrepreneurs to establish service centres across all the 774 Local Government of the country, selling services to all categories of farmers and thereby helping to improve their productivity.”
“The services centres shall be either a Type 1, supporting production activities or Type 2, supporting processing and packaging activities,” he explained.
The Minister informed that “the ministry in collaboration with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has been working to exploit a strategic advantage in the production of commodities like sesame, hibiscus, cotton and sorghum to improve production protocols to conform with internationally acceptable standards, maintenance of an exporters’ directory and exporter certificate verification portal.”
He stressed that “the ministry has embarked on increasing the number of available extension workers in the different aspects of our operations. This year, about 1,200 extension workers have been trained.”
The Minister highlighted that “with the green imperative project launching soon, there is a component of it that will see the training of extension workers in agricultural mechanisation and other important aspects of crop and livestock operations.”
He pointed out that “the National Livestock Transformation Plan (NLTP), has been adjudged worldwide to be a well-conceived project which seeks to transform our livestock sector from the nomadic – dependent sector into an organised ranching one.”
“To this end, 22 states and Federal Capital Territory have registered with the NLTP Office. Seven of these 10 states have also earmarked about 19 grazing reserves for the implementation of the NLTP, with a total land size of approximately 400,000 hectares,” he said.
According to him, it is, therefore, safe to say, that NLTP, when fully implemented, will bring an end to the incessant clashes between the farmers and herdsmen at the same time introduce the herders to the modern way of raising cattle, with all added benefits of improved feeding, animal and human, genetic improvement, value addition and better socio-economic standing for all participants.
In his remarks, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr Mohammed Musa Bello, represented by the Special Assistant, Prof. Mohammed Usman, said that the theme of this year’s council meeting Agriculture and Food Security in the face of COVID-19, Floods and Insecurity is apt enough and a reminder to the effect that we are yet to win the fight on the pandemic.
He added there is a need for robust interaction and ideas among stakeholders on how to reposition the Agricultural sector.
In his welcome address, the Minister of State, Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Mustapha Baba Shehuri, said that “Nigeria economy had its GDP contracted for two consecutive terms of the second and third quarter in 2020; leading to recession.
“It was in the fourth quarter of 2020 that the economy returned to positive growth with GDP expanding to 0.1 per cent from the contraction of 3.6 per cent (negative growth) experienced in the third quarter. The feat was achieved through the contribution mainly attributed to the performance of the agricultural sector.”
Mr Shehuri observed that “as a matter of fact, local production of maize, rice, cassava, potatoes, yam, and other staples steadily increased, it is also the same story in livestock, fisheries and dairy sector. The fact that we did not import food during the lockdown era was a testimony that we can grow what we eat and eat what we produce.”
In his goodwill message, the Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Mr Muntari Mohammed Dandutse, stated the National Assembly would fast-track the bills being raised as an outcome or resolution of the NCARD towards achieving food security and job creation.
While giving a vote of thanks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Ernest Umakhihe, thanked the stakeholders for their commitment and technical support during the 44th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Pathway Advisors Limited has announced its role as Lead Issuing House to a N300 billion Commercial Paper Programme for Pivot Integrated Energy Services Limited, reinforcing its leadership in capital market advisory and energy sector finance.
The transaction was formally concluded with the execution of programme documentation at Capital Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, following the completion of all regulatory and programme clearances. The signing ceremony marked a defining milestone in mobilising large-scale short-term capital for Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector.
Speaking at the event, the chief executive of Pathway Advisors Limited, Mr Adekunle Alade, emphasised the strategic significance of the Commercial Paper issuance in financing working capital, thereby enabling high-growth energy businesses to scale efficiently and sustainably.
“Nigeria’s downstream energy sector is undergoing a profound transformation, accelerated by the removal of fuel subsidies, the emergence of domestic refining capacity, and rising demand for reliable product supply across the country and the broader West African region.
“Companies like Pivot Integrated Energy Services Limited with a vertically integrated model, a strong track record, and a clear growth mandate are exactly the kind of issuers that the capital markets should be financing,” Mr Alade stated.
“Commercial paper, when structured appropriately, gives operationally strong businesses access to a deep and diverse pool of institutional investors, at tenors and costs that support the working capital intensity of petroleum trading and distribution. This transaction is a testament to what is achievable when credible issuers partner with experienced advisers to access the markets,” he added.
“The successful execution of this programme further affirms Pathway Advisors’ position as a trusted financial advisory and investment banking firm in complex, large-scale capital market transactions,” he stated.
In his comments, the chief executive of Pivot Integrated Energy Services Limited, Mr Babajide Babatope, described the commercial paper programme as a pivotal step in the company’s strategy to expand its supply capacity and strengthen its position as a leading integrated energy provider in Nigeria and West Africa.
“Nigeria’s downstream energy market demands scale, speed, and the right capital structure to compete effectively. This commercial paper programme gives us the financial firepower to support our growing volumes, reinforce our supply chain, and serve our customers with greater reliability across the regions we operate in,” Mr Babatope disclosed.
He noted that Pivot is one of the 20 approved off-takers in the Dangote Refinery PMS Consortium, with a target volume of 300 million litres per quarter, a position that underscores the company’s standing in Nigeria’s post-subsidy energy supply architecture. He added that the CP Programme would also support the company’s accelerating regional push, including active operations in Ghana, where Pivot has delivered over 100,000 MT since April 2025, and a planned entry into Tanzania with deliveries targeted in Q3 of 2026.
Mr Babatope further expressed appreciation to Pathway Advisors and other transaction parties for their professionalism, rigour, and commitment throughout the programme’s execution, and signalled his intention to continue deepening these partnerships as Pivot advances to subsequent phases of growth and financing.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) has secured a $12 billion commitment from South Korea to establish a Skills Acquisition Centre in Abuja, as part of efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship and boost small businesses across Nigeria.
The chief executive of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii, disclosed this over the weekend during a road walk and sensitisation campaign at Utako Market in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 World MSME Day.
According to Mr Odii, the proposed facility will provide vocational and entrepreneurial training to young Nigerians and enhance the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
He said the agency is awaiting the allocation of land by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration for the project.
“We need land in the FCT to build the Skills Acquisition Centre. If the FCT Administration is unable to provide one, we will use our office premises in Idu, Abuja, because we do not want Nigeria to miss this opportunity offered by the Korean Government to support skills and vocational training,” he said.
As part of activities marking the World MSME Day, Mr Odii also announced the launch of SMEDAN’s N500 million GROW Fund, a zero-interest financing intervention designed to support small businesses across the country.
He explained that the fund would be disbursed to members of registered cooperative societies and business associations to strengthen their enterprises.
According to him, beneficiaries are expected to utilise the funds strictly for business purposes, including expanding working capital, acquiring workspaces and purchasing equipment.
“The funding is meant to support and improve their businesses. It should be used for working capital, workspaces, tools and other productive business needs. Any use outside these objectives will not be encouraged,” he said.
Mr Odii further disclosed that entrepreneurs trained by SMEDAN in Abuja would receive vocational equipment, including washing machines, barbing kits, shoemaking tools and sewing machines, to enable them to become self-reliant.
“We have identified these tools as essential to the businesses of our trainees based on the skills programmes they have undergone,” he added.
The SMEDAN boss stressed that the agency’s interventions are driven by the critical role MSMEs play in Nigeria’s economy.
“Small businesses are the heartbeat of Nigeria’s economy. By providing infrastructure, skills and financing, we are creating an enabling environment for them to grow, thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development,” he said.
Odii also revealed that the National MSME Policy would be reviewed and relaunched in November 2026 to strengthen the sector and improve its contribution to economic growth.
He called on state governments to collaborate with SMEDAN in expanding skills acquisition programmes, creating jobs, reducing poverty and supporting the economic development agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has purchased two cargoes of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking its first-ever procurement of Middle Eastern crude as it diversifies its feedstock sources ahead of continuous expansion.
According to a report by S&P Global Commodity Insights, the two cargoes will be the first sourced by the 700,000-barrels-per-day refinery from any Middle Eastern supplier, signalling a shift from its traditional reliance on Nigerian, African, and United States crude grades.
The report said the purchases followed the resumption of oil exports from the Middle East after the United States and Iran reached an interim peace agreement that restored confidence in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The refinery, designed primarily to process Nigeria’s light sweet crude, has increasingly diversified its crude slate as operations ramp up. The company sources crude from Brazil, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, Algeria, and the US, among others.
The refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Plc had agreed on the supply of between 13 and 15 cargoes of Nigerian crude monthly in Naira, but the volumes often fluctuate. In May, the state oil company allocated seven cargoes to the plant, up from five in previous months.
The chief executive of the Dangote Refinery, Mr David Bird, had previously disclosed that these constraints had compelled the company to seek additional crude sources outside Nigeria.
According to S&P Global, the refinery has been broadening the range of crude grades it processes as part of its ambition to operate as a fully merchant refinery. The report noted that in 2025, about 70 per cent of the refinery’s crude imports came from Nigeria, while 24 per cent originated from the United States.
The report added that the refinery’s expansion plans would further increase its crude requirements. Dangote plans to double the refinery’s processing capacity to 1.4 million barrels per day by the end of 2028, a level that would enable it to process about 80 per cent of Nigeria’s recent crude oil production in a single day.
Business Post understands that since NNPC cargoes are cheaper for the refinery because of lower shipping costs, importation of crude could translate to higher fuel prices, with Nigerians possibly buying as high as N1,300 – N1,400 at the pump.
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