Economy
FG Tasks Farmers On Periodic Check On Agric Products
By Dipo Olowookere
Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, has appealed to farmers and food handlers in the country to always carry out periodic examination of their products, to avoid fungal contamination, in order to protect public health, and secure good market for Nigeria’s agro-commodities.
Mr Lokpobiri made this call on Thursday at a one-day stakeholders’ sensitization workshop on the effects of mycotoxins on agricultural commodities, health and trade.
The Minister said, “It is imperative for both farmers and governmental agencies to adapt a better method to prevent fungal contamination of agricultural commodities during growing period, storage, handling, processing and transportation.”
He noted that over the years, Nigeria’s agricultural products have been exposed to pesticide residues and mycotoxins producing fungal, resulting in several rejections of some Nigeria’s agricultural produce by some trading partners, particularly the European Union (EU).
He noted that the risk of mycotoxins may affect growth performance and could be hazardous to consumers by reducing the quality of products and its market value, thereby resulting in commodity rejection in the international market.
Mr Lokpobiri added that, “These poisonous toxins produced by certain species of fungi, have profound adverse effects on the health of animals and humans, as they consume food from crops, poultry products, meat and fish infected by mycotoxins and have resulted in the cause of human and animal illnesses and deaths.”
The Minister called on farmers and other stakeholders along the food value chains to note that Nigeria has a tropical climate with an all year round high temperature and relative high humidity, and that this peculiarity provides good conditions for the growth of toxigenic molds. “The only way out from the adverse effects of these climatic factors on agricultural produce is to apply best agricultural practices at all material times”, the Minister stated.
Mr Lokpobiri therefore charged participants at the workshop to convey and spread the information on the negative and detrimental effects of consuming moldy products to the grassroots, adding that “In this regard, the knowledge you will acquire at this workshop would be of immense benefit not only to you, but the society at large.”
The Minister assured the workshop that his Ministry would continue to assist farmers and other stakeholders in improving the storage and handling of grains, nuts and other commodities in order to minimize the growth of molds to reduce the risk of contamination.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Shehu Ahmed, represented by the Coordinating Director, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service in the Ministry, Dr Vincent Isegbe said that the workshop was organized to educate farmers, food handlers and all other relevant stakeholders in the agricultural sector on the harmful effects of mycotoxin contaminants to agricultural commodities and its consequential effects on animal and human health.
According to him, the workshop was also to mainstream information to all producers and consumers on its adverse effects on agricultural commodity trade.
He assured the participants that the Ministry was doing its best within its limited resources to assist farmers in many ways, especially when it affects crops during storage. He added that the Ministry was also partnering with relevant stakeholders in food production, processing, storage and handling along the food value chains to ensure that only safe food gets to the consumers’ table, as well as boost trade and quality of Nigeria’s agricultural produce.
In his goodwill message, Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, Mr Abdullahi Adamu said his committee would continue to support the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, and assured that the Nigeria Agriculture Quarantine bill would be passed by the National Assembly soon.
The Chairman, who was represented by a member of the committee, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege promised that the Senate Committee on Agriculture would work with the communiqué that would be presented to them at the end of the workshop.
Also, representative of UNIDO at the workshop, Prof Abimbola Uzomah said the unusual high level of mycotoxin is the cause of rejection of Nigeria’s agricultural products by the European Union (EU) and other countries.
She informed that UNIDO was flagging off a National Quality Infrastructure which requires the support of Nigeria for its success. She called for a policy in Nigeria to eliminate the menace, and disclosed that UNIDO was available to support, facilitate, train and teach stakeholders to enable the world do business with Nigeria.
Representative of the European Union, Ms Fatima Abdullahi Habib was hopeful that the workshop would have a positive impact in the control of mycotoxin in Nigeria.
In his contribution, representative of the National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Daniel Okafor stressed the need for proper processing and packaging of Nigeria’s agricultural products for export.
He called for the replication of the sensitization workshop across the nation and the need to develop a common message in local languages for dissemination throughout the country.
Highlight of the event was the launching of a book on information in pictures on moldiness in agricultural commodities along food value chains for stakeholders and moisture meters for determination of moisture levels of grains by the Minister.
The Minister later donated an appreciable number of the book and moisture meters to farmers present at the workshop.
Related articles across the web
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian maritime sector may soon witness the inflow of $600 million in investment from APM Terminals.
On the sidelines of the ongoing Africa CEO Forum in Kigali, Rwanda, the Regional President of APM Terminals for Africa-Europe, Mr Igor van den Essen, informed President Bola Tinubu that his company was interested in deepening its investment in Nigeria.
According to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President of Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the investment would be deployed in Apapa port modernisation, logistics infrastructure, and long-term private-sector investment in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
President Tinubu welcomed the investments, emphasising that Nigeria is repositioning itself for greater competitiveness through ongoing economic reforms and infrastructure modernisation.
He said the country is determined to move beyond structural bottlenecks and outdated systems, stressing the need for advanced technology, faster cargo processing, and improved operational efficiency across the nation’s ports.
He emphasised that Nigeria possesses the market scale, talent base, and economic potential to support globally competitive maritime and logistics infrastructure investments and called on other investors to take advantage of Nigeria’s reform outcomes.
Earlier, Mr Igor van den Essen lauded President Tinubu’s reform agenda and policy direction, which had strengthened investor confidence and created renewed momentum for long-term infrastructure investments.
He described Nigeria as a strategic stronghold within its African operations, referencing over 20 years of collaboration and substantial existing investments in the country’s port ecosystem.
He reaffirmed his company’s commitment to expanding investments in Nigeria and disclosed plans to support the development of world-class terminal infrastructure and technology-driven port operations.
He also commended Mr Tinubu for establishing the National Single Window (NSW), which has streamlined trade procedures, improved Customs coordination, and reduced delays in cargo clearance.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has filed a new lawsuit against the federal government over the fuel import licences issued to marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited.
Last week, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) issued licences to six marketers for the importation of 720,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit, known as petrol.
The marketers are NIPCO, AA Rano, Matrix, Shafa, Pinnacle, and Bono. The development comes amid claims by the NMDPRA that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery now supplies over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s daily petrol consumption.
Dangote said in the filing that the licences issued undermine its operations and contravene the law, which it argues allows imports only when domestic supply falls short.
Named in the suit against the country is the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr Lateef Fagbemi. The federal government can only be sued via his office.
The case signals renewed tensions almost a year after Dangote withdrew an earlier lawsuit challenging similar licences. That case sought to nullify import permits issued to the NNPC and several traders.
The new filing asks the Federal High Court in Lagos to set aside import permits issued or renewed by the NMDPRA, arguing they breach an earlier order to maintain the status quo.
Dangote ended the earlier lawsuit in July 2025 without explanation, leaving unresolved questions over competition and supply in one of Africa’s largest fuel markets.
Nigeria has long relied on petrol imports due to underperforming state refineries. However, Dangote’s 650,000 barrels per day capacity refinery was touted to end that dependence.
Despite the presence of the facility, imports have continued to cover supply gaps as the refinery ramps up output.
The NMDPRA did not issue a single import licence in the first quarter of 2026 because the Dangote refinery had the capacity to meet Nigeria’s petrol demand.
Business Post gathered that only upon intervention by President Bola Tinubu were the licenses granted for the second quarter by the NMDPRA.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate in April 2026 rose to 15.69 per cent, beating analysts’ expectations of 15.95 per cent, as the fallout from the Iran war continued to affect the global economy.
The statistical office on Friday showed the headline inflation rate for April on a month-on-month basis was 2.13 per cent, while the food inflation rate in the review month was 16.06 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
The rise in prices comes as an energy price shock stemming from the continued conflict in the Middle East, which stoked food prices and affected relative exchange rate stability.
According to the NBS, “this can be attributed to the rate of change in the average prices of the following products: Millet whole grain, yam flour, ginger (Fresh), beef, garri, tam tuber, pepper (Fresh), cray fish, cassava tuber, Beans, Irish Potatoes, tomatoes (fresh), wheat grain (Sold loose), soya beans, guinea corn, plantain, carrots (Fresh) etc.”
“The average annual rate of food inflation for the twelve months ending April 2026, relative to the previous twelve-month average, was 17.55%, which was 17.05% points lower than the average annual rate of change recorded in April 2025 (34.60%),” the NBS said.
Analysts at Coronation Research had earlier projected that the inflation rate in Nigeria would be at 15.95 per cent on a year-on-year basis in April 2026. It added that the expected inflation rate signals a return toward the underlying disinflation trajectory and could be a pivotal data point in shaping Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) deliberations at the next policy meeting.
It also expects food inflation to further ease, as food and non-alcoholic beverages remain the dominant contributor to headline CPI, accounting for about 40 per cent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket.
The MPC of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will meet this month, the first since the Iran War started in late February, to review core monetary policies and possibly make adjustments.
The committee reduced the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 50 basis points from 27.0 per cent to 26.5 per cent at its 304th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting in February.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism10 years ago
Lagos Seals Western Lodge Hotel In Ikorodu
-
Showbiz3 years agoEstranged Lover Releases Videos of Empress Njamah Bathing
-
Banking8 years agoSort Codes of GTBank Branches in Nigeria
-
Economy3 years agoSubsidy Removal: CNG at N130 Per Litre Cheaper Than Petrol—IPMAN
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Banking3 years agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn