General
Agribusiness Sector in Nigeria Lacks Good Structure—Expert
By Adedapo Adesanya
The agriculture sector is set to get a huge boost as stakeholders have noted that they want to partner one of the top agricultural institute, Premier Agribusiness Academy, on capacity building for business sustainability and profitability.
This followed interest expressed by key agriculture stakeholders which include the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Rome Business School among others, at a recently concluded leadership training organized by Premier Agribusiness Academy in Lagos.
Speaking during the executive education course designed for CEOs, COOs, MDs, business owners and Managers, the Director-General of Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), Mr Manzo Daniel Maigari, noted that the agribusiness sector in Nigeria lacked a comprehensive structure and was not developed enough.
He then said that major decision makers in the sector need to acquire efficient leadership tools like those taught at Premier Agribusiness Academy coupled with organized trainings to enable them make decisions that will develop their businesses and by extension, structure the sector.
The NABG DG lauded the quality of training and facilitators at the training academy said: “I don’t think there is any other academy providing top level management training like this in the sector. Premier Agribusiness Academy has come in handy to fill a gap that no one has been able to identify let alone meet.
“The Academy has created a niche for itself that nobody may be able to compete with both in terms of the quality of training and the trainer, Adm. Toromade Francis, a renowned and one of the best agribusiness experts in Nigeria”.
Another participant at the training, Mrs Veronica Obatolu, Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training commended the Agribusiness school and highlighted ways the research institute can collaborate with the academy while expressing her desire to do so.
“There are so many ways our organization can collaborate with Premier Agribusiness Academy especially in the area of agricultural value chain. Our institute deals with so many agricultural crops starting from the beginning which is the soil until it gets to the consumer and I see many ways we can collaborate in terms of livestock, domestic improvement, processing and human capacity development,” she said.
Commenting on the importance of the training, Mrs Obatolu said, “The course ‘Critical thinking and problem solving skill for decision making’, is a good course that has given me a new perception regarding decision making, not just to focus on a particular method but to able to combine both critical and creative thinking in order to be able to make good decisions that will help in the upliftment of the organization that I am leading”
“I think that all leaders of agricultural organizations need to be part of it”.
On his part, Mr Egbebe Godwin, Chairman Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Lagos State Chapter who was also a participant at the training said: “I am happy that I attended this course because it is needed to bridge the gap between agriculture and business so that we can have a successful practice of agribusiness.
“A lot of people know how to bring the concept of science and business together; they only know agriculture but there are ignorant of the business aspect of it.
“I am particularly delighted to have been a part of this training because it has exposed me to better ways to manage my business and also convince other PAN members to partner with Premier Agribusiness Academy to learn world’s best management practices that will help them develop their businesses and agriculture in Nigeria.
Mr Olufemi Oladunni of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), during his input revealed that functioning efficiently as a Chief Executive required a lot of creative and critical thinking to solve problems especially in the agriculture and rural development sector of the Nigerian economy.
He then expressed delight to have been a participant of the training and lauded Premier Agribusiness Academy for the initiative adding that, the knowledge he has acquired will help him function better and more efficiently as a Chief Executive Officer.
He expressed his intention to collaborate with the academy by introducing agribusiness components into the agricultural value chain, through the training of young members in experiential learning adding that, this knowledge will help them in delivering their mandate to the institute and country at large.
Mr Humphrey Akanazu, Country Director, Rome Business School noted that the knowledge impacted in Premier Agribusiness Academy trainings are skills that can be applied in any business environment not only agriculture.
“It is key for top management staff of companies and organizations to make quality business and management decisions and Premier Agribusiness Academy delivers top notch leadership and management trainings” he said.
Mr Francis Toromade, the Director-General of the academy, said the Premier Agribusiness Academy is school designed to bridge the gap between agriculture and business management in the Nigerian agricultural sector through quality training on human capital development, business management, marketing and sales of agricultural products, production, logistics, distribution.
He further revealed that another training session will take place on the January 16, 2020 at Lagos Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos state.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria is eyeing stronger diplomatic and strategic ties when it comes to sustainable development as it participates in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW).
President Bola Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Sunday. His plane landed at the Presidential Wing of Zayed International Airport at exactly 11:30 pm local time.
He was received by Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi; Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; and members of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi.
Several other ministers, including the Minister of Budget and Planning, Mr Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs Jumoke Oduwole; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mr Mohammed Mohammed, welcomed President Tinubu at his hotel.
President Tinubu arrived in Abu Dhabi from Europe, where he spent part of his end-of-year break, engaging in fruitful discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and French President Emmanuel Macron, according to a statement by the presidency.
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, with the theme The Nexus of Next, All Systems Go, is a global platform that brings together world leaders, policymakers, investors, and experts to advance dialogue and action on sustainable development, climate action, energy transition, and inclusive economic growth.
This visit further reinforces the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while positioning Nigeria as an active contributor to global conversations on sustainable development.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to account for about N55.9 billion earmarked for the purchase of some materials for the 2019 general elections has forced the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) to file a lawsuit against the commission.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/38/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP asked the court for an order of mandamus to compel INEC to disclose the names of all contractors paid the sum of money.
It was claimed that the N55.9 billion was meant for the purchase of smart card readers, ballot papers, result sheets and other election materials for the 2019 general elections, which produced the late Mr Muhammadu Buhari as President for a second term in office.
SERAP is relying on the latest annual report published by the Auditor-General on September 9, 2025, to ask for the use of the funds, which is said to be missing or diverted.
The organisation argued that the electoral umpire “must operate without corruption if the commission is to ensure free and fair elections in the country and uphold Nigerians’ right to participation.”
“INEC cannot ensure impartial administration of future elections if these allegations are not satisfactorily addressed, perpetrators including the contractors involved are not prosecuted and the proceeds of corruption are not fully recovered,” a part of the statement issued by the group stated.
“INEC cannot properly carry out its constitutional and statutory responsibilities to conduct free and fair elections in the country if it continues to fail to uphold the basic principles of transparency, accountability and the rule of law.
“These allegations also constitute abuse of public office and show the urgent need by INEC to commit to transparency, accountability, clean governance and the rule of law,” it further declared.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Ministry of Finance has directed all shipping companies and airlines operating in Nigeria to submit their manifests through the Single Window Project (SWP) as part of efforts to strengthen cargo tracking and transparency.
The submission of shipping manifests before the change of policy was handled exclusively by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for onward cargo processing and port clearance.
However, following a memo from late last year signed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr Wale Edun, all shipping firms and airlines were directed to integrate with the National Single Window platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission.
“I would like to bring to your attention that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu inaugurated the National Single Window (NSW) Project on the 16th of April 2024.
The NSW Project aims to streamline and automate import and export processes at Nigeria’s entry & exit ports, with the dual goals of enhancing trade facilitation and increasing government revenue.
“By integrating the operations of multiple government agencies involved in trade processes on one platform, the NSW platform will ensure faster clearance of goods and services, improve operational efficiencies at the imports and significantly reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“Key components of the Single Window as defined by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and World Customs Organisation (WCO) include: (a) a single-entry point i.e. traders, shipping lines, airlines and other stakeholders should submit all required import and export documentation through a single-entry point on a centralized digital platform, and (b) single submission i.e. all documentation should only be submitted once and data only entered once.
“As a result, the NSW Platform will be the single-entry point of submission for all Sea and Air Manifests. Therefore, all shipping lines and airlines are therefore directed to integrate with the NSW Platform to ensure seamless Manifests submission,” parts of the memo read.
The Comptroller-General of the NCS, the chairman of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) were copied in the memo.
-
Feature/OPED6 years agoDavos was Different this year
-
Travel/Tourism9 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 agoFirst Bank Announces Planned Downtime
-
Banking3 years agoSort Codes of UBA Branches in Nigeria
-
Sports3 years agoHighest Paid Nigerian Footballer – How Much Do Nigerian Footballers Earn