HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER FOR
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES, A. DOODEI WEEK ADDRESSES EU BUSINESS LUNCH
WITH A THEME " BOOM TO AGRICULTURAL INVESTMENT AND ECONOMY OUTSIDE OIL
/GAS IN PORTHARCOURT .
BAYELSA FIGHTS TO CLOSE #183Bn FISH
IMPORT GAP
Bayelsa State is working to
close Nigeria’s $2.4Bn annual import gap in fish to close out at least $600m or
N183Bn; in doing so, create 15,000 agro-entrepreneurs in the fish chain alone.
The state has also identified cassava as a viable product within its land area
that could create an economic chain and investing to grab chunk of the $500m
starch import market per year.
On the other hand, the Niger
Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says it has produced inorganic fertilizer
and soil booster to save the Niger Delta soil from harmful fertilizers and
boost farm yields. The Commission says it is deploying $90m or N27Bn to create
rice, cocoa, fish, poultry and other livestock hubs in the oil region according
to each state’s area of comparative advantage.
These were the highpoints at
the Rivers Investors Lunch Hour Network attended by officials from the UK and
EU and organized by the Rivers Entrepreneurs and Investors Forum (REIF) in
conjunction with the European Union.
In a panel discussion
anchored by Chris Newson of Social Democratic Network (SDN), the Bayelsa State
Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Doodei Week, said studies
show that Nigeria would hit a population of 387 million by 2050, just some 32
years ahead, and that about 50m youths are unemployed.
He told the investors and
public sector practitioners that the amnesty scheme of the FG is for militants
and militants alone. So, when they speak, the leaders must listen. They warned
before the fall of the General Paul Boroh, from being the head of the Amnesty
Programme for the FG.
He told the investors and
public sector practitioners that in Bayelsa State, the Henry Seriake Dickson
administration decided to plot a way out of oil dependency and adopted a tripod
period: Capacity building, Critical infrastructure in Agriculture, and
Linkages. “We looked at commodities that can thrive in Bayelsa State: Fish and
cassava as focus. We realize that Nigeria imports more than two million metric
tons (mt) of fish per year with $2.4Bn. The Bayelsa Aquaculture Village
Initiative (BAVI) focuses on cutting down one quarter (#600m or
#183Bn) of this bill per year as well as creating 15,000 entrepreneurs who
would become employers of labour in the fish chain; setting up Aquaculture
village, feed mills, hatcheries, smoked fish, etc. The pilot is in Yenagoa with
500 ponds of 7000 fingerling each. The State found out that the cooperative
model does not work in the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria where
people want to be chief executive and decision-makers in their businesses. “So,
we introduced the collaborative model for people to be independent but find
areas of cooperation”.
The aim, he said, is to
create a local economy on Agriculture, outside oil and gas. We are also doing
cassava industrialization Scheme because Nigeria spends $500 per year to import
starch but at the same time, Nigeria is highest producer of cassava in the
world. Bayelsa is now building a starch factory based on 1500 cassava
out-growers of 2 hectares per person. We need 220 mt of cassava per day or
equivalent of seven hectares per day”.
The Honourable Commissioner
said the private sector is to drive this project while the State Government is
to provide massive infrastructure. “In about seven months, we want to see
results. The target is to help move our economy over Agriculture from oil. We
need the support of the private sector to actualise this objective especially
in investments and viable management of the projects. We are ready to help with
security because Bayelsa is one of the safest states in the Niger Delta right
now. We are ready to offer tax relief and tax holiday. The place is capable of
producing 7.5 mt per day. We want to concession it to a viable outfit”.
He said a Danish firm has
shown interest but they were keen on exporting the products but Bayelsa wants
to meet local demand first.
Week said the Government
should not dabble into setting up Agricultural facilities but should be
restricted to provision of ‘enabling environment ‘ ‘we say that every society
defines what ‘enabling environment’ means to their people and how they want to
boost economic participation. In Bayelsa, we interpret enabling environment to
also include providing facilities that entrepreneurs would leverage on; it
includes providing market, linkages, input, security, even subsidizing credit
so that the interest rates can be moderated in the Agricultural sector. That is
what we have done in the two focal products we want to promote: fish and
cassava chains.
NDDC DEVELOPS ALTERNATIVE TO
HARMFUL FERTILIZER
In his presentation, the NDDC
Director of Agriculture, Marcel Eshiogu, said the Commission is only an
interventionist agency and is trying to play the role of a catalyst in the
Agricultural sector and set up a framework to make Agriculture attractive and
profitable. “We did a research and found out that application of inorganic
fertilizer and soil booster as alternative. We are now working with a US firm
to put down 51,420 litres of organic fertilizer and 51,420 litres of soil
booster which will be mixed to fertilize the soil without harm. All the Niger
Delta States have got their allocations”
Eshiogu went on: “We expect
bumper harvest this farming season as a result of this. Also, we note that
drudgery in farming discourages the youth, so we have introduced hand-held
tractors for swamp areas. It is starting as a pilot scheme in each state of the
oil region. Credit is important and we are now working with Fidelity Bank as a
partner in our commercial farming programme. We once worked with Bank of
Industry (BOI), but we noted that direct disbursement does not work with our
people because they see it as government largesse but if a bank gives out the
loans with their experience and net-work, they can recover it. The interest
rate is a mere five per cent.”
He said the NDDC is working with IFAD (a UN agency), to boost farming in the oil region. Under this partnership for a period of six years, the IFAD would bring $60m while the NDDC would bring $30m, totaling $90m investment. It would deployed in a scheme we call ‘Train Me to Train Others.’ This would be in fishery, poultry, livestock, etc.”
He said NDDC has agreements with some states such as Ondo and Cross River on cocoa; Rivers and Bayelsa in fishery. The idea is to teach a successful farmer who would teach other mentees to become successful too. The aim is to create an army of successful farmers in the oil region by building on success upon success, hoping to create a new but viable economy outside oil/gas .”
He said the NDDC is working with IFAD (a UN agency), to boost farming in the oil region. Under this partnership for a period of six years, the IFAD would bring $60m while the NDDC would bring $30m, totaling $90m investment. It would deployed in a scheme we call ‘Train Me to Train Others.’ This would be in fishery, poultry, livestock, etc.”
He said NDDC has agreements with some states such as Ondo and Cross River on cocoa; Rivers and Bayelsa in fishery. The idea is to teach a successful farmer who would teach other mentees to become successful too. The aim is to create an army of successful farmers in the oil region by building on success upon success, hoping to create a new but viable economy outside oil/gas .”
In Bayelsa State, the Henry Seriake
Dickson led administration decided to plot a way out of oil dependency and adopted
a tripod period: Capacity Building, Critical infrastructure in Agriculture, and
Linkages. “We looked at commodities that can thrive in Bayelsa: Fish and
Cassava as focus. We realize that Nigeria imports over two million metric tons
(mmt) of fish per year with $2.4Bn. The Bayelsa Aquaculture Village Initiative
(BAVI) focuses on cutting down one quarter ($600m or N183Bn) of this bill per
year as well as create 15, 000 entrepreneurs who would become employers of
labour in the fish chain”.
So, he said, Bayelsa State
resolved to develop aquacultural economy built around the fish chain; setting
up aquaculture villages, feed mills, hatcheries, smoked fish, etc. The pilot is
in Yenagoa with 500 ponds of 7000 fingerling each. The state found out that the
cooperative model does not work in south-east and south-south regions of
Nigeria, where people want to be chief executives and decision-makers in their
businesses. “So, we introduced the collaborative model for people to be
independent but find areas of cooperation”.
The aim, he said, is to
create a local economy on agriculture, outside oil and gas. “We are also doing
the Cassava Industrialisation Scheme because Nigeria spends $500m per year to
import starch but at the same time, Nigeria is highest producer of cassava in
the world. Bayelsa is now building a starch factory based on 1500 cassava
out-growers of 2 hectares per person. We need 220 mt of cassava per day or
equivalent of seven hectares per day.”
He said the private sector is
to drive this project while the state government is to provide massive
infrastructure. “In about seven months, we want to see results. The target is
to help move our economy over agriculture from oil. We need the support of the
private sector to actualize this objective especially in investments and viable
man- agreement of the projects. We are ready to help with security because
Bayelsa is one of the safest states in the Niger Delta right now. We are ready
to offer tax relief and tax holiday. The place is capable of producing 7.5 mt
per day. We want to concession it to a viable outfit.”
He said a Danish firm has shown interest but they were keen on exporting the products but Bayelsa wants to meet local demand first.
He said a Danish firm has shown interest but they were keen on exporting the products but Bayelsa wants to meet local demand first.
Week said, “For those who say
government should not dabble into setting up agricultural facilities but should
be restricted to provision of ‘enabling environment, ’we say that every society
defines what ‘enabling environment’ means to their people and how they want to
boost economic participation. In Bayelsa, we interpret enabling environment to
also include providing facilities that entrepreneurs would leverage on; it
includes providing the market, linkages, input, security, even subsidizing
credit so that the interest rates can be accommodated in the agricultural
sector. That is what we have done in the two focal products we want to promote;
fish and cassava chains.
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