Business
FG begins yam production, storage centres in Oyo, others


The Federal Government says it is establishing production and storage centres for yam in many states such as Oyo, Ekiti, Nasarawa, Niger, Benue and Kogi.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, stated this at a yam stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.
The minister, represented by a director in the ministry, Mrs Karim Babangida, said the ministry was already enlisting the active participation of state governments, youths, women and other key stakeholders to boost capacity and production in the sector.
He said, “The ministry on its part has included yam as a priority crop in 2020 fiscal year out of over 28 crops being promoted in the ministry.
“This year, the ministry has established an aeroponics system in Oyo State for the production of clean seed yam; established cold storage facilities in Oyo, Ekiti and Benue states; construction of modern yam storage facility in Nasarawa State has been completed.
“10,000 node vine cuttings and 80,000 clean foundation seed yams were distributed to elite farmers in Imo State while 75,000 yam seeds were distributed to farmers in Ibadan.
“In addition, the ministry has introduced dry season yam farming using Benue and Nasarawa states as pilot states while plans are under way to distribute seed yams to farmers in Kogi, Niger and Taraba for dry season farming.
“The ministry is collaborating with relevant Research Institutes for the production and distribution of disease free foundation seed yam and value addition. These efforts are aimed at developing the yam sector while cushioning the effect of COVID-19 pandemic.”
He said the last restriction of movement negatively affected the food supply chains, incomes and livelihoods in the country.
“Since smallholders are the most vulnerable, it become imperative for the government to bring together stakeholders in the yam sector in order to chart the way forward along the value chains so as to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is hoped that this effort and other complementary interventions by different stakeholders will make the government to increase the resilience of farmers and the national food systems in general,” he added.
“Understandably, therefore, if we must sustainably feed our teeming population of about 200 million people and our neighbouring countries that rely on Nigeria for some of their food requirements; the yam sector must be developed along its value chain,” he noted.
The minister, however, expressed hope that the suggestions emanating from the meeting would guide the government to improve more on the current attention given to yam development in the ministry.
Business
FG, states, LGs get N1.1tn as August allocation


The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a sum of N1.1 trillion to the Federal Government, states and local government areas as August 2023 federation account revenue.
A statement issued on Friday and signed by Director (Press and Public Relations) Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa, said the balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) was $473,754.57.
According to Bawa, a communique issued by the FAAC at its September, 2023 meeting indicated that the N1100.101 billion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N357.398 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N321.941 billion, Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N14.102 billion, Exchange Difference revenue of N229.568 billion and Augmentation of NN177.092 billion.
In the communique, total revenue of N1.483 trillion was available in the month of August 2023.
Total deductions for cost of collection was N58.755 billion, total transfers and refunds was N254.046 billion and savings was N71.000 billion.
Gross statutory revenue of N891.934 billion was received for the month of August 2023. This was lower than the N1,150.424 billion received in the month of July 2023 by N258.490 billion.
The gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N345.727 billion. This was higher than the N298.789 billion available in the month of July 2023 by N46.938 billion.
The communique stated that from the N1,100.101 billion total distributable revenue, the Federal Government received a total of N431.245 billion, the State Governments got N361.188 billion and the Local Government Councils went home with N266.538 billion.
A total sum of N26.473 billion (13% of mineral revenue) and N14.657 billion (13% of savings from NNPCL), were shared to the relevant States as derivation revenue.
From the N357.398 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N173.102 billion, the state governments got N87.800 billion and the Local Government Councils pocketed N67.690 billion.
The sum of N14.446 billion (13% of mineral revenue) and N14.361 billion (13% of savings from NNPCL) were shared to the relevant States as derivation revenue.
The Federal Government got N48.291 billion, the State Governments received N160.971 billion and the Local Government Councils went home with N112.679 billion from the N321.941 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue.
The N14.102 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) was shared as follows: the Federal Government pocketed N2.115 billion, the State Governments got N7.051 billion and the Local Government Councils received N4.936 billion.
The Federal Government received N114.445 billion from the N229.568 billion Exchange Difference revenue; State Governments received N58.048 billion, and the Local Government Councils got N44.752 billion.
The sum of N12.027 billion (13% of mineral revenue) and N0.296 billion (13 % of savings from NNPCL) went to the relevant States as derivation revenue.
From the N177.092 billion Augmentation, the Federal Government received N93.292 billion; the State Governments got N47.319 billion, and the Local Government Councils pocketed N36.481 billion.
In the month of August 2023, Value Added Tax (VAT), Import and Excise Duties and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) increased considerably while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), Companies Income Tax (CIT), Oil and Gas Royalties recorded significant decreases.
Railway
Subsidy: NRC to introduce Apapa (Lagos)-Kajola (Ogun) express train


Subsidy: NRC set to introduce Apapa (Lagos)-Kajola (Ogun) express train
The Nigerian Railway Corporation says it will soon introduce a mass transit express passenger train between Apapa in Lagos and Kajola in Ogun State.
The action is part of the Federal Government’s palliative measures to cushion the effect of the petrol subsidy removal on the citizens, according to a statement by the NRC.
The statement obtained on Thursday and signed by the NRC’s Deputy Director Public Relations Yakub Mahmood, quoted Director Operations of the corporation, Akin Osinowo, as giving the details of the new train service on behalf of the Managing Director, Fidet Okhiria.
Code-Named Apapa Express Train, he said the Apapa-Kajola express train would run on the standard gauge railway line.
He gave the stopping stations for the express train as Mobolaji Johnson, Agege, Agbado and Kajola.
He further said the train service would reduce the hardship being experienced by commuters especially those plying Apapa-Kajola route.
Osinowo appealed to all train passengers to ensure that they obtain tickets at the designated stations before boarding the train.
Railway
Lagos gov gives Agege traders two-day ultimatum to vacate rail track


Lagos gov gives Agege traders two-day ultimatum to vacate rail track
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has given a two-day ultimatum to traders in Agege to vacate the train tracks.
The governor gave the ultimatum after paying a visit to the Agege Station of the Red Line Rail on Wednesday, September 27.
While addressing traders selling their wares on the train track, Sanwo-Olu said, “It is a government road that is why government built everything; it’s for transportation not for the market.
“I’m telling you now; I have given you two days’ notice. Everyone selling chicken, they are coming to pack everything next week. You can’t stay here; it’s impossible; that is the reason I came myself.
“We cannot have a situation after we have invested a lot of money in these things and we are not able to use it. Are you listening to me? I have told you. That’s why it’s going to be in the news and newspapers.
“We don’t want anybody to die when the train starts working because the train is scheduled to pass here every 10 minutes and I don’t want anybody to die here. I don’t want ‘Wahala’. So all of you should leave and I am going to block all the market that no one would be able to pass here.”
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