10 BUSINESSDf\Y: www.businessdayonUne.com
Tuesday 29 May 201j
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Tit bits
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Ogun partners ILO on child labour, trafficking eradication "
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FCli~rs
80 tractors increase ectation for foodstuffs
KEHINOE Att;U"'OLA
AbUj'
T
he la'JDch of 80 Il1Ictors by Ihe F~er.ll Capillli Terrilory
Adminismulon
(FGTA)
In
a gradual transition toward fuU mechanised farming hlU raised lbe expectations of the FCT resi · dents on im;:rell5ed food production. nu: traClOIlo worth N560 million. are to be di,tribuIl\'d 10 larmers through their cooperati~ sc,.iclies In
the six area coun -
db of Abuja. 1hey include Abaji. Bwarl. Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwall and Abul_ Munldpal Area Council (AMAC). According 10 QlaJumoke AJdnjlde. nini!ltel"of Slale for Fer, each of the me· 10rs cost aboui N7 million but subsidised y 50 percent by the Fer administration. The FCTA . Ill"'ually provides fertillurs
at subsidised rulJ:s 10 farmers through the area coundls and sells various food itelTUi (grains) to resl lenlli 10 cushion the effect of high cost of food In the FCT. Asb bnneu associations had earUer in the year lWnefitted from the FCTA's geonure, as II di!;oibuted various equipment to enhance productlvily In aqua-
cuhwe. Mdnjld~ . who launched equipment. explained thaI the programme WM In line
The minister also mentioned that through Nigeria In centive Based Risk Sharing Agriculture lending (NIRSAL), finan cial n eeds of farm ers would be addressed through credit and loans at low rates
with present administration's cardinal U'8nsfonnation agenda toward boosting food production, sustain development and generate employment for the youth In the rural areas. The miniSleT Stated that food security W8.5 IntegT8J to the present admlnlsUlltlon nol only In boosting food production In Nigeria but also to enable Nigeria feed the rest of Africa and beyond. Aldnllde added that agriculture helng the largesl empl¥," of labour was Lhe bedrock of economic development. The programmes, she said, were Growth En hancement Suppa" (GES) scheme Lhat would address flll111Cf'$' challenges In the value chain of eommodhies where the FCf has comparotJve advantage. l.he minister also mentioned that through Nigeria m(:C:ntive Based Risk Sharing Agriculture lending (NIRSAL), finandal needs of fanners would be addressed through aedit and loans al low n'~
Akilljlde, wh o handed Ih e keys of 10 UlIcton to each of the six area councils' ehaInnen. enjoined Lhem to uslst the farmen by furLher subsldlJing Lhe COIL Henry Agba ma. SeOA eh alnnan, In his remarks, noted that the Ho lland metors were products of Exquisite European Engineering Techno l.o gy- II combination ofAat of Italy a nd Font o f lhc UK which Is very famUiar to Nigeria farmers.
Disturbed by the increasing rate of child IJ1lffiddng and labour prevalent In mbSaharan African countries, the Ogun Snlte gOYCllment. In eoUabotlluon with the International Labour Organisation (LI..O), has established Olild Protection NefWOrk (CPN) aimed 10 f,educe all fonw of chUd abuse across the stale. The QlUd Protection Network (CPN) is a unit In the Stale Ministry of Wo men Al(am and Sodal D~opml!'nt established In partnership with the International labour Orpnisatlon (11.0) to cater for chlldre;n's right and help eradicate child rrafficklng. child labour and all fann! of child abuse across the stale. Spealdng weekend in Abeoblla with joumallst5, the Commissioner fOI Women Affain and Social Development. Elltabeth Sonub!. disdosed thai the minis try's pacenership with the ILO led to the establishment of Child Protection and had taken some stria measures 10 ensure effective welf~ of children in the 51ale. Sonubl. who said thlll the ministry was working with the ILO and other rele\-anl mlnlslriH., departments and agendes in the stale to combat the menace, assured that government would contJnue to ensure welrare of clt1ldren regardless of their status. The comntissloner ooled that the ministry had been working in collaboration with the eight privately-owned orphanages operating within the state to guarantee children's wdfare. adding thaI four new ones are in the process of compleung tht'ir registration with the mlnlsuy. tolal of II abanAccording to her, doned babies at the Stdla Obasanjo Odidren's had been adopted by families who we re SCR!Cned and found 10 be capable of tmng car~ of them, .IO far. th e m in istry had received a bo ut 800 appUcatlons for child adoption
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Abuj a national stadium gets Senate's attention When Nigeria was giving th ~ hosting right for tJlC 8tJI All Africa Gamel! In 2003, the Federal Government built the National Stadium In Abula .III a whopping COSI of aboul S360 million. After the games were held with pomp and ceremony, the stadium was abandoned and the InfraSlruc+ lUre therein suffered decay. Though government awarded a con· tract for the sum of NI .2 billion yearly for the maintenance of the complex, the conlJ'aCl was later tenninated. nll!re had been repolU thlt the management of the stadium could nol even pay for waler 10 maintain the gms.ses aside those In the main bowl. A visit to the complex showed dilapidation of fadUtJes while majority of the sprawling complu has been overgrown with weeds. Wtndows, doors and otheTfittlngs have started collapsing while some national teams tndnlng at the practising pitches tr.aln In overgrown grasses. Last week. senators debated a motion on the deplo.rabJe Slate of the stadium sponsored by Mudashiro Husain from Osun State. In the motion, the stadium has become ·WC'atheT-beaten, decrepit site which is an evidence of an edifice th at suffen IOlai neglect and lack of maintenance."