THISDAY, Vol. 16, No. 5965, Page 41
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
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BusinessWORLD
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JICA Flays Govt pver Maintenance of Water Hand~ptunp~ apan Inl~maliona l CorporuJion Agency OICA) has blamed Federal Go\ocrnment o\..:r lIon·maintenance and re:p.ur of water hand pump bo,,~holes acro~ the country. ~ J:apanesc. C<KpOmlion hatI earlier handed over sev· erol hand pump boreholes 10 the fedeml govcrnment to be in5f311ed in communhlC$ foc-
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Storin/rom Yt'RI; AkillSUyl
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the provision of potDble ......Ier to the people. To this end the corponllion had lIt.Iyiscd the govemmt'm 10 rrain !he oommunity d ....·cllers on lhe main· tenance of the hand pumps. JlCA OOwe\'er w id il WlS
disllllbing 10 noce thai the govemmcnl had nol been fonhcoming in Ihis regard. 1be lICA representative. Mr. Yoshiro Masuda . who decried Ihis at a Slakeholdc:rs meeting 10 discu!lS Ihe con· tent of Ihe IlrOja:t 011 reYiew and updu le of Nigeria Nation!!i Waler Resources fo,'llISter Plan in Abtlj::a. called
Water Project: Minister Solicits Increased Funding
T
he Mml,;ler of Walo::r Resources. Mrs SanLh Ot.:hc!l:pe, luis soIicitctl for (u nd;; 10 oompIc:le 11.11 an· toing WIIltr projects in the
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TIll: Millisli!t.whoexpt'CSS'""rl readiness to cofnpk:tc 1111 0.IOIng dam projects if the ~ wy funds PJe available, calkd OIl dewlopmcnt partners to col· bbor.ut with tbc ftdcrod gOY"+ emmaU in the provision of (lOWbIc ~k.""IOtht people. Orch...... pt I1WlIe Ihe appeal "1l1:li till: Mini5lCf of SIlde rill' Defence, Etelu Oluso1a 0hIda. paid her a yisil in her 01T1OC: In AbuJi. She reiterated her COlli· nmmeru lothecomp~ ionor all
abandoned wwc:r projects in tbc
projec1 in a bid 10 finding 1asI·
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Ing solurion 10 w:ntt c:h.aIlent;e oonfrootmg!he locality. In her n::sponsc:, Qchcl;pe tiSWt:d thai the minisIJy will look 1010 the lIIallCr and see how funds would be provided for th;: compledon of the po-
In her ""URis: " I h:I\~ been glYen the mandate lOeruure the: rornpletion of all Ilh;mduned WllII!T projects wilhin till: possI+ bk: ~ I~. and with the help of SUIkehoklas in till: sec· tor and otIlCr~nt panw neB, we will achie\-.:; it • Earlier, Obado iuId l!\I11CJltcd IhPI fOf the p35t 20 years. intli· acncsof lle-l fe and fIcsha 1()IoIo1l in Osun SIllIt hiwe not had Ik.'l.."eSS 10 polllblc: ....'WCr !.lIpply. IIdiling tlUt 1110&1 of the ....'Il1C"f projects in tbc stare un: ya 10 be compIc:lcd. 'The minisser ho....... ever atIlc:U on lhe 1,'O'o'CIl1ITIC"IM to cxped.itt: :Jl:tJOO on the ....·.Iler
j<d.
on the government to cxptdile action on lhe repalroftbc hand pumps. Muudl!. disclosed Ihllt not less thall 1.5 Sll tes oftbe fal· enlion IU~ to benefil (TOm JICA inlervention fund of $100 millton to boo5t walcr supply in Ihe country. The PumaJll:nt Secretar)" Ministry ofW:uer Rcsounxs. Amb:lSsador GoI1know5 Iglli, II Ihe stakeholders meeling. s:tid lhe: Maste.r Plan WIIS imparl3nl so as 10 achu:ve lICCelel".l.led and suslained gmwth in integrat~ alld coordinated walt r resources Olinagement lind deyc:lopment . agricutturul produdioo and food sc:curily. I&oli 5ubmiUed thllt the t.iu.stcr Plan W:JJ che firsl compre:hen.sh'e deyelopment pllUl, which promiscdoptimi. P lion in the 1\;llion'S Wiler resoun.:c5 as well as financial II.nd economic inYc:.5trnelll options in ilS !kyclopmc:ol.
lie lidded l.hat the plan Illso addres.sctl issue of po\'U1y, right to use water, gender issues 000 cOllCCSSioning of waltr rcsDU1n!S infrtitruaUR: through Puhlic Privale l'artnelSlttp (PPPj. ·n.e P<::nnancnt Secrtwy eJ[pl3illed th::at the reyicw wou ld funher UIke illlo considerollon policy docun.enl$ among .... hleh nrc Naliono.l Water Policy, National Water Resources UiII , N:nionll Policy on Operalion and Mainlellllnce of W:ucr InlflStruelure, Resources Water R03d Map, wilh a \'icw of aligmng them with Ihe plao. He said. - By this lIClion . lhe: WIlier rcsources seclor wou ld havc an lmponance robw;l document for i/lOI"I . medium IJId long lenn devclopmel1l phlili. whkh will uhimlllely pNffe1 solutions to lhc numerous challenges that IllIve bc:(kyilc:d l he sector".
AGM IN PROGRESS.
TIse Direcfor Plannm, RciI!an:h and Slatiscics. Mrs Ll'dll Bilgalya. in her wei come address. wid lhe pul pr4t of !he committee mt;.!1 ing was to I.ick,slan Ih. re ~ac:w process so IlS lO pro duce an eucompJS ~ inl Natio nal Waler Resource Master Plan , whieh ever; d.:velopmem In the iCClO \\;)Uld be anchored Oil. She enjoined slllL:e.holdcl' to mal:e nlt:lrlingiul coolri butions ilnd recommendu litlos that wl,ll.lld address ltv nun:crnus challenSd faced il tte deli yery of wale ruo uu:es services In II.. t"1IUI Ury. Commenclinr. lht' JlCI ltllm ou the: review of Ill. ~lttsler Plan , Bagai}'D men fl Jlled lhal lhe: MP. whel rompleted . wouIJ lay solk f,lUndllllOn for proper dc.vel O..lmem and mon;agcrnclll 0 Vfaler Resourct;s in the coun
.y.
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IFAD Endorses Agric Transformation Agenda he Inlcf1l3uonal Fund ror Ag rl c ullurDI f)cvelopment . (lFAD) has fornlully endorsed Ihc AgricuhurJI Trunsformau on Agenda of PrClikknt Goodtuck Jnl\;l than adminisuutioo. The IFAD presidem . Or. KlIflayo N.....:I.I11.c. who visited Ihe Fcdc~1 Mimslry of Agnc uhu~ and Rural ~\'elopn~nt, c:J;ptaiued lhat IFAD has always been in !he rorefront or IIgrtCuhunlllruns. fomullion globally through $1rcngthening of the yalue chain 10 create wt:lllth, tll1ploymenl opponunilies and gencnl1e Income. NW'Jn:tt. a Nigerilln and the rllSl African 10 lead the apex ttlobalagriculJural body. obscrved Ihat Nigeria and IFAD have been colluOOr..ling on agricultur.U developmem in Ihree key :areas; Communi l y.Dllled Agric:ulturul and Rurut Developmcnt Progrurnmt (CBARDP), lhe CommunityBll5ed Nuturul Resources /I.13nagemenl PrOilnumne (CIl NR MP) 100 Ihc Rural Finance InsUlUlion Building Progmlllme (RUFlN). He: ap t~ ined that the progrummes wen:: being joimly UCCUlc:d by Nigeria and IFAD with the Jalter con· tributing $8Sm and the (or· mer paying $ 11.5m counterpan (unding To suppon the DgricullUmJ tmnsfonnotiol1 agenda of the: Nigeria.n govemnllenl . N....'IInze lidded tlult IFAD is proposlllg the sum of S15m 10 suppon the agncuttuml wlue cham forcomprchensive agri. cullUl"III de~'elopmenl tn !he cOlInit)'. Responding, lhe mimsler, Of. Akin ..... uml Adesinu , said NigW:l, as the hll"gcst doooc 10 IFAD programmes, is ready to pay the 9th Replenimment wnounting 10
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S 10 I m bclWec:1l October and December 10 I I. AdC$lna stressed Ihal Nigeria is ready to mise. the agricnhural producuvity of small holda farmen Ihrough Ihc Nigena Incelllive· based Risk Sh::armg Agricuhuml Lending (NIRSAL) JUSI like Br-wl . China. India, I nd lllailand, "hkh invtsl heavily ou agriculture not (VIly 10 pul rood on tbe lablt bot to c:rt.ale ..... ealth , jobs and inc:rc:asc: lneon)!:. In his remarks earlier. tI)!: minister of state for Agrieulture: 3nd Runl Developmem, Alh. Bul:ar 1ijani, noted !hOI the impIICI of IFAD's programmes is feh , Iobally IS they rtIICh lhe: poorest of lhe: poor in all noots and crarutiu of the won d, roising lnoomc:s and helping millions of poor people tn rome QUI ofthcir pover· Iy. He aplairleli lhat the: IFAD Icc:lmical \liSiSlance being a lended 10 Nigerill dm~lIiliis into Vision 20·20"...0 15 il con· cerns I gncultumll'lllue choin, which is the best practi0e5 I pproach.
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Kwankwaso Launches 80 Tractors for Farmers' Groups
G
o\.emor
Rabiu
to.-IUSI
Kwankwaso of KDno
Slate has Illunched 80 ttaClonl for saJc lo farmers II"OUPS in the swe, under the Nliliona l Traclorisatiun Prognunme, I Public Privale Panncrship (PPP) armnge~I.
From Ibrahim Shuaibu -<Speaking during lhe occasion. the grn-emor explained thal under the II.mlI1gcmenl . the r'Ctlenll government would pay 2.S per cent of lilt CO!it , the:
Agrie: Bauchi Govt Releases N30m Counterpart Funding auehi StDte Go\'Cf"1\IlII:nI has approYCCI the immedi· ale reluse of the sum of NlO million to s.ssabwa GIoI:raI2(XX). as ItscoulUCfpiUt funding towards improving agricultural deyclopmem in the Slate. GoYI:mor lsa Yuguda. who disclosed Ihis when he rtCC"ot· Iy grollted lI.udieocc 10 the EJ,.ccuti\·e Diltttor or Sassakawa Africa Associ:uiOll, Mr. Chri5lophc:r OO.....swell. during I counc:sy call at the
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From Segun AM.'OJadtji
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OO\'emmcnl House, DOled that 1I.e pannerdlip has l'n>yided a launch·pad ror I WlIe wide: BSADP/S"G·2f.OXI pr0gramme &vdopmerll. YUguda , who \\'D.5 repR' senlcd by his Dep.ny, Sagir Amlllu S3leh.nlso poinloed QUI 1h:J1 these efforu, coupkd with !he: commitment of this administ.nl.tion for upward
push roragricuJlUrullCIlYilics, productivity for various CQ(J)5 IIIIYC riscn 10 minimum inttrnallon,", standard :a\'efllgt rrom 1.2 IOflnes per hectares to.5 lnnnes per bectan:. While commending the SO-2000 for fllllllCn and prese:t>On nining, tile Governor DOlo:<! thlll o\'tt 10 fTOnHime alensions sllIff have obtwned Bsc degrees in AgricullW"C from ABU and BUK through lhe efforu of the: organisa· IieNt .
ilate go\'C:rnmtnl wQUld pay 1.5 per cent, whllt the baI:mcc of 60 per oeDl woo ltl be paid by benerlCiaries ..... ithin g peri· od of 36 months. Go\'cmor KWIUlkw.uo said beeaust of lhe commitment or the 5Ulle govemmt:nt to revamp agriculture. fenilisc:.r WllS supplied 10 fll1IllttS in all nooks and comr:.rs of the SIlIle at a 5ubsJdiseo.J roue of N I ,900 per bag. He IISSUICd that the State Igricultural supply firm , KASCO, W'OUtd be rcinYigoruled for grealcr effICiency. iMkling thlll the IkIminiSlr.llioo is ClIfTently fC.1lO\'aling agriC\llture Inlining centres at Raoo, OambaUiI . Kad;rWl. ond Gwuno to truin.soo \'ooths at U)!: 11m illSlDc:e, who wou ld be given ploughs uod work bulls 10 hasten mech:uusaJion. Whilc 3SSurin& of lhc rudj. III:M of the ltal..: goyc:mmcntlO we pan in Ihe SCCOlI!f phase the tr3Ctorisation pm· granulle, the governor enjoined lhe beneficianes under dlC filSl phase to mukc judicious UiC or the trolaon.
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In her n:nwts. tbc Slalo Commissioner fO! .... I,TJlcultUf"C. II;aj:lya B:w.II:. Sani. uplained tnat the lrae 100 WCfC purcit:lSCd It COil: of NS million bul wouk be sold to lhe bt'nefic.Ianc:5 a a :iUbsidi£Cd 1111<: of N3 mil lion. Dr. Lawan Ahmed of u. N::auonal Food Reser'\'( Agency, who lepn:selllcd tIM Minister of State fOi A~Inuc: , fot:uSed OIl lilt mothllfliswion of agnc:Ilhun globa.lly. l:unc:lIIing th:Il whik Nigc:ri::a has: about-WJXXIlnIC tors, h:llf of v.hiclt wen grounded, till: ~te of Punjat in India hIlS abou t 400JXX). He therdore resI:llctl IhI federal government's re,;ol" 10 rcvitlllise aaricuhutl:, AY ing more tnldors would bo mllde 1I.....&ilable 10 Kano Of request, in Yicw of ilS \'lIS agricuhural potentiol. A spol:esman for the bene rllilric:s, Alhaji MuhamrNM Tul.ur Delio Owuno , Ih:ml.~ lhe ~twe goYo:rnrnent for d. gdlure and promised Judi ciOllS WlC of the 1tai:tors.
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