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FG Begins Sale Of 50kg Rice At N40,000

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The Federal Government has begun the sale of 30, 000 metric tonnes of milled rice to Nigerians at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50 kilograme bag.

Senate Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, who flagged- off the sale of the rice at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, said the potential buyers would present their National Identification Number (NIN) as a means of identification.

Kyari said the rice intervention was timely due to the times and current challenges Nigerians are grappling with.

He said: “It is indeed my pleasure to welcome you all to this historical, all-important, and long-awaited flag-off of the sales of 30,000 MT of FGN milled rice to Nigerians at a subsidised rate of N40,000 per 50 kg.

“This kind gesture was made possible at the expense and directives of the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, who does not want Nigerian citizens to go to bed hungry and, in his wisdom, deemed it important to initiate this food intervention.

“We are all aware that in the recent past, precisely aftermath of COVID-19, and due to the Russian-Ukraine war, the climate change, amidst other localized factors/challenges, food prices, farm yields, and food chains, were distorted globally, and Nigeria is not an exception.

“This has led to increased concern and risk of food insecurity and general decline in the standard of living globally. I therefore urge us to understand that the present challenges are not peculiar to our great country.

“This food intervention can be said to be timely considering the times and challenges we are in as citizens of this great nation.

“As one of the numerous efforts of the present administration to cushion the effect of high cost of food commodities, kindly join me to applaud the immense efforts of the present administration, such as the release of 42,000 MT of Assorted Food Commodities (AFC) to vulnerable and the 30,000 MT of milled rice that is being flagged off for sales to Nigerians today, 5th September, 2024.”

The Minister explained that a multi-disciplinary machinery of government had been deployed to ensure the transparency, wider reach and success of the exercise.

He revealed that the process is structured to ensure that one person does not get more than one 50kg bag of rice.

He said the intending beneficiaries would be “verified using relevant identification mediums such as the NIN and phone numbers to forestall multiple accesses to the commodity by fraudulent individuals to the detriment of other citizens.”

“In view of the above, I urge our dear citizens to cooperate with the relevant agencies of government who will try to serve you to achieve this great initiative of government.

“It is expected that with the injection of 30,000MT (1000 trucks of 30MT each of this important staple into Nigeria’s food balance sheet, it will not only crash the price of rice but also other closer food substitutes and alternatives,” he said.

Explaining the process Nigerians would have to follow to purchase the rice, the Director of Strategic Grains Reserve, Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Haruna Sule, said civil servants could access the grains from the point of sale with their Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“Once you have any of these three, you present it to the sales operators and it is logged on the platform that has been created.

“After this, you proceed to pay electronically with your ATM; once the payment is done, it is linked to the initial sales operator and it shows that you have paid; then a receipt will be issued with a code number,” he explained.

“With the code number, he said, the buyer will be issued with a treasury receipt to show that he or she has paid to government.

“The buyer is then given a receipt which shows point of collection and time of collection; this is to eliminate any form of stampede.

He noted that the point of collection is different from the point of sales, adding that “when you get to the collection point, you present your code to our officials and you will be given a bag of rice.”

In Abuja, he said, the plan is to set up about five to six sales points across the FCT and the duration of the distribution will be for the period they are able to finish sales.

It would be recalled that the sale of subsidised rice was first announced by the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, in July 2024.

Following the announcement, the Ministry of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Human Resources Management Department asked civil servants to register for the sale of the food item.

The government thereafter announced that it had halted the plan without any explanation.

General News

Kiloshele lauds NANS Leadership Under Babatunde For peaceful protest for release of Abducted Students, Teachers of Oyo State

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By David Owei
A forefront NAUS Presidential Aspirant, Comr. David Aladesanmi popularly referred as Mr. Kiloshele, has lauded the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), *Akinteye Babatunde Afeez GCNS*, for his exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Nigerian students.

He particularly commended the *NANS President* for peacefully mobilizing and coordinating efforts towards the abducted students and teachers in Orire Local Government Area. According to Mr. Kiloshele, the mature and responsible approach adopted by the student body under Akinteye’s leadership demonstrates the power of unity, dialogue, and constructive engagement in addressing national challenges.

Mr. Kiloshele further praised NANS for its consistent advocacy for student safety and security across educational institutions nationwide. He emphasized the need for all stakeholders, including government agencies and security operatives, to strengthen security measures in schools to safeguard students, teachers, and learning environments.

He called for sustained collaboration between student leaders, educational authorities, and security agencies to ensure that schools remain safe havens for learning and development, while applauding NANS, NAUS & sister bodies for standing firmly in defense of Nigerian students.

“Leadership is best measured by service, courage, and results. He conclusively, called upon media agencies to give this movement a worldwide publication as days is given to return our students, teachers back to thier schools and make Nigeria safe & safer for our education.

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Nigeria’s milk self-sufficiency will be won at states, LGs, not in Abuja -Expert

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Prof. Demo Kalla

By Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

Nigeria’s journey to dairy self-sufficiency must shift from federal policy documents to deliberate action by states and local governments, a member of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, PLRIC, and Acting Director of the TETFUND Centre of Excellence on Dairy Research and Development, ATBU Bauchi, Prof. Demo Kalla has said.

Kalla spoke during a panel session on “Mainstreaming Dairy Development Policy at the Sub-national Level for Self-sufficiency: Opportunities, Challenges and Way Forward” as part of activities to mark the 2026 World Milk Day.

The session was moderated by a Radio Nigeria presenter Rita Ene Okwanihe while other panelists included Mr Snorri Sigurdsson, Head of Raw Milk Production, Arla Foods Nigeria; Dr Ishaq Bello, Special Adviser to the Minister of Livestock Development; Mr Brighton Ochieng, Chief Technical Officer, Promasidor Nigeria; and Hon. Adamu Mammagi Abdullahi, Commissioner for Livestock Development, Niger State.

Setting the context, Kalla said mainstreaming dairy development at the sub-national level means making dairy a deliberate part of state and local government planning, budgeting, investment promotion and rural economic strategy.

“In practical terms, it means moving dairy development from being viewed as a federal livestock initiative to becoming a priority economic sector owned and driven by states and local governments,” he stated.

He described it as “the missing link between Nigeria’s enormous livestock potential and the realization of dairy self-sufficiency.”

“Given that milk is produced in communities, not in policy documents, the success of Nigeria’s dairy transformation agenda will ultimately depend on actions taken at the state and local levels,” Kalla added.

He urged states and local government areas to domesticate the National Dairy Policy and create frameworks to attract investors, while promoting milk as a “super food for nutritional security.”

On the role of academia, Kalla said universities, research institutions and extension services are “the backbone of sustainable dairy development” because they generate knowledge, adapt technologies and build human capacity.

“Our mandate is to solve immediate local problems at the sub-national level. They must become active partners in the dairy transformation agenda by supporting state governments, dairy cooperatives, processors, and producers with evidence-based solutions,” he said.

He listed three immediate priorities: demand-driven research, technology transfer through demonstration farms and digital platforms, and capacity building and skills development.

“The dairy industry we desire will not emerge from investments in infrastructure alone. It will be built on knowledge, innovation, skills, and partnerships,” Kalla stressed.

Announcing a practical step, the expert said the Dairy Research and Development Centre, DRDC, stands ready to serve as a national platform for dairy science research, capacity building, innovation and knowledge sharing.

He called on the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development to strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration to accelerate Nigeria’s path to milk self-sufficiency, improved nutrition and rural prosperity.

Earlier in his goodwill message, the Special Adviser to the President on Livestock Development, Prof. Attahiru Jega, said dairy development is a strategic economic enterprise that can create jobs, improve nutrition and reduce Nigeria’s import dependence.

Jega, who is also Co-Chairman of the Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation Committee, PLRIC, said
this year’s theme is “Celebrating Women Dairy Farmers: Promoting Fresh Milk Consumption for a Healthy Nation,” stressing that it recognizes the pivotal role women play in milk production, processing, marketing and value addition across Nigeria.

He noted that the United Nations has designated 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer, IYWF 2026, underscoring women’s contributions to food security and economic growth.

“For Nigeria’s dairy sector, it reinforces the imperative of empowering women dairy farmers through improved access to productive assets, finance, technology, skills development, markets, and leadership opportunities,” he said.

The presidential adviser added that under President Bola Tinubu, the ongoing livestock reforms have placed dairy development at the heart of efforts to transform the livestock economy.

According to him, promoting fresh milk consumption is both a public health and economic imperative, saying “every litre of locally produced and consumed milk strengthens domestic value chains, creates opportunities for farmers and processors, improves household incomes, and contributes to national food and nutrition security.”

He said PLRIC remains committed to sustainable dairy development through policy reforms, investment promotion, breed improvement, pasture development, One Health, infrastructure expansion and stronger public-private partnerships.

Jega called on state governments, development partners, financial institutions, processors and investors to collaborate in mainstreaming dairy development at the sub-national level.

He concluded that a competitive dairy subsector will create wealth, employment and deliver nutritious fresh milk for a healthier and prosperous Nigeria.

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Tinubu commissions Jahi CNG Station as Rolling Energy leads clean fuel drive

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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

By Olugbenga Salami

President Bola Tinubu has commissioned a state-of-the-art Compressed Natural Gas Daughter Booster Station in Jahi, Abuja, in a fresh push to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on costly petroleum products and unlock the value of its gas reserves.

Tinubu, who was by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Ekperikpe Ekpo, described the facility as a centrepiece of the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said the agenda places domestic gas utilisation at the heart of Nigeria’s industrial and economic future.

Nigeria holds about 215 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. Yet for decades, much of the resource has been exported while Nigerians grapple with expensive and polluting fossil fuels.

The Tinubu administration is now moving to reverse that trend. The Jahi commissioning is one of four gas infrastructure projects unveiled simultaneously nationwide.

Similar facilities were launched by Ibile Oil and Gas and Portland Energy in Lagos and Owerri respectively.

“This facility marks another important milestone in our collective drive to deepen gas utilisation, expand access to cleaner energy solutions, and strengthen Nigeria’s gas value chain,” Ekpo declared at the event.

At the forefront of the transformation is Rolling Energy Limited, the private firm behind the Jahi station which developed the project in partnership with the Midstream and Downstream Gas Infrastructure Fund, MDGIF.

Chairman of Rolling Energy, Mubarak Umar Dambata, said the company’s footprint extends beyond Abuja.

He disclosed that Rolling Energy is rolling out CNG mother stations, daughter stations and Liquefied Natural Gas facilities in Kaduna, Kano and Borno states.

The firm has also partnered with the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles to convert over 8,000 vehicles to gas-powered systems.

The initiative is designed to translate policy into direct savings for commuters, tricycle operators and businesses.

The Jahi facility has a sales capacity of 1,000 Standard Cubic Metres, SCM, per hour.

It features two CNG tube skids with a combined storage capacity of 17,000 SCM.

The station also houses a Mass Conversion Centre that can convert up to 20 vehicles and 25 tricycles daily.

Since commercial operations began, it has been serving 350–400 vehicles per day.

Projected capacity is to serve more than 1,000 CNG vehicles and 100 trucks daily across the FCT and surrounding regions.

Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on CNG and Electric Vehicles, Ismahil Ahmed, said the removal of fuel subsidies created urgency for alternative energy.

“CNG offers a cleaner and more economically viable option,” Ahmed argued. He urged investors to move quickly into a market where demand for gas infrastructure is rising.

Presidential Adviser Sunday Dare said the administration has commissioned 25 projects nationwide to mark its third anniversary, with clean energy and gas infrastructure featuring prominently.

With regulatory backing from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority and financial support from MDGIF, officials say the foundation for a CNG-powered Nigeria is now in place.

For truck drivers, tricycle operators and factory owners, the promise is lower costs, cleaner air and greater energy reliability.

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