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ActionAid urges creation of Agriculture Emergency Fund

The ActionAid Nigeria has called for the immediate creation of a separate Agricultural Emergency Fund outside the 2023 budget for agriculture.

Mr Azubike Nwokoye, the Food and Agriculture Programme Manager of the organisation, made the call in Abuja on Monday.

Nwokoye said that the fund had become necessary in order to avert the looming food crisis in the country.

He said that the country was currently faced with daunting food and nutrition insecurity.

He blamed the situation on the low public investments in agriculture, late budget releases, insurgency, armed banditry, farmer-herder clashes and floods across the country.

According to Nwokoye, flood has ravaged farmlands and livelihoods and with the high post-harvest losses of N3.5 trillion annually, the situation becomes more damning.

“The Nigeria Multi-dimensional Poverty Index 2022 released in November reiterates the need for us to rethink our approaches to achieving food and nutrition security in Nigeria.

“The report shows that of Nigeria’s 200 million population, 38.6 per cent, which is 77.2 million citizens, are faced with food insecurity.

“28.7 per cent, which is 57.4 million citizens, are faced with nutrition insecurity.

“Also, 50.6 per cent, which is 101.2 million citizens, lack the access to cooking fuel, which contributes largely to climate change and health issues.

“The national measure of multi-dimensional poverty was conducted between November 2021 and February 2022,” he said.

Nwokoye further said that things had become worse than the statistics at the moment, considering the recent floods,” he said.

He said that of the 133 million Nigerians living in poverty, 106 million reside in rural areas, being the major area of agricultural activities.

He, therefore, called for a rethink with regard to public investments in agriculture.

“There is need to rethink and ensure that we appropriately target smallholder women farmers,” Nwokoye said.

Dollars-DMO

AFD, EU to fund vocational skills in power sector with $46m-NAPTIN

The National Power Training Institute (NAPTIN), says Agence Française de Development (AFD) and the EU, have pledged to expend 46 million dollars to fund vocational skills in the power sector.

The Director-General of NAPTIN, Mr Ahmed Nagode said this in Abuja on Wednesday at a workshop on “Enhancing Vocational Training Delivery for the Nigerian Power Sector’’.

Nagode was represented by Mr Kunle Oyenusi, the Director, Legal NAPTIN who is also Head Implementation Unit (PIU) of the project.

The workshop has as its the theme “ Meeting the Training Needs of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry ‘’ would enhance capacity building in the power industry.

He said that a financing plan aggregate of 46 million dollars funded by AFD and the European Union (EU) would be solely invested in NAPTIN for the enhancement of vocational skills training in the power sector in Nigeria.

According to him, the project has three major components: Product Development, Infrastructural Development and Corporate Development.

Nagode said that the project, upon completion would reposition NAPTIN as a centre of excellence to serve the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI), West Africa Power Pool (WAPP)

“ ECOWAS Centre for renewable Energy and Energy efficiency (ECREEE) and Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA).

“The project has four specific objectives: to develop trainings curricula adapted to the market needs and specialise the trainers

“To reinforce NAPTIN’s attractiveness by building new technical infrastructure laboratories, workshops and acquiring relevant technical equipment for the network of the regional training centres and headquarters in Abuja.

“To sustain public investment by setting up a sustainable business model and to deeply reform NAPTIN’s governance, procedures and policies into a more business-oriented institution.’’

Nagode said that that the workshop was under the first component, the product development.

“ The main purpose of this workshop is to bring stakeholders together at a round table to talk about their training needs.

“So that NAPTIN can position its training products through infrastructure to deliver quality training that the sector needs,’’ he said.

Nagode said that the result of the interaction with stakeholders would be transmitted into the development of the training component.

According to him, to support the generation, transmission and distribution companies there is the need to ensure that human capacity is given the right attention.

“I thank the AFD and EU for providing the support on which the project rest.

“ I assure you that NAPTIN will ensure that the training content and courses developed suit the current and future needs of NESI,’’ he said.

On his part, Mr Joseph Vennel, Team Lead Component 1 for the project said that there were lot of workmen in the sector that were unskilled.

Vennel who worked with an Indian Company, Feedback Intra and consultant to NAPTIN said that such workmen require skills to work effectively.

“ There was the need for stakeholders in the power sector to enhance its human capacity skills for workmen to deliver quality service as customers want regular electricity at all times,’’ he said.