| The Punch reports that the Nigerian Government and the organised labour will reconvene on February 22 for the consideration of the reports of the bipartite technical committees on fuel price and electricity tariff.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Monday night while briefing journalists after a bipartite meeting between the Federal Government and the organised labour at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Ngige said they received and adopted the report of the Technical Committee on Premium Motor Spirit Pricing Framework, while that of the Electricity Tariff Committee was expected in a week’s time. He explained that the organised labour requested for some time to subject the report on PMS pricing to their organs for further investigation.
Ngige said, “It is a technical report; so they needed further investigation of the report by their own technical research team. “The technical committee on electricity tariff has not finished.
We expect the report in a week’s time. So, cogently, we are reconvening on 22nd of this month to take both reports.”
The Nation says that the Nigerian Government in collaboration with the United Nations system in Nigeria has announced plans to organise a series of dialogues across the country towards ensuring resilient, inclusive and sustainable food systems in Nigeria by 2030.
This is preparatory to the September 2021 UN Food Systems Summit (FSS) convened by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. National Convener of Nigeria Food Systems Summit Dialogue (FSSD), and Permanent Secretary, Budget and National Planning Mrs. Olusola Idowu stated these in Abuja on Monday during a multi-sectoral, inter-Agency planning meeting for the dialogue.
According to her, the food systems dialogues, the first of which holds on February 23, are based on five action tracks which align with the current developmental priorities of Nigeria, and therefore, immensely contributory to an improved food systems in the country.
“The five action tracks”, Mrs. Idowu explained, “include to ensure access to safe and nutritious food for all; Shift to sustainable Consumption Pattern; Boost nation Position Production; Advance equitable live hood; and build resilience to vulnerabilities shocks and stress.”
The newspaper reports that without production, Nigeria’s three national refineries recorded N6 billion operational expenses last October.
The total value of output by the refineries for the period under review was N0.51billion, which resulted in an operating deficit of N5.49 billion by the refineries.
NNPC made this known this in its October 2020 Financial and Operations Report. Commenting on Refineries Economics for the Period October 2020, the report said the corporation has been adopting a merchant plant refineries business model since January 2017.
According to the report, the model takes cognizance of the products worth and crude costs.
The combined value of output by the three refineries at import parity price for October 2020 amounted to approximately N0.51billion. “No associated crude plus freight cost for the three refineries since there was no production, but operational expenses amounted to N6 billion.
The Sun says that the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, yesterday, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari, has released the sum N34 billion for the construction of 377 roads in 266 rural communities in the six Geo – Political zone of the country.
The Minister who disclosed this when he visited the palace of Agadagba of Olodiama, Godwin Ogunyibo, during the inspection of the ongoing 9km Igo – Ikpella rural road project in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo, explained that the aim of the roads was to stop post – harvest wastage of agricultural produce.
He said the President’s decision to embark on the rural roads project was because of his concern for post – harvest losses suffered by farmers who are mostly domiciled in rural areas of the country, adding that the President particularly instructed that the roads must be in agro corridor.
“As part of the Economy Sustainability Plan of the President, especially as part of effort to mitigate against the post COVID-19 pandemic, his attention is particularly on agriculture. “The President who wants us to eat what we produce, says we must produce what we eat.
ThisDay reports that the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono has commissioned the yam storage facility at the Faculty of Agriculture, Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
He said the facility has capacity to store between 45 – 50 Metric Tonnes of yam seed and is estimated to cover 16 hectares of land when planted.
Speaking during the ceremony, the minister noted that the huge output of using clean seed yam would boost production, increase earnings of yam farmers and enhance the export of yam from the state.
He said the location of the facility inside the university would immensely add value to teaching, research and income generation for farmers in the state, adding that the facility will generate about 200 jobs to the value chain.
However, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Suleiman Bala Mohammed, commended the minister and his team for commissioning the facility.
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