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Youth Unemployment Breeds Insecurity in Nigeria – Ogun Gov

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From Kunle Idowu, Abeokuta

Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun yesterday posited that the job portal created by his administration has helped the state government in its resolve to tackle insecurity and make the state safe for investors.

The governors explained that the job portal had assisted the unemployed or under employed in the state, and match them with employers.

He added that aside from this, his administration had launched the Anchor Borrowers Scheme, FADAMA GUYS, among others, to create jobs for the jobless.

Dapo Abiodun made these known at a capacity building workshop organised for security agencies in Lagos and Ogun States, by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone II Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos.

The governor explained that his administration reconstituted and inaugurated the State Security Trust Fund and made it private-sector driven, saying that the bold step had provided logistic and equipment support for security agencies in the state.

Dapo Abiodun, who spoke extensively at the programme with the theme, “Internal Security Operations in a Democratic Dispensation”, discussed the nexus between poverty, literacy and insecurity, noting that Local Vigilantes, Community Development Associations and Amotekun had been mainstreamed into the state security architecture to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness, to ensure the welfare, wellbeing, and security of lives and property in the state.

“Insecurity is not just arming the police and the military. There is a nexus between insecurity, poverty, education, drug abuse and all other socio-economic indices. As much as it is good to equip the police as we have done in Ogun State through the creation of the State Security Trust Fund, it is important to ensure that we look at the various interventions on how to reduce unemployment.

The governor posited that Ogun and Lagos states were like rivers that flow into each other, saying that the two states must continue to synergize, particularly in the area of security.

He said state-based security agencies have been created to deal with peculiar security challenges as the national police would not be able to handle the enormous security issues in all parts of the country.

Dapo thumbed up for the police authority for organising the workshop, especially after the experience of the EndSARS protest, describing the workshop as a practical step to ensure safety of lives and properties using collaboration.

In his speech, Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Folasade Jaji, stressed the need for cooperation between the police and civilians.

He urged the participants at the workshop to bring ideas that would change the narrative in the society, adding that “the people need the police just as the police need the people”.

In his address, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, observed that the police could not surmount security challenges without the support of other agencies including the media, saying enforcement agencies must develop capacity to achieve their constitutional mandates.

NEWS

2025: KDSG Allocates N74.02 bn to Stimulate Agriculture

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The Kaduna State Government said it allocated 7.4 per cent of its 2025 budget, amounting to N74.02 billion  to stimulate agriculture and tackle food security challenges.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Murtala Dabo, gave the indication at the Ministry’s one-day Sector Coordination Meeting in Kaduna.

The meeting, organised by the Policy and Agricultural Systems Strengthening (PASS) project, aims to coordinate the State Implementation Policy (SIP) on Agriculture for strategic performance.

Dabo, represented by Alhaji Abubakar Abba, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said that the allocation, which represented 9.36 per cent of the 2025 budget was the first in the history of the state.

He said the appropriation was also part of an effort to achieve the MAPUTO DECLARATION  which recommended a minimum of 10 per cent annual budgets to the agricultural sector to tackle Africa’s food security challenges.

“This is a significant 9.36% of the state’s total budget moving us closer to achieving the recommended 10% at the 2003 Maputo Declaration on Agriculture and Food Security.

“Agriculture, as you know, is not just a source of livelihood for our people but a cornerstone of our economy.

“The sector remains integral to our vision of achieving food security, economic prosperity, and environmental sustainability.

The State government cannot do it alone.

“As we are all aware, this is a period of great challenges and opportunities for agriculture,” the commissioner said.

According to him, climate change, population growth, and evolving market demands are reshaping the food production ecosystem.

Dabo said the state faced multifaceted challenges that needed a unified approach through strategic collaboration, innovative solutions, and inclusive systems.

He said that collaboration would empower all the stakeholders, from smallholder farmers to policymakers and private sector partners.

The commissioner, while reviewing the 2024 budget performance, said the  ministry recorded a 72 per cent performance in the total budget expenditures, with capital expenditure achieving 74.4 per cent.

 “Looking ahead, the proposed 2025 budget for the agriculture sector stands at ₦74.02 billion.

“Notably, over ₦70 billion or 95 percent of the sector’s budget has been allocated to capital projects.

“These allocations include transformative initiatives such as:₦10 billion for fertilizer and input intervention;

“₦40.19 billion for access roads to farms under the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP),

“₦14.17 billion for establishing Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), and ₦5.11 billion for the Livestock Productivity Resilience Support Project (L-PRES),” he said.

Dabo described the projects as ones requiring effective coordination and collaboration among all stakeholders, including government agencies, development partners, and private sector actors.

“Therefore, I hope that this meeting will provide us a valuable platform for:

“Sharing best practices and lessons learned from past interventions. Identifying key priorities and challenges for the upcoming year,” he said.

The official stressed the need for building consensus on strategies for effective budget utilisation and project implementation.

Dabo said, ” Also the need for strengthening coordination mechanisms to ensure seamless collaboration across the sector.

“With the generous support of the AGRA and technical assistance from Synergos, the meeting accentuates the importance of collaboration and coordination within the agricultural sector.

”I want to use this opportunity to commend the efforts of all stakeholders, including government agencies, and private sector partners.

”Others are development organisations, and civil society groups, for their unwavering support in driving agricultural transformation in Kaduna State.

“Your commitment reflects a shared vision of building a resilient, inclusive, and productive agricultural sector that benefits all.”

 He urged the stakeholders to ensure that policies and systems not only remain robust but also responsive to the needs of the people.

Dabo said, “Once again, I thank the PASS Project and AGRA for their leadership and support.”

 Meanwhile, Mr Victor Adejoh, the Technical Assistant of the programme said at an event that the AGRA-funded it aimed to develop the skills and capabilities required to promote the transformation of smallholder-based agriculture in the state.

Adejoh, also Country Director of SYNERGOS Nigeria, said it was facilitating the process to ensure its success in the state.

He said the overall objective of the project would strengthen inclusive coordination of agricultural transformation, food systems, and market development in the sector.

The technical assistant presented three agriculture sector policies due for approval by the state government.

The policies included the Contract Policy, Gender Farming and Soya Bean Farming Policies were presented to the participants.

The ministry also unveiled  the State Implementation Plan that would enhance easy  transition to agri-businesses.

The PASS project  coordinating meeting attracted the participants from various organisations in the sector and including the civil society groups.

The CSOs and other stakeholders, however, said  the funds allocated to the agriculture sector were still not adequate to attract the needed investment in the sector.

Some of those who spoke at the event said the amount was not adequate, considering the 34 per cent current inflation rate and the depreciating value of the Naira.

They urged the state government to cut down some of its proposed expenditures in the executive arm and redirect such funds to agriculture.

 Mr Emmanuel Bonnet, who led the Coalition of CSOs, supported by Mr Abel Adejor, argued that the agriculture sector needed aggressive funding and various strategies to achieve the desired results.

Others at the meeting included Prof. Yusuf Sani, Executive Director at the National Agriculture Extension and Research Liaison Scheme (NAERLS) A.B.U, Zaria.

They appealed for strategic implementation of the state agriculture policy for robust food production..

Notable participants including Alhaji  Abdulsalam Lamido, Project Manager, North-West Agriculture Inputs Dealers Association (NOWAIDA), called for inclusivity to enhance smallholder farmers’ productivity.

 Alhaji Abdulrahman Danbaba, Chief Executive of D&D Multipurpose & Agricultural Services Limited  appealed to the government to employ additional agricultural extension service experts to support the over 1.3 million farming families in production.

Danbaba said the current extension service workforce of the state was too low to cover the over 1.3 million farming families.

He urged the government to implore all the necessary measures to tackle the current food security challenges. (NAN)

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Foreign News

Mozambique’s Death Toll from Cyclone Chido Rises to 94- Reports

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Mozambique’s disaster management agency announced that the death toll from Cyclone Chido has risen to 94.

The cyclone had made landfall in northern Mozambique a week ago and Mozambique’s institute for natural disasters on Thursday had given the death toll at 73.

The Indian Ocean archipelago Mayotte bore the brunt of the storm.

Officials in Mayotte, which is one of France’s poorest overseas territories, have only been able to confirm 35 fatalities from Chido, but some have said they fear thousands could have been killed.

Olamide Harrison, the International Monetary Fund’s Mozambique resident representative, said on Wednesday that the country’s 2024 economic growth would  likely be revised down from a previous forecast of 4.

3 per cent due to the impact of the cyclone and post-election civil unrest.

In October, Daniel Chapo, the candidate of Mozambique’s ruling party Frelimo, was declared winner of the presidential election. (Reuters/NAN)

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NEWS

Yuletide: Police Restricts Movement in 5 Plateau LGs

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The Police Command in Plateau has restricted movement in five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Mr Emmanuel Adesina, the Police Commissioner in the state, confirmed this to newsmen on Monday in Jos.

Adesina explained that the restriction would run between 6:00 p.

m. to 6:00 a.
m., adding that it would also run from Dec. 23 to Jan.
3, 2025.

He listed the LGAs affected by the move as Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Mangu, Riyom and Bokkos.

“After due consultation with critical stakeholders, the command has put a restriction on night grazing by herders, night farming, night operation of drinking joints, mining activities at night and operation of commercial motorcycles.

“This will run between Dec. 23 and Jan. 3, 2025.

“We have also banned operation of commercial tricycles, also known as Keke Napep, within the Jos Bukuru metropolis on Dec. 25, Dec. 26 and Jan. 1, 2025,” he said.

Adesina said that the command had also deployed its personnel to the 17 LGAs of the state, to ensure hitch-free festivities.

He, however, called on the residents of the state to be security conscious and to report any suspicious movement to the security agencies. (NAN)

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