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EDC, AGRA Partner to  Offer Agric SMEs Growth  Strategies

EDC, AGRA Partner to  Offer Agric SMEs Growth  Strategies

The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University in collaboration with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has created a platform titled: ‘Exclusive Networking Event’, which is capable of connecting agricultural small and medium enterprises (SMES)to key players in the sector.

The SMEs include financial institutions, business development service providers, and government officialsm thereby discovering strategies to fund, grow, and scale their businesses.

Also titled: Funding the Future: Powering Nigeria’s Agric-SMEs, the recent Lagos event brought together agricultural business stakeholders from around the country.

Its goal was to connect them with key players in the Nigerian agriculture sector and provide strategies for funding, growing, and scaling their businesses. The two-day session featured insightful panel discussions, funding opportunities, strategies, and success stories from some of the most successful food and agricultural SMEs, and high-value networking with some financial institutions and investors.

Reaffirming the EDC commitment towards supporting SMEs in the country, the Head of Alumni Relations and Support Services at EDC, Dr. Nnenna Ugwu, stressed that the Centre is committed to helping agric-SMEs in the country to find funders, grow, and scale in a manner that is required and attainable in other countries.

According to him, “‎Today, we are utilising Business Development Service Providers (BDSPs) to support small businesses on the AGRA platform and explore how they can be funded. And when we mean funding, it is a funding that works, a funding for the future, and a sustainable funding.”

Speaking about the partnership with AGRA, a sustainably growing African Food System, Ugwu said: “EDC is an umbrella body that commits totally its life in building, hand-holding, and training entrepreneurs and small businesses. We train them, we hand-hold them, and we try to create an environment for them to thrive; therefore, we are committed to doing everything for SMEs.

“Therefore, entrepreneurs in the agric-space need to be able to grow and sustain their businesses. We don’t give money,” she emphasised, adding that: “But, of course, we train them to be able to receive that money. We try to give them a link to those who can offer them grants and seed funding.”

The Country Director for AGRA, Dr. Rufus Idris, ‎ said: “‎We’re here today to see how to strengthen the ecosystem of Business Development Service Providers (BDSP), and also strengthen service provision to Agric SMEs. We’re trying to see how that space can work better for us, ensuring that there’s a strong connection between the SMEs that are trying to grow, expand, stabilise, or sustain their operations, and linking that to getting the right kind of support from the business support services providers.”

He added: “And that way, we can ensure that Agric SMEs can actually tap into the skills required to build their own capacity internally and better strengthen their business for growth.”

“‎This partnership is born out of the fact that AGRA is committed to transforming Africa’s food system. In Nigeria, we are committed to supporting the Nigerian government in transforming the country’s food system.”

More importantly, he stressed that Nigeria aims to increase agricultural output, boost food production, and feed its growing population, while also reducing post-harvest losses.

To do that, he stated that: “We cannot just focus on working with smallholder farmers alone. We also have to focus on the private sector players there. A lot of the agric SMEs are struggling with a lot of things, some access to finance, being able to tap into the new market, being able to improve on business efficiency and operation, energy support services, and cost within that space.”

Meanwhile, one of the participants at the programme, Principal Consultant/CEO at Doctor Fish Agric Consult, Israel Yusuf, thanked EDC for the opportunity provided for those in the ecosystem to thrive.

“I want to appreciate EDC for what they are doing. This is a timely intervention, bringing together the different actors in the value chain to have a conversation on the challenges with a focus on solutions. EDC is an enterprise-driven organisation, an enterprise-focused organisation that believes that every challenge has a solution,” he stated.

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The Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University in collaboration with Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has created a platform titled: ‘Exclusive Networking Event’, which is capable of

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Tinubu Commiserates With Kogi Over Ibaji Boat Mishap

Tinubu Commiserates With Kogi Over Ibaji Boat Mishap

* Charges water transportation operators to prioritise safety over financial considerations 

Deji Elumoye in Abuja 

President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the government and people of Kogi State over the sad incident of a boat accident at Ibaji Local Government, which occurred on Tuesday, leading to loss of lives.

According to reports, the victims of the tragedy were traders travelling from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State to Ilushi market in Edo State.

The president, in a release issued on Wednesday by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, expressed profound sorrow at the unfortunate incident, describing it as shocking and unfortunate, especially as the victims were embarking on their legitimate quest to make a decent living.

President Tinubu commended the first responders at the accident scene and urged federal, state and local emergency responders to step up their efforts to provide the needed assistance to survivors and victims.

The president once again urged operators of water transportation to prioritise safety over financial considerations in their daily business.

He prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the departed and quick recovery for the injured.

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* Charges water transportation operators to prioritise safety over financial considerations  Deji Elumoye in Abuja  President Bola Tinubu has condoled with the government and people of Kogi State over the

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AbdulRazaq: No Hiding Place for Criminals, Kidnappers in Kwara

AbdulRazaq: No Hiding Place for Criminals, Kidnappers in Kwara

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin 

Kwara State Governor Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that there is no hiding place for cirminals and kidnappers that have been terrorising the residents of the state.

Governor AbdulRazaq, who spoke on the sidelines of the security council meeting with heads of security agencies in the state at the Government House, Ilorin on Tuesday, said: “To any criminal who seeks to destabilise the peace in Kwara, you may run, but you cannot escape justice.” 

He however reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.

The security meeting was called on the heels of the recent attacks by suspected bandits on Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state and other parts.

During the incident, no fewer than 15 people were killed, while several others were kidnapped by the suspected bandits.

The development prompted the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) to bombard the hideouts of the bandits at Baba Sango and Babanla forests where about 20 bandits were neutralised during the operation.

The suspected bandit’s action prompted Govenror AbdulRazaq’s request to President Bola Tinubu for additional federal deployment to raid the bandits’ hideouts.

Speaking after the security meeting, Governor AbdulRazaq said: “The Army Headquarters has since relocated the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2nd Division to Ilorin as part of the renewed efforts to strengthen security operations in the state.”

According to the governor, “On Monday night, combined forces of the Army, DSS and police launched an offensive around Baba Sango, along the Kwara–Kogi border, neutralising about 15 armed bandits. 

“The same operation continued on Tuesday and yesterday night. I presided over the State Security Council meeting at Ahmadu Bello House, Ilorin, to integrate state and federal assets into a single strategy for both Kwara North and South.”

Governor AbdulRazaq assured Kwara residents that his administration would not relent in supporting security agencies to keep every community safe. 

“I have assurances of the security forces to smoke out and eliminate the criminals from their hideouts. We will fight insecurity with every resource at our disposal. 

“Kwara will not be a hiding place for criminals. To any criminal who seeks to destabilise the peace in Kwara, you may run, but you cannot escape justice. 

“Kwara belongs to its people, and their peace will be defended,” the governor added.

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Hammed Shittu in Ilorin  Kwara State Governor Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has said that there is no hiding place for cirminals and kidnappers that have been terrorising the residents of