NEWS
Adeleke Opens Up On Osun’s Agro-centric Initiatives
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has opened up on the plans of his administration for the agricultural sector, assuring stakeholders that farm inputs, including tractorization and food security are being addressed by his government.
He made the assertion on Friday evening after a meeting with a Nordic, a firm interested in setting up a tractor assembly plant in Osun State.
Gov Adeleke maintained that his plans for the agricultural sector remained robust and all inclusive.
In his words, “the state is now set for implementation of various programmes in the sector.
“We take Agriculture very seriously. Our government decided to first focus on bridging the infra deficit to strengthen connectivity between rural and urban areas. We first focused on building the roads and bridges as a condition to empower the agricultural sector in the area of transportation and market linkages.
“Now that we have made enormous progress in the infra sector, we are now set to roll out specific programmes for the agricultural sector. I have set up an implementation committee on the recommendations of our food security committee.
“The Committee which is to be chaired by my Special Adviser on Agriculture, Hon Olaniran Akanfe has the mandate to put into effect the suggestions and proposals in the food committee report. Other members of the committee include Olusola Omole, Dr Alaba Towoju, Dr Olu Olajide, Hon Moshood Yakub, Hon Alexander Kehinde Oloke, Adelowo Adekunle Saburi, Kolade Tunde (TISKO) and Engr Badmus Bukola Mikail. The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture is to serve as the Secretary of the Committee while the Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Tola Faseru serves as overall Coordinator.
“As we kick-start the implementation of the food security committee, our government is to launch the Osun Young Agropreneurs Incubation Programme which is to target thousands of young farmers and agropreneurs across the agricultural value chain.
“The programme will include at least 1000 hectares of land per local government; provision of land clearing and tractorization; availability of inputs; guaranteed off-taking; all season irrigation farming; integration of hydroponic farming; integration of precision farming and emphasis on gender balancing and inclusivity.
“My Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon Faseru is to chair the action committee which will have representatives from ALGON, traditional institutions among others. Other members of the action committee will include Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Land; Surveyor General of the state; Director Agriculture services at the Ministry of Agriculture; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth; President, Osun Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Adegoke Taiwo Kamal; a representative of farm equipment leasers and Hon Hezekiah Olabamiji Oladele (HOB).
“I have also directed the Commissioner to host a meeting with real farmers on our various farmlands in the state. The Commissioner is to meet genuine farmers to strengthen our partnership as we launch various programmes within the sector.
“I am happy to announce that the federal-state partnership on Fertilizers has yielded positive results. We will as quickly as possible commence the distribution of Fertilizers to our farmers.
“On tractorization, this is another piece of good news. The state has acquired some tractors while the Commissioner has been directed to negotiate a leasing deal with the tractor hiring association. We are also repairing existing tractors.
“Our government is therefore elated to recieve your company with such interest as setting up a tractor assembly plant. We warmly welcome your initiative. The Commissioner for Agriculture is to meet and discuss further with your representative.
“For those into plantation farming, we are raising seedlings across the crop sectors. We are starting with cashew and cocoa.
“More importantly, our government is working on reviving the cocoa industry as well as supporting agro processing through public private partnership. We welcome investors and partners in this critical sector.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has named Tony Elumelu, Founder and Group Chairman of Heirs Holdings, to its newly formed Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.
The council, convened by IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, is tasked with addressing regulatory barriers to entrepreneurship and shaping policies that foster innovation, resource allocation, and private sector-led economic expansion.
A statement confirming Elumelu’s appointment was released on Friday, highlighting his influence as a strong advocate for entrepreneurship in Africa.
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Through the Tony Elumelu Foundation, he has provided funding, mentorship, and training to over 25,000 African entrepreneurs since 2015, championing the belief that private sector investments can drive the continent’s economic transformation.
“Elumelu will be instrumental in ensuring that Africa’s entrepreneurial potential is central to global economic policymaking,” the statement noted.
The IMF Advisory Council comprises global leaders from business, finance, and academia, including: Marc Benioff, CEO and Co-Founder of Salesforce, Ana Botín, Executive Chair of Banco Santander, Margherita Della Valle, CEO of Vodafone Group, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Group, Robert Smith, Founder and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, HRH Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., Federico Sturzenegger, Argentine Minister of Deregulation and Professor Ufuk Akcigit, Economist, University of Chicago.
At the council’s inaugural meeting on March 26, 2025, Georgieva emphasized the significance of entrepreneurship in economic growth.
“The Council brings together a group of leading thinkers and practitioners in business, finance, academia, and policymaking to share their views and experiences on how macroeconomic and financial policies can provide a supportive environment for innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity—key ingredients for a thriving private sector and strong economic growth,” she stated.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, shaking the region and sending tremors as far as Thailand and China.
The quake’s epicenter was located in the Sagaing region, near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, home to around one million people and renowned for its historic temple complexes.
Panic erupted as buildings swayed and dust filled the air.
READ ALSO: Powerful 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits China, Dozens Killed
In Mandalay, videos shared online showed terrified residents rushing out of residential towers while traffic came to a sudden halt.
Reports indicate that a major bridge spanning the Irrawaddy River collapsed into the water in a cloud of dust and debris.
The quake was felt as far as Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, where video footage showed a partially constructed building in Chatuchak Park crumbling to the ground.
Thai authorities reported that 43 people were trapped in the wreckage, while seven others sustained injuries.
In Chiang Mai, a resident described feeling the tremors for about ten seconds before fleeing into the streets.
In Myanmar’s commercial hub, Yangon—about 380 miles from the epicenter—residents also experienced the powerful shaking.
One resident recalled, “We felt the quake for about a minute, then ran out of the building.
It was very sudden and very strong.” Another noted that phone networks in the city, home to around 8 million people, briefly went down but were later restored.
Myanmar, one of Asia’s poorest nations, is already grappling with the effects of a brutal civil war sparked by a military coup over four years ago.
The conflict has devastated the economy, and the country remains ill-equipped to handle a major natural disaster of this scale.
The Sagaing region, where the earthquake struck, is a war zone with multiple factions—including the ruling junta, pro-military militias, and rebel groups—fighting for control.
The ongoing violence has made travel by road or river extremely dangerous, posing significant challenges to delivering emergency aid and assessing the full extent of the damage.
Tremors were also felt in China’s southwestern Yunnan province, underscoring the quake’s intensity.
Authorities across the region are now assessing the situation, with emergency teams mobilizing in both Myanmar and Thailand.
A fire outbreak in the early hours of Friday morning has gutted buildings on Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha, prompting swift intervention from the Anambra State Fire Service.
The inferno, which reportedly started in one of the buildings at about 6:20 a.m., quickly spread to an adjacent structure, causing panic among residents and business owners in the area.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown at the time of this report.
READ ALSO: Fire Ravages Two-Storey Commercial Building In Anambra
Eyewitnesses say residents and passersby joined forces with the firefighters in an attempt to salvage goods and properties from the affected buildings.
The head of the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, Chukwudi Chiketa, confirmed the incident in a brief statement.
“Anambra State Fire Service is currently on intervention at the scene of the fire outbreak at Ifejika Street, by Sokoto Road, Onitsha. The distress call came at 6:20 a.m. today, and our firefighters deployed immediately. The public is advised to remain calm as the situation is under control,” Chiketa said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to completely extinguish the fire were still ongoing.
Authorities are yet to determine the extent of the damage and the possible cause of the outbreak.
More details to follow………
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