society

New investments will give Africa the lead in agri development

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2020

JOHANNESBURG, 13 October 2020: At a time when the rest of the world is re-thinking its approach to commercial agriculture, Africa has a clear opportunity to refresh its approach to the sector and become an emerging force. Big shifts are already happening in food production, land and water use, and the integration of agri-tech and product tracing. If African firms take an early lead during this transition, they will be well placed to compete globally by building enduring assets and commercial advantages beyond primary production.

The financing of new investments in agriculture has always relied on a healthy financial eco-system: active banks, sound insurers and lively futures markets. The next set of gains will come from new platforms that allow small and large firms to connect to each other and to their shared stakeholders. Reciprocal exchange of market data will make smaller, efficient players more visible to large buyers.

“Without continued advances in agricultural productivity, the whole project of African advancement is at risk,” according to Linda Manda, Sector Head Agribusiness, Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank. “The stakes are high for all of us”, says Ms Manda, “because communities in Africa rely on the agriculture industry for much more than food: employment, investment and infrastructure development are all part of the deal.” Over half (52%) of all people in Sub-Saharan Africa are employed in agriculture (2019).

Three recent developments: Higher value incentives

Three recent development milestones suggest that African firms are ready to move beyond low-margin primary production while remaining active in agriculture. According to Sola David-Borha, Chief Executive of Africa regions at Standard Bank, “‘higher-value economic activity is even more likely if finance, technology and trade move deeper into African agriculture. Larger and more open markets, strong supplier networks and technology investments will drive Africa’s growth.”

Trade data, and Standard Bank’s own long experience of trade finance, shows that Africa has been a net importer of food for almost two decades although the trade deficit has narrowed recently. Despite impressive export growth of certain key products, other food imports continue to rise. The covid-induced disruption to imports are a reminder that regional resilience in food supply is a practical imperative, not an intangible aspiration.

A larger, more open, internal market in SSA

First, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) should create a much larger internal market that gives producers access to a larger and more open market. Local production can better compete with the current import-and-distribute model. Large-scale production will arise when the returns are not stifled by trade friction. As an African bank, Standard Bank’s role is to put our strong balance sheet to work, lending to the new crop of agri-entrepreneurs.

Multinationals are already active cross-border distributors, but we expect new African producers to be attracted to the intra-African produce-to-trade and value addition opportunity. Africa also needs to be ready for the next disruption in trade. Some global imports will always be required but it would be wise to ensure that key inputs can also be sourced regionally.

Fading distinctions between suppliers

Second, the contrived distinction between the produce of small-holder farmers and very large commercial producers is beginning to fade. The new financial platforms being offered by Standard Bank will confirm the extent which large and small farming operations can complement one another. Out-grower programmes offered by large global firms allow smallholders to establish themselves as suppliers to the biggest and most profitable value chains. Tobacco, sugar and sorghum are all good case studies. Our banking platform is a place where buyers can meet producers, surrounded by market data on inputs, crop prices, volumes, regulations, trade advice and currency movements.

From the top of a tall grain silo, the neat polygons of monocrop plantations appear to be the only advanced outposts of progress. By contrast, small-holder farmland can seem rough and rudimentary remnants of a pre-industrial age. Our own experience is quite different. Smallholder farmers that have access to the right platforms and better yields are also able to compete on quality and cost. Local knowledge of weather, grains, indigenous varieties, insects, and soil has accumulated over many years in Africa and is becoming a treasure of indigenous competence and resourcefulness. The huge expansion of biological patents attests to the large commercial value of small, local insights.

Adoption of technology and optimisation logistics

The third recent milestone is the broad acceptance across Africa that advances in technology are not peripheral to growth. Grudging acceptance has given way to enthusiastic adoption. Healthy livestock, fertile plantations, productive greenhouses and efficient cold chains all require technology partnerships to keep them productive and profitable. Two decades of smartphone penetration in rural communities has probably eased the transition from guesswork and speculation to data-driven decisions and GPS mapping.

To make the most of this milestone, every hectare of land, every seedling and every bag of fertiliser must be used optimally. On-farm losses and unreliable methods are simply unaffordable during health pandemics and economic recessions. Private investment in telecoms, machinery and pipelines will eventually work alongside publicly funded infrastructure: roads, rail and bulk water supplies. Policy reforms need to support more public-private partnerships that have shown they can build and maintain high-quality infrastructure assets.

Consumer demand for less waste and more conservation will support investments in new systems that supply micro-nutrients to digitally-mapped crops and livestock. Food-insecure communities in Africa can cheer this development as much as time-starved households in wealthy countries: a regular surplus of well-priced food is the best guarantee of the social stability in which economic growth can best be cultivated.

society

MY RESPONSE TO GOV. CALEB MUTFWANG’S RESPONSE

Published

2 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Sahara Weekly

MY RESPONSE TO GOV. CALEB MUTFWANG’S RESPONSE.

23rd April 2025.

My dear Caleb,

My aide just briefed me about your response to me and though I did not have time to read it he briefed me about its contents.

I am glad you read my short note to you about the Israeli Ambassador’s visit to your state & I trust that you got my point.

I kept it simple, short, polite & sharp because I really didn’t want to hurt your feelings.

However given the fact that you have evidently not learnt your lesson, I will dedicate more time to you in the future, write a full essay on the topic and endeavour to be much more clinical.

Your people in Plateau state are being slaughtered & you are busy writing feeble rejoinders to me? Don’t you think you have bigger problems than that?

Let me reiterate my position: you are a weak & cowardly man who does not know his left from his right.

When Sen. Lalong was Governor of your state the killings were minimised because he understood the nature of the terrorists & he knew what to do & what not to do.

He also recognised the danger in associating with foreigners that are more interested in dividing us than uniting us.

Since you got there all you have done is whine, blame everyone else for your woeful failure, welcome the enemies of humanity that are killing women & children in Gaza to your table & behave as if you are infallible.

I have now come to the firm conclusion that your are not only incorrigible but also beyond redemption. This saddens me & frankly I pity you.

Outside of that it is my view that you are a disgrace to Plateau state, to Christianity & to Nigeria.

I suggest you focus on bringing peace to your state rather than worry about me.

I will always pray & support those that are ready to confront & kill terrorists but I cannot abide those that treat them with kid gloves, cry like babies before them & quiver in their prescence.

Kindly stand up like a man, do something about the terrorists that have plagued your state & stop inviting the representatives of evil foreign Governments with blood on their hands to your domain. Is that too much to ask?

As I wrote in my note you inflicted a spiritual wound on yourself by welcoming genocidal maniacs & child-killers to your table.

Regardless of your protests & lamentations I stand by my words.

Those who kill Palestinians & occupy their land illegally can hardly be trusted to bring peace to the land of others.

That was my point which you clearly chose to ignore or did not have the mental virility & intellectual fortitude to comprehend.

Now you have made the whole thing worse by knuckling down & attempting to rationalise your shameful behaviour.

One day you will discover that I am not an enemy but a friend because only friends tell you the truth no matter how bitter.

Let us hope that by that time it will not be too late.

Take the money of the Israelis in the name of them helping you with agriculture & irrigation but never trust them & know that such support from such evil men comes at a high price & with consequences.

Those that sell their soul to satan never win & always end badly. If you doubt it I recommend that you read Christopher Marlow’s great literary work titled Dr. Faustus. You have much to learn from it.

I believe the people of Plateau state deserve far better and as a Nigerian and particularly as one who, despite the attendant risks and relentless persecution that it attracted, has spoken up for your people on numerous occassions over the last 15 years when they were under siege, I believe I have every right to be concerned and to express my views.

Despite all my prayer is that God opens your eyes sooner than later because I do not wish you ill.

As you know I love Plateau state & it’s people & what is going on there breaks my heart.

May the Lord open your eyes, may He deliver, lead & guide you, may He bring you back to your senses and to an expected end and may He restore peace to Plateau state.

This is and will always be my prayer despite your obvious weaknesses.

I wish you well.

Shalom.

(FFK)

society

Hearts Touched, Lives Uplifted as TM Foundation Spreads Love and Hope During Easter Boxing Day Outreach in South Africa and Nigeria

Published

7 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Sahara Weekly

Hearts Touched, Lives Uplifted as TM Foundation Spreads Love and Hope During Easter Boxing Day Outreach in South Africa and Nigeria

Laughter, gratitude, and heartfelt emotions filled the streets of South Africa and Nigeria this Easter Boxing Day, as the TM Foundation extended its hand of love and compassion to the underserved through a remarkable street outreach campaign.

With the theme of “spreading love, one heart at a time,” the TM Foundation’s outreach was more than just a charitable act—it was a beacon of hope for many who have felt forgotten. Volunteers from the foundation poured into communities, armed with food parcels, Drinks and warm smiles that brightened every face they met.

In South Africa, the outreach swept through inner-city neighborhoods and informal settlements. Children danced with joy, clutching Easter treats, while elderly citizens received much-needed supplies and a comforting word.

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, the streets of Lagos and environment came alive as the foundation reached out to street kids, single mothers, and displaced families. Songs of praise and echoes of gratitude filled the air. “It’s not just what they gave us,” said Chinedu, a young father of two, “it’s how they made us feel—that we matter, that we’re not alone.”

The TM Foundation, known for its unwavering commitment to humanity, emphasized that the outreach was not a one-time gesture, but part of a larger mission to restore dignity and rekindle hope across Africa. “Our goal is simple,” said the foundation’s representative. “To be the reason someone smiles again. To remind people that love is real and help is never too far away.”

As the sun set on Easter Boxing Day, hearts were lighter, spirits were lifted, and communities felt a renewed sense of belonging—all thanks to the selfless love and tireless work of the TM Foundation.

society

ARIYA EXTRA : KING SAHEED OSUPA GLOBAL FANS CLUB HONORS ALHAJI AREMS WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2025

Sahara Weekly

ARIYA EXTRA : KING SAHEED OSUPA GLOBAL FANS CLUB HONORS ALHAJI AREMS WITH PRESTIGIOUS AWARD

In a grand ceremony held as part of the Olufimo Day 2025 celebration, the King Saheed Osupa Global Fans Club bestowed the esteemed Image Maker Personality Award 2025 upon Alhaji Wasiu Adeniyi Aremu, popularly known as Alhaji Arems on the 20th April, 2025. This prestigious honor recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting positive images and values of the club.

Alhaji Arems, renowned for his exceptional leadership and innovative approach in the entertainment industry as the CEO of Ariya 24/7 Tv and Arems Entertainment, was chosen for this award due to his outstanding impact on the industry. His dedication to excellence and passion for nurturing talent have earned him widespread recognition and admiration. The award was presented to him by the able President of King Saheed Osupa Global Fans Club, Alhaji Waheed Ogunsesan during the Olufimo Day 2025 celebration.

The Olufimo Day 2025 celebration led to the bringing together of industry stakeholders, fans, and other national personalities to celebrate excellence and creativity of the forerunner, King Saheed OSUPA.

Alhaji Arems‘ win is a testament to his hard work, vision, and commitment to making a lasting impression in the entertainment world.

This award not only honors Alhaji Arems’ achievements but also serves as a motivation for him to continue pushing boundaries and inspiring others. The King Saheed Osupa Global Fans Club’s recognition of his efforts underscores the impact of his work and the respect he has garnered within the industry.