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6th International Onion Conference: Empowering Women in the Onion Sector
By Shalom Oludele and Jameel Gulma
The 6th International Onion Conference, organized by the National Onion Producers, Processors and Marketers Association of Nigeria (NOPPMAN) and the Regional Observatory of Onion Sector in West and Central Africa (ROO/WCA), emphasized the need for enhanced training opportunities for women in the onion industry. The Mabera Women Cooperative revealed plans aimed at addressing storage issues and infrastructure challenges to reduce post-harvest losses and create more opportunities for women within the onion sub-sector.
The two-day event, themed “The Onion Sector in the Era of the Domestication of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the Pan African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS): Challenges and Opportunities,” took place from October 15-16, 2024, at the International Conference Centre in Kasarawa, Sokoto State. Delegates from approximately fifteen African nations attended, including state governors, government officials, and stakeholders from various government and private sectors in Nigeria.
Key objectives of the conference included enhancing market access for onion producers and exporters, promoting the AfCFTA and PAPSS, fostering financial inclusion for onion exporters, encouraging sustainable agricultural practices, facilitating public-private partnerships, and tackling post-harvest losses and infrastructure issues.
The significance of public-private partnerships was highlighted as essential for promoting innovation, accessing new markets, and scaling production. Furthermore, the conference underscored the importance of regional collaboration to exchange best practices and enhance the integration of African markets through the AfCFTA framework.
In her keynote address, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni, Executive Director/CEO of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, emphasized the council’s role in increasing Nigeria’s exportable products and foreign exchange earnings. She noted that the conference theme reflects the commitment of key stakeholders to seize the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA, which offers significant export potential within Africa. “Sokoto State borders key ECOWAS countries, positioning it as a vital market for agricultural commodities like onions,” she stated, highlighting the need to enhance production, add value, and improve product standards to expand the exportable food basket.
Sokoto State Governor, Alh. (Dr.) Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, FCNA, PhD, expressed gratitude to NOPPMAN for establishing Sokoto State as Nigeria’s leading onion producer. He encouraged the Nigerian Export Promotion Council and NOPPMAN to attract investment for an onion processing factory in the state, assuring support from his administration to bolster the local economy.
NOPPMAN President, Alhaji Aliyu Isah Maitasamu, affirmed the relevance of the conference theme for the future of the onion sector and the broader agricultural value chain in Africa. He acknowledged the necessity for collaboration among stakeholders to achieve the conference’s goals.
As part of the conference, the Raw Materials and Research Development Council (RMRDC) introduced a comprehensive roadmap for onion policy development in Nigeria, presented in a 100-page document prepared by experts across various sectors, including production, processing, and exportation. Professor Nnanyelugo Martin Ike-Muonso, Director General of the council, commended NOPPMAN’s president for his dedication to the onion sub-sector.
Addressing agricultural challenges like climate change, low modernization levels, and financial access, Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Dr. Nasir Idris, represented by Agriculture Commissioner Hon. Shehu Muazu, unveiled the “Kaura Agricultural Development Agenda” (KADAGE). The program has distributed 500 tonnes of fertilizers and 5,000 solar power units to farmers, further strengthening Kebbi State’s position in onion production and fostering knowledge sharing among communities.
During a panel discussion, delegates highlighted significant challenges facing onion exports, citing the sector’s informal nature and currency recognition issues that hinder proper repatriation of export proceeds. They recommended linking export forms with the Pan African Payment Settlement System to facilitate repatriation within Africa, thereby addressing smuggling concerns and easing trade formalization.
The conference also noted inaccuracies in data published by the National Agricultural Extension and Liaison Services (NAERLS) regarding onion production and export. It called for collaboration between NAERLS and NOPPMAN to ensure accurate data collection and reporting.
The conference concluded with a call for government support, particularly from the Central Bank of Nigeria, to educate farmers and traders on utilizing the AfCFTA and PAPSS effectively.
The newly elected executives of ROO/WCA were inaugurated, with Alhaji Aliyu Isah Maitasamu taking over as president. The outgoing president, Alhaji Mustapha Kadiri, expressed gratitude to the Sokoto State government for its hospitality and assured stakeholders that the new president would adeptly manage the onion sector’s affairs.
The conference culminated in the presentation of awards to deserving stakeholders.
The Oodua Integrity Group, a Nigerian civil society organisation, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and arrest an alleged gun runner, land grabber,popularly called then insert Lucky Blessings Abuah aka bullets of Achala Ibusa village operating in Asaba and Ibuzor, Delta State, accusing him of orchestrating criminal activities with the aid of rogue police officers.
Tosin Olaoluwa, the group’s South-South coordinator, made the appeal following intelligence gathered from concerned residents.
The suspect, identified as Achala Ibusa but popularly known as “Bullet,” is accused of running a network involving illegal arms trafficking, land grabbing, and cult-related activities.
Olaoluwa claimed Bullet operates with the protection of police officers from Rivers State, in violation of regulations prohibiting officers from working outside their command without approval.
According to the group, four AK-47 rifles were recently discovered hidden in a house in Ibuzor.
Two mobile police officers guarding the property reportedly distanced themselves from the find, raising suspicions of their involvement with Bullet, who is allegedly a leader of the Viking cult.
The Oodua Integrity Group further alleged that an assistant commissioner of police is complicit in Bullet’s activities.
The group highlighted that up to 10 mobile police officers are attached to Bullet, despite IGP Egbetokun’s recent directive to withdraw such personnel from individuals not legally entitled to their services.
“We urge the IGP to take immediate action to arrest the culprit in the interest of the general public,” Olaoluwa said, describing Bullet as a miscreant exploiting government security agents to perpetrate crimes.
In a separate incident, the group claimed that security agents from an agency in Abuja, acting on intelligence, were prevented from arresting Bullet by his police escorts.
The officers, reportedly from Rivers State, allegedly used tear gas and fired shots to obstruct the operation.
The Oodua Integrity Group warned that Bullet’s activities, including stockpiling AK-47s and other weapons in Asaba and Ibuzor, pose a significant threat to public safety.
They called for a thorough investigation into the allegations and the immediate apprehension of those involved.
The Nigeria Police Force has yet to respond to the allegations. Efforts to reach a spokesperson for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The competition and consumer protection tribunal has upheld the $220 million fine imposed on Meta Platforms Incorporated by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a statement on Friday by Ondaje Ijagwu, the agency’s director for corporate affairs, FCCPC said the tribunal also awarded $35,000 to the commission as the cost of investigation.
On July 19, 2024, FCCPC imposed a fine of $220 million on Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram, for multiple data privacy violations.
However, Meta said it would appeal the fine.
The case stemmed from a 38-month joint investigation by the FCCPC and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) into the privacy practices and consumer data policies of WhatsApp and Meta.
Delivering judgment on Thursday in Abuja, the tribunal led by Thomas Okosun ruled that the FCCPC acted within its constitutional and statutory powers in investigating and sanctioning the companies for alleged anti-competitive and exploitative practices.
The tribunal dismissed the appeals filed by Meta and WhatsApp, which challenged the legal basis of the commission’s findings and orders.
Instead, it upheld the commission’s position on nearly all contested issues.
Gbolahan Elias (SAN) led WhatsApp and Meta’s legal teams, while Babatunde Irukera led the FCCPC’s legal team.
According to the statement, both teams had made their final arguments on behalf of their respective clients on January 28.
‘FCCPC ADHERED TO DUE PROCESS’
The tribunal, in its ruling, found that the FCCPC adhered to due process and acted within the law.
It resolved issues one to seven primarily in favour of the commission.
“The Tribunal resolved Issues 1 to 7 largely in favour of the FCCPC, dismissing the appellants’ objections to the Commission’s findings, orders, and legal competence,” the statement reads.
“One of the central issues (Issue 3), which alleged a breach of fair hearing, was decided in favour of the Commission, with the Tribunal affirming that the FCCPC fully discharged its quasi-judicial responsibilities by affording the appellants ample opportunity to respond.
“The Tribunal found no violation of constitutional due process.
“On Issue 4, which questioned the Commission’s powers in data protection and privacy, the Tribunal held that the FCCPC acted within its statutory mandate, reaffirming its authority under Section 104 of the FCCPA to regulate competition and consumer protection even in regulated industries.
“On Issue 5, which challenged the Commission’s findings regarding Meta’s privacy policies, the tribunal also resolved in the FCCPC’s favour.
“The Tribunal found no error in the Commission’s conclusions and held that the privacy policy in question did, in fact, offend Nigerian law.
“While issue 7 was largely resolved in favour of the commission, the tribunal set aside Order 7 of the commission’s final order, stating that it lacked sufficient legal basis.”
Commenting on the judgment, Tunji Bello, executive vice chairman (EVC) and chief executive officer (CEO) of the FCCPC, welcomed the ruling, describing it as a landmark judgment reinforcing the commission’s mandate to protect consumers and ensure fair market practices.
He commended the commission’s legal team for their diligence.
Bello reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to enforcing the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) in line with President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.
A group known as the Guardians of Justice and Democratic Leadership has strongly condemned the escalating crisis in Zamfara State, calling for a state of emergency to be declared due to Governor Dauda Lawal’s alleged disregard for the rule of law and inaction on insecurity.
The group cited the ongoing power tussle between the governor and the Zamfara State House of Assembly, which has resulted in two parallel leaderships and a breakdown in governance.
The group’s executive director, Patriot Abel Adams, expressed deep concern over the state’s worsening security situation, with 14 local government councils experiencing rampant insecurity, killings, and destruction of properties.
Adams accused Governor Lawal of being one of the worst-performing governors in the country, lacking the capacity to govern and engaging in frivolous spending while the people suffered.
According to Adams, the governor’s actions have emboldened bandits and kidnappers, who have sacked whole communities and made life unbearable for the people of the state.
“Rather than strenuously work at eliminating the hydra-headed challenges of poverty, kidnapping, and banditry, the governor would rather engage in frivolous spending, make hypocritical sympathy visits to victims of the almost daily attacks and the families of the dead,” Adams said.
The group also criticised Lawal for presenting the state’s 2025 budget to an illegitimate assembly leadership, further exacerbating the crisis.
They pointed out that the governor’s actions are a clear disregard for the rule of law and the principles of separation of powers, which are fundamental to democracy.
“The governor should know that the same election that brought him to office and grants legitimacy to him as the governor is the same election that guarantees constitutional powers to the members of the State House of Assembly to act and represent their constituencies,” Adams said.
“No authority confers on him a more deserving priority order than that he is the governor of the State and must act within the constitutional allowance of his office.
“He is required to observe the principles of the rule of law, the principles of separation of powers and the observance of Checks and Balance, tenets without which democracy is no longer democracy but authoritarianism.
“The governor in failing to truly understand the tenets of democracy and uphold same, has also failed to take a cursory look at the House Standing Rules, but instead has gone on a miserable sightseeing, thinking that as a governor he has total tyrannical control and that the State Legislators are stooges and thus intends to turn them to effective rubber stamps.
“He failed woefully and has mis-constructed and misconstrued our democracy and the separation of powers, undermining it and insulting our collective sensibilities. He also underestimated the resilience of the 24 gallant patriots of democracy.
“Unfortunately, he is left with no option but must obey the new leadership of the House of Assembly or face the wrath of the people in an escalating crisis, which will make the State completely ungovernable for him and directly compel a declaration of the State of Emergency.
“We believe that the governor’s actions are a recipe for chaos and anarchy, and it’s only a matter of time before the situation becomes ungovernable. We call on the authorities to intervene and restore order in Zamfara State, ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.”
The Guardians of Justice and Democratic Leadership also commended the 10 lawmakers who have been fighting for their rights and the rights of their constituents, despite facing intimidation and harassment from the governor’s camp.
“These lawmakers have shown courage and conviction in standing up for what is right, and we urge them to continue to defend the interests of their constituents,” Adams said.
The group’s call for a state of emergency in Zamfara State is based on Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as Amended), which empowers the president to declare a state of emergency in a state where the structure of government has broken down.
“We believe that the situation in Zamfara State meets this criteria, and it’s imperative that the authorities take swift action to restore order and stability,” Adams said.
The group warned that if the situation is not addressed, it could lead to further escalation of violence, displacement of people, and humanitarian crisis.
They urged the authorities to take immediate action to address the security challenges and ensure that the government is accountable to the people.
The Guardians of Justice and Democratic Leadership urged the authorities to take immediate action to restore order and stability in Zamfara State, ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens.