Day: October 21, 2023

Nairobi – Angola’s President João Lourenço and his Kenyan counterpart William Ruto on Saturday will address issues of bilateral interest, with emphasis on strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

The talks are taking place as part of the visit of the Angolan Head of State, since Thursday, to Kenya, at the invitation of William Ruto.

At the table will be the discussion, for signature, of 13 legal instruments submitted by the Bilateral Joint Commission, to strengthen cooperation in the fields of health, agriculture, environment, mineral resources, oil and gas, tourism, telecommunications, information and communication technologies, transport and maritime cooperation, trade and industry, youth, among others.

There is also a Memorandum of Understanding between the Venâncio de Moura Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Angola and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kenya.

Cooperation between the two countries will also be supported by the Memorandum of Understanding between the National School of Administration and Public Policy (ENAPP) and the Kenya Government School in the Field of Capacity Development in the Public Service.

Before leaving Nairobi, on Saturday, João Lourenço will go to the Mausoleum of Jomo Kenyatta, the first President of Kenya, to pay tribute to the late statesman.

The friendly relationship between Angola and Kenya dates back to the years of the struggle for independence, when the then President of the Republic of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta, brought together at the same table, in 1975, the leaders of Angola’s liberation movements, to align a common vision about their liberation.

But cooperation, in the broadest sense of the word, gained momentum in 2010, when Kenya Airways began flying to Luanda, under an agreement in the air transport sector signed in 2011.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Angola and Kenya signed four agreements that reinforced bilateral cooperation, namely the General Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation; the Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Angola and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya; the Agreement on the Creation of the Bilateral Commission; the Agreement for the Operation of Air Services between and beyond the respective territories, in the field of transport

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Nairobi – The President of Kenya, William Ruto, assured this Saturday, in Nairobi, his country’s support for Angola’s candidacy for the presidency of the African Union (AU), in 2025.

The Kenyan President, who was speaking to the press at the end of a meeting with his Angolan counterpart, considered Angola worthy of presiding over the AU, as President João Lourenço has already demonstrated great statesmanship in his mediation efforts on the continent, especially between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as its leadership in the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (CIRGL).

He congratulated the President of the Republic for his leadership in the mediation effort between these two countries and for believing in his commitment that the situation must be resolved through engagement in consultations and dialogue. On the other hand, he considered that the state visit of the Angolan Head of State marks a turning point in cordial relations between the two countries.

After witnessing the signing of 11 cooperation agreements, alongside João Lourenço, he reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to continuing to develop bilateral relations, mainly in matters of trade, agriculture, tourism, transport and communications. He said that there is a need for greater interaction between the two peoples, therefore, the resumption of air connections between Luanda and Nairobi will be accelerated in order to also facilitate businesspeople from both

countries and increase commercial exchanges.

He encouraged this increase, which in the last four years has gone from 60 million to 350 million dollars and could grow into billions.

Angola and Kenya, on the last day of the Angolan president’s visit, signed eleven cooperation instruments that will form the basis for the growth of business relations.

Source: Angola Press News Agency

Dr Betta Edu, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, has sought the assistance of stakeholders towards addressing the issue of youth migration in the country.

Edu made the call when she co-chaired the meeting of 48 African Countries Ministerial Representatives with the European Union (EU) to discuss issues surrounding Youths Migration in Hague, the Netherlands.

The event was tagged: “Thematic meeting of the Rabat Process on Migration, Youth and Development,” Co-hosted by the Nigerian government and the Netherlands.

In a statement issued by Edu’s Media aide, Mr Rasheed Zubair on Saturday in Abuja, she said irregular migration continued to be a disturbing issue among leaders in the continent.

She said, the situation necessitated President Bola Tinubu’s Administration to focus attention on setting up new initiatives to engage Nigerian youths of productive age with job opportunities.

”The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu is committed to give young Nigerians with innovative ideas the opportunity to get involved. through different

The minister explained the connection between migration, youth and development, adding that, sixteen percent of world’s population are growing mobile demography that could play significant role in fostering development.

“In Nigeria, like in other parts of Africa, the youth have developed a robust startup ecosystem which attract over two billion dollars in investment between 2015 and 2022.

“In 2022 alone, 107 startups in Nigeria, founded by persons between the ages of 25 and 35, attracted over eight hundred million dollars in investment”

According to Disrupt Africa’s 2022 startups report, Egypt raised 791 million dollars while South African startups raised 993 million between 2015 and 2022 ” she said.

While expressing her delight over the impressive records of youth participation in innovative and technology startups, the minister urged them to sustain the tempo.

”Especially, the giant strides the young population made in the areas of creative industry, education, leadership, medicine, science and sports is highly commendable” she said.

Edu noted that a good number of the migrants faced challenges in the countries of their migration.

“In Nigeria, the Japa Syndrome, which refers to young highly skilled workers and university graduates, migrating in their numbers in search of greener pastures in Europe has become a hot-button topic.

”Especially when you consider that in 2022, diaspora remittances to Nigeria, stood at $21.9 billion but these young migrants are faced with diverse challenges in their quest for new opportunities.

”Such as the dangers of human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, sexual abuse, poor living conditions, organ trafficking, mordern- day slavery and other forms of exploitation” she said.

She expressed optimism that the meeting would provide avenues for deliberations and solutions to the challenges faced by young migrants as well as celebrate their achievements.

Edu used the opportunity to canvass support for low income countries in Africa in job creation and enabling environment to reduce pressure on the youth seeking to migrate.

On his part, Mr Paul Huijts, the Netherlands Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed delight that the meeting focuses on a shared commitment on promoting active participation.

Huijts also said, this would opportunities for young people to ensure that efforts are made to address the root causes of irregular migration.

He commended Nigerian government for providing opportunities for Youths to participate in governance, especially with the appointment of Edu.

“As part of our commitment to actively support young people, we need to engage in dialogue and change the best practices so that our efforts continue to address their needs.

“Let us listen to challenges that young people in our country’s face like, poor education, unemployment, low number of youth and women’s leadership and involvement in national international decision making.

‘”For Nigeria, President Tinubu is indeed changing the picture of leadership and increasing daily the youth and women inclusion in governance” he said.

Also speaking, Erica Gerretsen, Director-General of European Union Commission for International Partnership said, the essence of the programme was to engage participants to increase their voice in leadership policies and decision-making.

“Giving Voice also means building narratives in order to get positive story about migration of young people.

”As well as the potentials they have to contribute to the development of their country rather than seeking illegal migration.

“We are leading by example by strengthening the institutional engagement in the European institutions, our EU boards for international partnerships is a group of 25 young people from around the world.

“It was established in 2021 to advise on youth participation and empowerment as well as helping to use our policies to change the narratives in countries “she said(NAN).

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

An oil producing community, Aja-Omaetan in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta has threatened to sue Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) if it is excluded from the oil giant’s planned Host Community Development Trust Fund (HCDTF).

The community, therefore, urged the authorities of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) to prevail on the oil company.

Aja-Omaetan made this known in protest letters and pre-action notices written on its behalf by their lawyer, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-Geoege, SAN, to Chevron and the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of NMDPRA and NUPRC and copies made available to newsmen in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the community is claiming that Chevron plans to excluded it from the list of beneficiaries of the planned trust fund owing to past disputes over oil spillages.

While arguing that the NMDPRA and NUPRC, as regulators, have the duty to ensure that operators in the oil industry comply with the provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), the Aja-Omaetan community also threatened to join both agencies in the suit if they fail to prevail on Chevron.

One of the letters reads: “Our client is one of the communities accommodating the Crude Oil and Gas Pipelines of Chevron Nigeria Limited in Dibi field, Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State and has been host to Chevron Nigeria Limited facilities for years without any benefits from Chevron Nigeria Limited.

“On July 14, 2011 our client obtained a judgment from the Delta High Court in Suit No: W/105/2010 (copy herewith attached) against the Governor of Delta State, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) and one other, wherein the status of Aja-Omaetan Community as an oil producing community was firmly established beyond any equivocation.

“The Delta State Government and the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) among others, have since complied with the court order/judgment by recognising and according our client all privileges and rights as an oil producing community.

“Our client is aware that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and Chevron Nigeria Limited are currently at the verge of establishing the ‘Warri Kingdom Onshore Host Communities Development Trust’ as required under the Petroleum Industry Act No. 6, 2021.

“However, our client’s findings show that it has been maliciously excluded from the list of qualified and entitled communities in Dibi Field in an attempt to punish her because our client took Chevron Nigeria Limited to court over crude Oil spillages.

“Our client has written to Chevron Nigeria Limited to no avail, hence this complaint to the authority (NMDPRA).(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Rep. Sani Yakubu, (APC-Sokoto) has expressed satisfaction with the recent judgment from the State and National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal.

Yakubu, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Saturday stated that the judgment had effectively protected the mandate of his constituents.

NAN reports that the tribunal on Thursday upheld Yakubu’s election as the duly elected member representing Gudu and Tangaza Federal Constituency.

The three-man tribunal panel, led by Justice Josephine Oyefeso, delivered the ruling, dismissing the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate, Musa Gidan-Madi, who contested the victory of the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate.

The tribunal cited the petitioners’ failure to substantiate their claims and also imposed a fine of N200,000 on them.

Yakubu expressed gratitude to the Almighty Allah for his success at the tribunal, pointing out that the 2023 election in his constituency stood out as one of the best nationwide, truly reflecting the will of the voters.

“ In the general election, I achieved a historic margin, the first of its kind since the return of democracy in 1999 in our constituency. Unfortunately, it was initially declared inconclusive.

“ However, after a second round of counting, I was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“So, the tribunal Judgement not only reaffirmed my victory but also ensured the protection of the electorate’s mandate,” he said.

Regarding the potential appeal of the judgment by the PDP and its candidate, the lawmaker emphasised that it was a democratic norm for dissatisfied parties to seek clarification through the Courts.

“Therefore, I want to assure you that I am confident in the judiciary’s ability to uphold justice,” Yakubu declared.

He also highlighted some of his accomplishments within his first 100 days, including presenting a motion to address the security challenges in his constituency, which has been one of the most affected areas by security issues in the state.

“ As a seasoned legislator who started in the State Assembly, my constituents are well aware of my capabilities, which is why they elected me to the National Assembly.

“ In my first 100 days, I successfully provided solar lighting to eight villages, and I am committed to sustaining such initiatives.”

Yakubu revealed that he had secured food stuffs, building materials, and fertilizer for distribution to his constituents to ease the challenges resulting from the fuel subsidy removal in the country.

He extended his gratitude to his constituents for their unwavering support and appealed to them to continue praying for their leaders to achieve a prosperous future for the nation. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The development of human health is majorly dependent on nutrition.

Good nutrition, alongside other healthy lifestyle habits, supports average growth, development, and ageing.

It helps people maintain healthy body weight, boosts the immune system, makes pregnancies safer, increases mental alertness, and lowers the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases.

For over 62 years, Nestlé has been part of the daily nutrition of millions of households in Nigeria, with focus on improving the nutritional value of their products.

This is by consistently using its research and development capabilities to unlock the power of food to enhance the wellbeing of individuals and families.

Recently, in Nigeria, it introduced the latest addition to its nutrition portfolio, NIDO Milk and Soya Instant Powder Mix.

This innovative product combines the double goodness of milk and soya, fortified with iron to provide consumers with an affordable, delicious and nutritious creamy milk and plant-based complement for beverages and cereals.

Fortification, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of one or more micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, in a food or condiment to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply and provide a public health benefit with minimal risk to health.

The Nigeria food fortification programme aims at achieving public health goals – tackling “hidden hunger” or micronutrient deficiencies – which cause 10 per cent of global diseases, inhibit human development and perpetuate poverty and deprivation.

The Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) says preventable deficiencies of critical vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, D, iron, iodine, folic acid and zinc contribute globally to up to three million child deaths annually.

Micronutrient malnutrition has far-reaching effects on individuals and impedes the economic development of nations, hence Food Fortification becomes one of the most cost effective interventions for tackling micronutrient deficiencies globally.

The World Bank has calculated the return on investment in nutrition interventions as Twenty Five Naira to every Naira (N25:N1) with food fortification being one of the most cost effective interventions for tackling micronutrient deficiencies globally.

This is imperatives as it is estimated that nearly 25 million Nigerians are at risk of facing hunger between June and August 2023 if urgent action is not taken.

This is according to the October 2022 Cadre Harmonisé, a Government led and UN-supported food and nutrition analysis carried out twice a year.

And, this is a projected increase from the estimated 17 million people currently at risk of food insecurity, with factors including continued conflict, climate change, inflation and rising food prices as key drivers of this alarming trend.

In addition, the National Emergency Management Agency, says widespread flooding in the 2022 rainy season damaged more than 676,000 hectares of farmlands, which diminished harvests and increased the risk of food insecurity for families across the country.

The food security and nutrition situation across Nigeria is deeply concerning noted Mr Matthias Schmale, the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, UNICEF

Hence the United Nations urges the Government of Nigeria, the donor community, and public and private stakeholders to urgently commit resources and implement mitigation measures to save lives and prevent a potentially catastrophic food security and nutrition situation.

According to Ifeanyi Orabuche, the Category and Marketing Manager, Dairy, Nestlé Nigeria, NIDO Milk and Soya is Nestlé’s first affordable fortified dairy and plant blend in the Nigerian market.

This unique blend of filled milk and soya is a source of Iron and has other essential nutrients including Protein, Calcium, Vitamin C, and dietary fiber which supports digestion.

“NIDO Milk and Soya joins our portfolio of fortified products to help address the high rate of micronutrient deficiency, especially of Iron in the country.”

According to the Journal of Public Health in Africa, the prevalence of anemia among school age children in Nigeria is 71 per cent and among women, 47.3 per cent.

NIDO Milk and Soya Instant Powder Mix was developed by local experts in Nestlé’s RandD Center in Abidjan and is produced locally in Nigeria using 100 per cent locally sourced soya beans.

It is a result of Nestlé’s progress in product innovation and renovation to meet the growing consumer demand for affordable nutrition options that also create societal value.

“At Nestlé, our decisions are guided by our purpose of unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone today and for future generations.

“With this new product, we are helping to sustain a steady source of revenue to improve the livelihoods of the local farmers who supply the soya beans used in the production of NIDO Milk and Soya.

“This launch is part of Nestlé Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to offering affordable, wholesome and nutritious options for consumers across the country.

“This is while providing long term benefits that are good for individuals and families, good for communities and good for the planet,” says Victoria Uwadoka, the Corporate Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainability lead at Nestlé Nigeria.

Laurent Alsteens, Global Category Head for Early Childhood Nutrition at Nestlé, said: “We continue to expand our offerings with nutritious, tasty products that complement the everyday diet of children and their families.

“Through combining the goodness of dairy and plant ingredients, we can deliver a new flavour experience with nutritional benefits.”

The introduction of NIDO Milk and Soya is yet one work by Nestlé, guided by a desire to contribute to nutritious and sustainable diets, to help protect, renew and restore natural resources, while helping strengthen communities and to operate responsibly.

It is about Creating Shared Value (CSV), which is at the heart of Nestlé’s purpose- to unlock the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. (NAN) www.nannews.ng

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

Ms Joy Basu, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of United States, Bureau of African Affairs, has described Nigeria’s young population as an asset to Africa and the world at large.

Basu made the remark during a visit to Vibranium Valley Tech City to discuss about the African economy on Saturday in Lagos.

She said it was important for the world to know that the young talents in Nigeria were incredible.

According to Basu, not only is the population of Nigeria so young but filled with youths who are very smart.

“These young talents have a history of unlocking economic prosperity through creativity and innovations.

“They see challenges in diverse perspective and are ready to delve into it to find solutions,” Basu said.

She said the young talented population were not only needed to solve Nigeria’s problems, but also Africa and the world.

Basu explained that such young assets should not be left unrefined, stressing that opportunities should be created for them to thrive for economic growth and development.

She noted that the U.S government recognises the immense potential of Nigeria’s young population and would continue to provide support through investment, partnership and trainings.

“We will continue to partner with Nigeria and Africa to build a better world,” she said

Basu stressed that talent discovery and development needed to be taken seriously.

On bridging gender gap, she said the U.S government had been doing a lot to support women by ensuring they had equal opportunities.

Basu noted that the U.S government was not only supporting women through access to funding, but also by ensuring that it reaches those in the underserved communities.

Basu said bridging the gap had been a challenge for both the U.S and Nigeria, adding that several opportunities through innovative programmes had been provided for women, to ensure they had equal rights.

Speaking on what Vibranium Valley Tech City had done to bridge employment gap, Mr Bunmi Akinyemiju, the Chief Executive Officer Venture Garden Group, said a lot of money had been spent to groom 1,500 talents in Nigeria.

Akinyemiju said for job creation, they had also built about 22 companies from the scratch.

He added that Vibranium Valley Tech City had invested in about 65 companies through their venture capital arm.

Akinyemiju said he believed that the growing of Nigeria Gross Domestic Product and Africa had to do with building bridges, noting that the bridge was between Nigeria and America.

He also noted that the U.S consulate had been an incredible partner in driving some of their goals of building talents.

Also, Mr Debo Omololu, the Chief Executive Officer, GetFundedAfrica, a tech-enabled marketplace, said Nigeria and other countries in the continent were going to be the workforce in the future.

Omololu explained that Nigeria, which had one of the youngest population in the world with 60 per cent younger than 45, needed jobs.

He said that to provide solutions to some the job challenges, GetFundedAfrica had partnered the Federal Government and one of the banks to provide opportunities for young Nigerians.

Omololu explained that the company uses technology to help aspiring business owners, existing businesses, job seekers and working professionals.

Omololu noted that leveraging on their partnership, they were able to get a bank to provide financing of up to $50 million to train every single person that registered under their organisation.

He explained that asides learning skills they were also given certificates to help them get jobs easily. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Coordinating Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has convened a Media Orientation Meeting on Diphtheria Outbreak Response in the country.

The meeting was in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC),

The one-day workshop, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and held on Friday in Abuja, drew journalists and communication personnel from across the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was aimed at improving the media’s knowledge of Diphtheria, helping them understand their roles and responsibilities, and identifying key areas to support the ongoing Outbreak Response in the country.

In his opening remarks, Dr Faisal Shuaib of the NPHCDA, commended and appreciated the efforts of both National and State Media Stations in promoting health programmes, especially the ongoing Diphtheria Outbreak Response in their respective states.

Shuaib, who was represented by the Acting Director of Advocacy and Communication at the Agency, Mrs Aisha Tukur, emphasised that the Federal Government and Development Partners recognized the media’s vital role in nation-building.

He underscored government’s reliance on the media to create awareness and sensitize Nigerians on Diphtheria and other Primary Health Care services in the country.

Shuaib also commended NCDC and Development Partners for co-facilitating the Media Orientation Meeting with NPHCDA and expressed the hope that the partnership would continue beyond the Diphtheria Outbreak Response.

In her goodwill message, Margaret Soyemi, Head of Social and Behavioral Change Communication at UNICEF, who spoke on behalf of partners, praised the efforts of NPHCDA and NCDC for facilitating the workshop.

Soyemi thanked the media stakeholders for their continuous support and commitment to creating awareness and sensitizing the public on health programmes, especially Diphtheria, at national and subnational levels.

NAN reports that participants from NPHCDA, NCDC, FMoH, Federal Ministry of Information (FMol), National Orientation Agency (NOA) and NAN attended the meeting.

Additionally, representatives from national and state media (broadcast and print) from the seven priority states (Bauchi, Borno, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Jigawa, and Yobe) were present, as were Development Partners, including UNICEF, BA-N, Red Cross, WHO, ICAP, and others. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

The Lagos State government on Saturday demolished an illegal structure on Banana Island, constructed on an unauthorised reclaimed land that will obstruct drainage paths.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Oluyinka Olumide, who led the exercise also ordered the demolition of illegal fences.

Olumide was accompanied by the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, who decried the rate at which property owners and developers disregarded building code, hence, the demolition to compel compliance.

LASBCA is an agency supervised by the ministry Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The commissioner warned against illegal reclamation of land in the state, saying individuals did not have the right to reclaim without requisite permission from the ministry charged with that responsibility.

He said land reclamation was an exclusive right of government, which usually carried out required tests through sand filling, adding that, residents should follow the processes for land acquisition to avoid prosecution.

Olumide said the demolished structure violated a suspension order issued by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu during his assessment visit to the site earlier in the year.

He said it was discovered then that the developer illegally dredged the river to reclaim the land without recourse to any approving authority.

The commissioner warned that indiscriminate dredging activity in the area must stop because it violated Planning Laws and impacts negatively on the state’s ecosystem.

“We need to stop people’s believe that they are above the law, once you have law, every body is supposed to be controlled by the law which is supposed to guide the society.

“Here, lawless activities are taking place whereby people are on thier own deliberately reclaiming land for the purpose of their own developments which is very bad.

“The power line was even made at the centre of the lagoon, the ceiling is almost reaching the power line which is not safe for human habitation,” he said.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, said the construction site had been sealed three times but the developers broke government seal to continue working.

Oki said the developers did not have building plan approvals and did not have layout approvals.

He advised residents to always carry out the necessary checks and documentations by visiting the district offices across local governments to get the right information.

He advised residents to get Certificate of Occupancy and building plan approval or regularisation before moving to site.

“My duty is to remove anything illegal,” he said.

Oki said breaking the seals contravened the building code, adding that, illegal land reclamation activities would be punished.

He said all buildings involved in unapproved shoreline extensions along the Lagos Waterfront would be demolished and their developers prosecuted.

He urged all intending building owners to always ensure due diligence before construction, including obtaining the necessary documentations from relevant agencies of the government. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

OKASHANA: Director of Land Reform in the Ministry of Agriculture Water and Land Reform (MAWLR), Petrus Nangolo has called on farmers on resettled land to be productive to avoid it being withdrawn.

Nangolo made the call during a regional consultative meeting to review the resettlement criteria under the resettlement policy of 2023 to 2033 at the Okashana rural development centre in the Oshikoto region.

He said the Ministry has observed that some farmers have been unproductive on land allocated to them by the Ministry, noting that: “They will be given a fair chance to be productive and failure to do so, the ministry will withdraw the land and give it to other Namibians willing to be productive”.

He said the primary objective is to ensure that these farmers are to produce their own food, contribute to the country’s gross domestic product, and create employment, which can only be done if they are productive on the land allocated to them.

“We are trying to address food security in this country, we want Namibia to produce sufficient food for its people and to also export to the market, therefore if there is no activity taking place on the farms, they should be relinquished voluntarily so that they can be used productively,” Nangolo said.

Mangeti Farmers’s Association (MFA) secretary, Philip Mwandingi said that there are those fortunate who have been allocated farms but are using them for residential purposes, and they are not utilising them while there are thousands out in the streets, willing to work, so ministry is doing well by chasing the lazy ones out.

The main goal of the resettlement criteria policy is to ensure that the land acquired is fairly and equitably allocated and sustainably utilised to improve the quality of life of the beneficiaries.

The policy targets to resettle the previously disadvantaged Namibians who do not own or otherwise have the use of agricultural land or adequate agricultural land, and foremost to those Namibians who have been disadvantaged by the past discriminatory laws and practices.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency