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FG pledges to provide enabling environment to Gum Arabic farmers

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Federal government has reiterated its determination to provide enabling environment to Gum Arabic Farmers in the country.

The Director of Agriculture, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Hajiya Karima Babangida disclosed this during Gum Arabic stakeholders meeting on Wednesday in Kano.

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The theme of the stakeholder’s meeting “Sustainable exploitation of gum Arabic for economic development in Nigeria”

She said that the ministry would continue to provide enabling environment for investors in the industry.

 

She noted that the purpose of the meeting was to review the position on Gum Arabic value chain with a view to developing a robust road map that would take advantage of the potentials Nigeria ha in the production important commodity.

Represented by Zonal Director North-West FMARD, Mr. Abdulkareem Durosinlorun, added that the Federal Government was ready to partner with any stakeholders who were interested in the development of the Gum Arabic sub-sector.

The Director said that the ministry had established Gum Arabic testing laboratory for quality assurance at Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria(RRIN) station in Gashua, Yobe state.

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“In the same vain the ministry has also established a cottage Gum Arabic processing center at Damaturu in Yobe state.

“We are supporting the Gum Arabic association with Tapping Knives, Storage bags, cyclone, crushers, color sorter machine and digital moisture meters to various farmers, she added.

According to the Director, the Federal Governmen will establish two additional Gum Arabic processing centres in Kano and Borno States.

 

She added that the centres re to be established this year as part of the ministry’s efforts at improving the production of the commodity.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr Ernest Umakhihe, said the workshop was organised to induce a combination of appropriate agricultural techniques , policies and institutional arrangements that could generate economic surplus in the gum Arabic sub sector.

 

 

He said that the Gum Arabic value chain was among the agricultural commodity being promoted by the Federal ministry of Agriculture.

 

 

Represented by Mr Ukattah Bernard, Deputy Director, Tree Crops, explained that the main objective was to increase the area under Gum Arabic production of organized and unorganized plantations and improve upon processing by adding value to obtain grade one gum and archive export substitution and global competativeness.

 

 

According to him , in the year 2019/2020 , the ministry produced and distributed free of charge 384,391 Gum Arabic seedlings to farmers in order to boost value addirion.

 

The Permanent Secretary urged the participants to take advantage of the meeting to build a sustainable agriculture for the country , so as to be self-sufficient in food and nutrition.

Speaking at the event, Eze Chidume Okoro, the National President of Gum Arabic Producers, Processors and Exporters of Nigeria (NAGAPPEN), said the plan was to restore the glory of the Gum Arabic sector in the country.

Okoro called on the ministry of Agriculture to seek the collaboration of Ministries and National Agencies working in gum Arabic sector to ensure a coordinated development of the sector.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his efforts in providing enabling environment to Gum Arabic farmers in the country.

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APC Extends Membership Registration, Reschedules Congresses and Convention

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced a revised timetable for its internal activities, extending its electronic membership registration and rescheduling upcoming congresses and its national convention.

The decisions were reached during the 183rd meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) held on Friday, January 30, 2026, at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party outlined the key changes.

The electronic membership registration exercise has been extended from January 31 to February 8, 2026. According to the statement, the extension follows requests from party stakeholders and is intended to allow more supporters and members to register or validate their membership.

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Furthermore, the schedule for party congresses has been adjusted. Ward congresses are now set to hold on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, while the National Convention has been rescheduled for March 27–28, 2026.

The statement also clarified that some states would be excluded from the forthcoming state congresses. Osun State, Ekiti State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are exempted due to upcoming elections, while Rivers State is excluded because of the subsisting tenure of the current party executive committees in the state.

Additionally, the NWC confirmed the constitution of a National Convention Planning Committee. The party noted that further details regarding the adjusted timetable and the composition of the planning committee would be communicated in due course.

These changes mark a significant recalibration of the APC’s internal electoral calendar as it prepares for its national convention and subsequent political engagements.

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Turaki-Led PDP Faction to Appeal Court Ruling, Affirms Legitimacy

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Kabiru Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced it will appeal a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan that refused to grant its request for an order of mandamus. The court, in its Friday judgment, stated that granting the order would amount to reviewing decisions of courts of equal jurisdiction—a ruling the faction described as “not unexpected.”

In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, and posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the faction confirmed it has directed its legal team to file an appeal immediately and take all necessary legal steps to defend its standing.

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Despite the legal setback, the faction asserted that its leadership, which emerged from the PDP’s Ibadan convention, remains legally intact and unaffected. The statement called on members to stay calm and resolute, assuring them there is “absolutely no cause for alarm” and that the party’s “rebirth movement remains firmly on course.”

The development is part of an ongoing internal dispute over leadership and legitimacy within the PDP, with rival factions seeking judicial affirmation. All eyes are now on the appellate courts, whose decisions could significantly influence the party’s structure and direction ahead of future political activities.

The faction expressed confidence that higher courts would ultimately uphold its position, stating it “awaits the authoritative pronouncement of the appellate courts.”

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Fayemi Denies Alleged Closed-Door Meeting with Kwankwaso

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has denied reports claiming that he held a closed-door meeting with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, at his Abuja residence.

Fayemi, immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, dismissed the report in a statement issued by the Head of his Media Office, Ahmad Sajoh, on Thursday, describing the claim as false and urging the public to disregard it.

The report, which circulated on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, was shared by several social media handles alongside an old video clip showing Fayemi greeting Kwankwaso at his residence.

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According to the statement, the former Ekiti governor had met Kwankwaso only once in the past year and not in any private political setting.

“Dr Fayemi has only met Senator Kwankwaso once in the last year, and that occasion was at the public book launch of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke, SAN,” the statement said.

It added that, “At no time has Dr Fayemi held, or is he holding, any closed-door political meeting with Senator Kwankwaso as suggested by the post.”

The former governor acknowledged that he and Kwankwaso have been friends since their time as governors, but stressed that their relationship is personal and non-partisan.

He noted that the friendship is “based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to the progress of Nigeria, rather than on any political alignment.”

Fayemi also cautioned against attempts by political actors to attach partisan interpretations to private relationships, noting that many of his friends and associates are either not involved in partisan politics or belong to different political persuasions.

The statement added that Fayemi’s associates “span the entire spectrum of Nigeria’s political terrain.”

It, therefore, reaffirmed the former governor’s commitment to national unity, principled engagement, and responsible public discourse.

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