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FG set to convert abattoir waste to wealth

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The Federal Government says it is set to convert all the waste from slaughtered animals in abattoir to wealth in in the country.

The Registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCN), Dr Yakubu Baba, made the commitment in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

Baba said that the efforts would not only improve the cleanliness and healthier environment in the abattoir markets but would as well provide manure to farmers in the country.

According to him, the council is coming up with public health solution, whereby all the wastes in the abattoir will be converted into wealth by providing manure to our farmers.

“The council wants to ensure that wastes that come out of any slaughtered animal will no longer be wasteful, rather such wastes will be converted into manure and the manure will be sold to our farmers.

“The solid that will come out from the biogas digester is a manure that can be packaged and sold to farmers.

“The liquid content also will be bottled as a liquid fertiliser and sold to the farmers as well.

“The environmental health officials are working towards going into the market introducing the system to the people. So, it’s a win win situation,” he said.

Baba explained that the biogas is an environmentally-friendly, renewable energy source, adding that it’s produced as organic matter, such as food or animal waste.

He said that the liquid and the solid wastes from the slaughtered animals were being converted into a biogas digester, which would eventually, digest the wastes into a byproduct.

According to him, by-product is something which is produced during the manufacture or processing of another product.

He said that the biogas is part of the modern system of building the abattoir markets into global standard, by ensuring that the markets are environmentally friendly.

He said that butchers operating in the abattoir are using tires to smoke the slaughtered animals, thereby causing increase in air pollution and climate change in the areas.

He said that the introduction of biogas system would help to mitigate the effect of climate change and provide solution to gas flaring at the abattoirs.

“The council have noticed that there is a lot of air pollution because the butchers are using tires to smoke the slaughtered animals.

“Now, we decided to conduct our research in various abattoirs and discovered that tires are carcinogenic and after using them to smoke the animals, they have residual effects on the meat.

“This carcinogen is a substance, organism or agent capable of causing cancer, it may occur naturally in the environment.

“This means that the residues will remain in the meat which could possibly leads to increase in cancer in our body system.

“So, the council is putting every effort to ensure that all these system that are not healthy and safe stop and we make sure the modern abattoir we are constructing is environmental friendly to everyone and even to the animals,” he said.

The Registrar said that the council will ensure that the issue of sanitation in abattoirs and even in other markets improved in the country.

He said that the Federal Government had provided strategies and preventive measures to ensure that environmental programmes and policies are implemented effectively.

He urged the state and local governments to embrace the strategies and programmes provided by ensuring that abattoir markets and the environments are healthy and safe.

“It is the responsibility of the state and local governments to buy or key into our ideas and programmes by ensuring that such ideas are implemented at their levels.”

 

 

(NAN)

 

Business & Economy

N’Assembly Positioning Nigeria For One Trillion Dollar Economy by 2030 – Bamidele  

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Senate Leader, Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele
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The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele on Tuesday reeled out the accomplishments of the 10th National Assembly, saying the upper chamber had been passing diverse laws aimed at creating an environment for economic competitiveness and positioning Nigeria for a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

Bamidele, currently representing Ekiti Central, added that many of these legislative initiatives are already making a difference in the daily lives of the citizenry and the collective prosperity of the country.

He made these remarks yesterday at a meeting with the delegation of the United Kingdom Parliament held at the conference room, New Senate Wing, National Assembly Complex, Abuja.

Led by MP Kate Osamor of Edmonton & Winchmore Hill, the delegation comprises a member of the Parliament for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale, Rt. Hon. David Mundell; member of the Parliament for Westminster North; Dame Karen Buck; member of the House of Lords; Lord Jonathan Oates; member of the Parliament for Worthing West; Dr Beccy Cooper and member of the Parliament for Plymouth Moor View; Rt Hon. Fred Thomas, among others.

At the session with members of the UK Parliament, Bamidele explained that the National Assembly would continue to play pivotal roles in building a resilient economy and functional political system, which guarantees the security of the citizenry.

He said: “Since the birth of the 10th Senate about two years ago, I have been discharging the duties of my office with modest records of accomplishment. One of such accomplishments is the timely passage of key legislations, particularly in the areas of fiscal reform and national security

“By engaging my colleagues across all political divides, we have successfully passed laws aimed at creating an environment for economic competitiveness and positioning Nigeria for a $1 trillion economy by 2030. I am proud to say that many of these legislative initiatives are already making a difference in the daily lives of our citizens.

“As we look towards the future, we remain deeply committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and ensuring that the National Assembly continues to play its pivotal role in building a resilient economy and a functional political system that guarantees the security of all.”

Bamidele disclosed that the nation’s parliament is building synergy with different parliamentary associations and institutions across the world to address the dearth of institutional capacity.

In her own presentation, the leader of the delegation, MP Kate Osamor, solicited for inclusion of more women in the National Assembly to address the existing gender gap in the nation’s electoral offices.

Osamor said: “We have to make sure more women are in the parliament. Every society is a reflection of elected representatives.”

On the issue of gender sensitivity, the senate leader promised the delegation that the 10th Senate would give priority attention to the issue, recalling that the 9th Senate was almost resolving the issue before it came to an end in June 2023.

 

 

 

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CBN Stops Free Withdrawals For Customers Using Other Banks’ ATMs

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CBN Headquarters Abuja
CBN Headquarters Abuja
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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says charges will now apply anytime customers use the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) of banks other than theirs.

This was contained in a circular dated February 10, 2025, and addressed to all banks and financial institutions, the apex bank’s acting Director of Financial Policy and Regulation Department, John Onojah.

“The three free monthly withdrawals allowed for remote-on-us (other bank’s customers/not-on-us consumers) in Nigeria under Section 10.6.2 of the Guide shall no longer apply,” the circular partly read.

The CBN directed banks and other financial institutions to apply the following charges with effect from March 1, 2025.

The apex bank said while customers withdrawing at the ATMs of their banks and financial institutions won’t be charged, customers withdrawing from the ATM of other banks would now be charged ₦100 per every ₦20,000.

The CBN said for off-site ATMs — automated teller machines not on a bank’s premises – like those at shopping malls, eateries and other public places — a surcharge of not more than ₦500 per every ₦20,000 will apply in addition to the statutory ₦100 fee for withdrawals by customers of other banks’ ATMs.

The apex bank attributed the reviewed charges to rising costs and the need to improve the efficiency of ATM services in the country.

“This review is expected to accelerate the deployment of ATMs and ensure that appropriate charges are applied by financial institutions to consumers of the service,” the circular stated.

 

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Senate Passes MTEF/ FSP, To Probe N8.4tn Withheld Subsidy Funds By NNPCL

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The Senate has passed the 2024 – 2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fiscal Strategy Paper (FSP) for implementation by the Federal Government.

The passage followed the presentation of a report by the chairman of the Joint Committees on Finance and National Planning & Economic Affairs presented by Sen. Musa, Mohammed Sani (Niger East).

The senate also tasked its Committees on Finance and Petroleum as well as Gas to investigate allegations of withheld funds by the NNPC, including NGN 8.48 trillion in petrol subsidies, and $2 billion (NGN 3.6 trillion) in unpaid taxes.

The allegation was highlighted by reports from the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) and the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation, and Fiscal Responsibility Commission.

The development comes following the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, saying it had received the necessary and complete documents required to verify the N2.7 trillion fuel subsidy claim by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited against the government.

The Senate approved the exchange rate projection of 1,400 USD for 2025-2027 with a provision for review in early 2025, based on prevailing monetary and fiscal policies.

They also resolved that any excess on the official figure would be used for debt servicing.

During the debate on the report submitted by the Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Sani Musa (APC, Nigeria East ), the Lawmakers also demanded a reduction in the petrol prices against the backdrop of the commencement of the Port Harcourt Refinery.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Adeola Olamilekan referenced the Federal Government’s Compressed Natural Gas initiative as the underlying imperative for the adoption of the N1400 to one dollar.

According to him: “With the functioning of our refineries the demand for Forex will drop. With the CNG initiative, Nigerians will have an option for your information if you leave Benin to Lagos the amount of fuel is about 130 thousand but with CNG you can’t use more than 48 thousand Naira. Another issue to be addressed is the recurrent to-capital ratio which is very high.

The need to support the manufacturing industries was also raised by Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kebbi North if the projections of the MTEF are to be achieved.

In their resolutions, the Senate also adopted inflation rate projections of 15.75, 14.21 and 10.04 per cent for 2025, 2026 and 2017 respectively.

According to the recommendations, “The 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria budget proposed spending of N47.9trilion of which N34.82 trillion is retained. New borrowings stood at N9.22tn, made up of both domestic and foreign borrowings.

Capital expenditure is projected at 16.48 trillion naira with statutory transfers standing at 4.26 trillion naira and sinking funds projected at N430.27billion.

 

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