The Niger Delta’s nine states account for about 75 percent of palm oil production in Nigeria and 80 percent of the production from the region comes from smallholder farmers. The proliferation of adulterated seedlings however threatens the livelihoods of oil palm farmers and is stifling the growth of the sector in Nigeria. PIND Half Hour,…
Kingsley Ojeah pruning bunches with his MAH at his farm in Ubule-Uku in Delta State PIND has affected the lives of over 26, 000 palm fruits farmers with training on best practices like adoption of MAH On a sunny Tuesday afternoon, two women in their early 30s were on a moving motorcycle along Ubulu-Uku -…
In the 1960s, Nigeria was the leading producer of palm oil. Though the country still remains one of the largest producers, it now meets domestic demands through imports. The Niger Delta region accounts for roughly 57% of the palm oil produced in Nigeria. As Nigeria’s population continues to grow, there is an increase in…
Founded in 1940s by missionaries, Baptist High School in Borokiri area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was all-boys until 2006 when it turned coeducational. But having girls in the school poses a greater security challenge to the school administrators. “With all the cult activities, most of the youths will like to come to our school…
For a long time Rachael Misan-Ruppee had always nursed the ambition of touching the lives of people in her community. Each time she mooted the idea of what to do contribute to development of Warri, the capital city of Delta State, a number of options ran through her mind. She could not really place her…
Yemi Ogundolire, 36, had always wanted to be a major producer and supplier of catfish in the Niger Delta. In mid-2016, he ventured into fish farming as a business by establishing eight catfish ponds at Akungba in Ondo state. Though he lacked knowledge of how to run a fish pond, he believed he would succeed…
Margaret Adedeji was always worried about plights of women in rural areas—for her, women who form the bulk of the underprivileged and the vulnerable deserve more than they are getting from the society. She believes in “empowering women to empower the whole community.” Hence, Adedeji started her Non-governmental Organization, Better Living Foundation (BLF) in Akure,…
Mrs Esonde Bakare is the owner of IceQueen Food and Beverages in Warri, Delta State, a major toilet tissue distributor for Belling Pegs and for other products. She calls herself a ‘Mompreneur’ as she has to combine her business with being a wife and mother of three children. Previously, she was just a small time retailer.