Full List As Prices Of Onions, Beans, Others Crash In FCT Markets, Environs

Full List as prices of onions, beans, others crash in FCT markets, environs. Correspondents who visited various markets in FCT and its environs reported that the prices vary depending on the market and its location.

Prices of food items are gradually dropping in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) markets and environs, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey reveals.

Correspondents who visited various markets in FCT and its environs reported that the prices vary depending on the market and its location.
Food prices tend to be higher in markets in the city centres than those in the satellite towns.

At the Kado market, a 50kg bag of rice, which sold between N97,000 and N100,000 in January, is now being sold for N87,000, while a 25kg bag formally sold between N45,000 and N50,000 was now being sold for N43,500 depending on the brand.

In Garki market located at the city centre, a bag of 50 kg rice was now being sold between N81,000 to N83,000 as against N92,000 in January, while a 25kg bag now sells for between N42,000 and N43,000 as against N45,000 sold in January.

In Nyanya market, located in the satellite town, a 50 kg bag of rice was formally sold between N90,000 and N93,000 in January, and it was now being sold between N70,000 and N83,000, depending on the brand.
A 50 kg bag of rice sold for N105,000 at Apo fish market had crashed to N93,000.

At the popular Orange market on the Abuja-Keffi expressway, a bag of onions sold between N90,000 and N100,000 as of January was now being sold between N50,000 and N55,000.

In Garki market, a bag of onions sold between N180,000 and N200,000 as of January now goes for between N55,000 and N60,000.

In Karu market, located in FCT satellite town, a bag of Bendel (yellow) garri was sold at N55,000 against N57,000 to N60,000 in January.

For red oil, a 25-litre keg sold between N75,000 and N83,000 in January was sold between N55,000 and N50,000 in the Nyanya market.

In Apo fish market, a 25-litre Terra groundnut oil formerly sold for N88,000 now goes for N84,000.

A four-litre keg of groundnut oil was now being sold for N15,500, which was against its former price of between N17,500 and N20,000, depending on the brand.

Also, a big bag of white beans initially sold between N200,000 and N150,000 now sells between N115,000 and N120,000 at Kado market.
A module of white beans formally sold between N2,100 and N2,300 in January was sold between N1,700 and N1,800, respectively.

At Orozo market, a module of brown beans formally sold between N2,200 and N2,800 was now sold for between N1,800 and N2,000.
However, food items like yams, pepper, combo and plantain had increased compared to their prices in January.

At the Wuse market, five pieces of medium-sized yams sold between N8,000 and N10,000 were now being sold for N15,000.

FCT Markets

At Lugbe and Orozo markets, the same size of yams formally sold for between N6,000 and N7,000 were now sold for N10,000.
Also, a bunch of plantain sold for N6,000 was now being sold for between N8,000 and N9,000.

A big bag of pepper was now being sold for N73,000 as against N31,000 in January.
A big basket of shombo was sold at N36,000 against N30,000 in January.

Amina Suleiman, a mother of four, said that although prices of some food items in the market were dropping, the decrease was insignificant.

“The government needs to do more in the area of security to enable farmers to farm more, improve infrastructure and ensure incentives to farmers.

“All these will reduce the cost of production and, in turn, further reduce the cost of food prices for the good of all Nigerians,” Ms Suleiman said.

Albert Okoro, a rice wholesaler in the Garki market, attributed the price drop to the slight reduction in fuel prices.

Nigeria Sets To Harness Youth’s Potential To Thrive In Digital Economy: Ministry

Nigeria Sets to harness youth’s potential to thrive in digital economy: Ministry. Technical Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Francis Sani, has said Nigeria is ready to thrive in the digital economy.

This he said was possible by leveraging its youth and global demand for digital skills.

Mr Sani, also Programme Director of 3MTT Nigeria, spoke at the launch of Darey.io and Xterns.ai, their new tech hub. The event, held Saturday in Lagos, had the theme: “Tech and Tea: Brewing Nigeria’s Technology Innovation Future.’’

Highlighting the role of digital skills, Mr Sani said they were crucial for economic growth, enabling Nigeria to tap into the global outsourcing market.
He stressed the ministry’s aim was to ensure every Nigerian could access technical training, regardless of financial or geographical barriers.

According to him, the partnership with Darey.io would provide practical, AI-driven, project-based learning to enhance training quality and effectiveness.

He explained that the ministry’s approach centres on five pillars: knowledge, policy, infrastructure, innovation and entrepreneurship, and trade, to spur national development.

Mr Sani also highlighted Nigeria’s large youth population as a major advantage in the global digital economy.

He said the ministry was creating an environment to attract tech companies to Nigeria, generating jobs for young people.

Discussing AI’s economic impact, he said it would transform work and value creation, urging Nigeria to position itself for the changes.

Founder and CEO of Darey.io, Dare Oluwafunmilayo, outlined plans to bridge gaps in Nigeria’s digital economy through partnerships and infrastructure development.
Mr Olufunmilayo said their tech hub aimed to create a collaborative space where young people could learn and develop essential digital skills.

He said, “Our aim is to offer young people a platform to gain skills, network with professionals, and build a pipeline of talent for the digital economy.’’

Speaking on their 3MTT partnership, he said the goal was to train three million technical talents using digital tools to track progress and provide career metrics.
Mr Olufunmilayo noted that over 5,000 people had been trained in four and a half years, with 100,000 more currently enrolled through the 3MTT programme.

He noted the education offered was free due to 3MTT support, underlining the importance of public-private collaboration for economic advancement.

He also emphasised soft skills, stating technical expertise alone does not ensure employment; communication and teamwork are equally vital.
Mr Olufunmilayo said the hub fosters collaboration and innovation, with professionals delivering training to enhance learning experiences.

Digital Economy, Ministry of communication

To further empower youth, he announced the launch of the Dare Olufunmilayo Human Capital Foundation.

“The foundation aims to partner with organisations to provide laptops and stipends, supporting talented individuals and encouraging economic growth,” he said.
Regarding certification, he said training would be recognised by platforms such as Microsoft, AWS, and Google.

He added that Darey.io would also issue its own in-house certifications for trainees.

Kogi State Livestock Project Outlines Strategies To Boost Productivity, Resilience

Kogi state livestock project outlines strategies to boost productivity, resilience. The Kogi State Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES) has outlined strategies to enhance livestock productivity and resilience in the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Timothy Ojomah, speaking at the programme on Saturday, commended the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) for its dedication to the project.

To achieve its goals, the Kogi L-PRES convened a two-day strategic meeting for members of the State Technical Committee (STC) and State Steering Committee (SSC) in Lokoja.
The meeting was held to present and review the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB).

Mr Ojomah noted that the meeting served as a crucial platform for in-depth discussions on project implementation, key challenges, and strategies to enhance livestock productivity and resilience.

As the STC Chairman, Mr Ojomah stressed the need to scale up livestock production, its commercialisation, and resilience across the state.

Commending the progress made so far, he urged stakeholders to remain committed to strategies that would drive sustainable growth in the livestock sector.

He reaffirmed the state government’s unwavering support for the project, in spite of the challenges emerging in the livestock value chain.

Earlier, the state Project Coordinator of L-PRES, Otaru Onoruoyiza, emphasised the importance of the meeting in advancing project implementation.

Mr Onoruoyiza reiterated that the committees played a pivotal role in reviewing project activities and ensuring that all interventions aligned with the Project Development Objective (PDO) and the Kogi Development Plan.

He said, “To further strengthen oversight and ensure effective implementation, the committees are scheduled to embark on a comprehensive tour of project sites from March 15 to 17.’’

Kogi

A key highlight of the event was the presentation and review of the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB).
The presentation aimed to ensure that the work plan and budget were aligned with the project objectives.

Additionally, the AWPB was reviewed in the context of the Kogi State Development Plan, ensuring that the proposed activities and financial allocations supported the broader goals of the state’s development strategy.

The participants at the meeting included permanent secretaries from the ministries of finance, water resources, livestock development, women affairs, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Bar Association and the State Security Service among others.