Ileya Festival: Olori Afolabi launches food bank, distributes 150 bags of rice to Apomu people - ITREALMS

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Olori Janet Afolabi, a distinguished CNN award-winning journalist and the Queen of Apomu Kingdom, has extended her generosity to the people of Apomu by distributing 150 bags of 50kg rice in celebration of the Ileya Festival, reports ITREALMS.

In a bid to promote long-term food security, she also inaugurated a food bank in the historic town of Apomu, Osun State, reinforcing her commitment to community welfare and sustainable support.

Dangote feeds thousands @Katsina, donates 35,000 bags of rice - ITREALMS

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The Aliko Dangote Foundation has donated 35,000 bags of rice to the poor and vulnerable people of Katsina State.

This is coming two weeks after it commenced the distribution of one million bags of rice worth N16billion across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.

Palliatives: Dangote donates 80,000 bags of rice to Lagos residents - ITREALMS

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… Sanwo-Olu says Dangote prioritize Nigerians’ welfare above profit

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has flagged off the distribution of 80,000 10kg bags of rice to the vulnerable in Lagos state.

President of Dangote Group and Chairman of the foundation, Aliko Dangote, who was represented by an Executive Director, in the Group, Hajiya, Marya Dangote noted that the gesture is part of the over one million 10kg bags of rice that would be distributed to reach one million vulnerable people in the 774 local government areas of the country.

Aliko Dangote Foundation distributes N16bn worth of rice across 774 local governments - ITREALMS

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The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Thursday, commenced the distribution of 2025 Annual National Food Intervention Project (ANFIP) valued at N16billion, targeted at one million Nigerians, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking at the ceremony in Kano, chairman of the Aliko Dangote Foundation, Mr. Aliko Dangote, said the distribution of one million bags of 10kg rice to the poor and most vulnerable Nigerians in the 774 Local Government Areas is in line with the core values of his company and Foundation.

Philanthropist, Innocent Obiora, doles out over 600 bags of rice - ITREALMS

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Anambra-born philanthropist based in United Kingdom, Mr Innocent Obiora, has distributed not fewer than 600 bags of rice to the indigent including widows and people living with disabilities in Enugwu-Agidi, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.

The beneficiaries were seen singing songs of joy and praise of the benefactor as the gesture came on time for the Easter celebrations.

Christmas Rice wahala: NAN mgt re-commits to workers’ welfare, to set up joint c’ttee - ITREALMS

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The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Buki Ponle, has said the management of the Agency is conscious of the reality of the prevailing times and is ever determined to give succour to its members of staff where possible.

Ponle said this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja while reacting to a letter from the Joint Union of the Agency giving the management a seven-day ultimatum to provide rice as Christmas gift for workers, among others.

FG says border drill, boosts rice production, self-sufficiency - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the ongoing border drill has largely curbed foreign rice smuggling into Nigeria and boosted rice production while fast-tracking the country's quest to achieve rice self-sufficiency, reports ITREALMS.

The Minister stated this at a press conference he addressed after leading a media tour of integrated rice mills and rice clusters in Kano on Thursday.

Quoting statistics from the Rice Millers Association, he said over 200,000 bags of rice were occupying spaces in the warehouses of virtually every integrated rice miller before the border drill started in August, while many small scale rice holders or rice clusters had to abandon their small scale but valuable means of livelihood.

Alhaji Mohammed said farmers were even worst hit since the integrated rice millers, who were the off-takers, were already struggling to save their businesses by laying off staff and finding other means to pay

off their bank loans with mounting interest rates, hence were finding it hard to buy paddies from rice farmers.

“But the story changed in August this year, when the border drill drastically reduced smuggled rice, thus giving the entire rice production value chain a new lease of life. Gentlemen, within one week of the drill, every integrated rice miller exhausted the milled rice in their warehouses, recalled the staff that were laid off and resumed production. All the existing 34 rice mills that we have in the country are now producing at maximum capacity, 24 hours a day,” he said.

The Minister said currently, the integrated mills produce about 150,000 bags of rice every day, translating to over 35 million bags annually, adding that the 34 mills are expanding rapidly in order to increase capacity and meet the rising demands, while the small scale rice clusters in all parts of the country are now back on stream and feeding their local communities,

He said Nigeria's quest to achieve self sufficiency in rice production will be quickened by the increasing activities in the rice production value chain resulting from the border drill in four of the country's six geo-political zones.

''Achieving self sufficiency in rice production will also translate to more jobs for millions of our people as well as cheaper and more nutritious rice for all. I want to congratulate everyone in the value chain for cashing in on the opportunities provided by the border drill, which - like i said - has drastically reduced rice smuggling to the country,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

Uboshe Uboshe/Editor

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Customs lifts ban on rice importation, import duty

ITRealms:

The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has lifted restrictions on the importation of rice and import duty, reports ITRealms.

The spokesperson of the Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi, affirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted the Comptroller-General of NCS, Colonel Hameed Ali (rtd) as announcing the removed of the ban on importation of rice.

He also told NAN that the import duty payment at land borders has been reintroduced.

Ali said, imports through land borders by rice traders would attract the prevailing import duty of 10 per cent with 60 per cent levy.

“Over the years importation has been restricted to the seaports because border authorities have found it difficult to effectively monitor and control importation of rice,” NAN quoted him as saying. 

Nonye Dom/GEE with agency report.

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Yudala-Jara targets over 100m Nigerians

ITRealms:

As part of its Yuletide celebration, Yudala, Nigeria’s first true composite online and offline retail chain, today commenced its sales promotion tagged Yu-Jara (Yudala Jara) to offer an estimated 100 million Nigerians the chance to receive a variety of free gifts such as bags of rice and other goods which could in turn be donated to charity homes and the needy in the spirit of the season, reports ITRealms.

Jara in the local parlance means extra extended to a good customer in appreciation of patronage.

The week-long promotion which is expected to run from December 9^th – 15^th 2015 is an annual initiative exclusive to Yudala Online and every Yudala Experience Store nationwide, with the company positioning it as the final massive sales to usher in the Christmas holidays. 

ITRealms gathered that, Yu-Jara offers Nigerians from all walks of life a unique opportunity to buy and stock various products required for the season at highly discounted prices. 

Some of the items on offer include mobile phones, computers, printers, consumables and accessories, food stuff, high quality drinks including choice wines, Champagne and Cognac; fashion, lifestyle and consumer goods, gym equipment, perfumes and automobiles. 

Confirmation this, Chief Executive at Yudala Nigeria, Mr. Dave Ibelegbu, said Yu-Jara is a seven-day annual massive sales promotion which starts from the second week of December.

“Every shopper gets a jara (extra or free gift) based on how much they spend shopping on Yudala Online or in any of our Offline Experience stores scattered across the country,” he said

According to Mr. Ibelegbu, the advantage of Yu-Jara is that shoppers online could have their goods delivered to them in time for the holidays or they could order online and take delivery from any Yudala Experience store nearest to them or walk into any Yudala Experience store nationwide including the newly opened ones in Kano and Abuja and shop directly. 

“There are also great incentives for shoppers depending on how much they spend. Shoppers will get jara (free gifts) ranging from smart phones, expensive wines, champagne, cognac, perfumes and electronics to food items like bags of rice and much more.

“For jara items such as foodstuff, shoppers may wish to donate these items to charity homes of their choice or other such needy groups like Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and have them delivered there. These recipients shall on delivery acknowledge such gifts by directly writing to the donors. This is Yudala’s own little way of supporting the needy in our country,” he explained.

 +Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) +ITRealms DSA 

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