The 36 State Governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) will on Monday hold an emergency virtual meeting on Monday to deliberate on the prospects of dry-season farming as facilitated by the Anchor Borrowers Program of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The CBN Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele is expected to address the Governors to explain the programme with the view to enlightening the Governors on the necessary steps to ensure the success of the programme in their various states.
According to the statement issued by the NGF’s Head of Media and Public Affairs, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the Forum at the meeting which is scheduled to commence by 5 pm, will finalise the agreed into a partnership between the Forum and the CBN.
He explained that Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu who has been midwifing the NGF group in the agriculture sector will also provide insight on the partnership at the meeting, as stipulated in the invitation sent to the Governors by the NGF’s Director-General, Mr Asishana Bayo Okauru.
Bello-Barkindo also disclosed that “an NGF Peer Learning Event (PLE) will be preceding the meeting on this same day.
“The 6th NGF Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) Peer Learning Event which attracts a host of IGR experts will take place at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Aso Koro District in Abuja.
“The Chairman of the NGF and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi and the Minister for Finance Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed will both give a keynote address, while there will be goodwill messages from the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mohammed Mamman Nami and Shubham Chaudri, Country Director of the World Bank to Nigeria, Western and Central Africa.
“Some of the key lessons at the event will include how digitalisation helps to sustain revenue collection during the Covid-19 pandemic and how states can choose the right incentives for the right taxpayer group.
“Those who are expected to share their experiences based on their success stories include the Jigawa State Commissioner for Finance, Ibrahim Babangida Umar, the Executive Chairman of the FIRS in Lagos State, Ayodele Hamzat Subair and Asuquo Ekpenyong, the Commissioner for Finance in Cross River State.
“Ten States are expected to attend the PLE which will be declared open by the Director-General of the NGF Asishana Bayo Okauru,” the statement read.
By Kehinde Akintola,
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE