Bayelsa State has procured modern milling equipment to increase the production and processing of rice in the state.

According to a press release on Friday, October 17, 2025, signed by the Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Governor Douye Diri, who disclosed this on Thursday at this year’s World Food Day celebration at the Peace Park in Yenagoa, said the equipment includes an automated dryer, boilers and colour separation machines.

Addressing farmers, who exhibited various produce, the Bayelsa governor said his administration has supported them with loans and trained them in modern farming skills.

His words: “We went into partnership with the Korean government, and they supplied us with equipment that can produce 40 tonnes of rice daily.

“We were, however, lacking three equipment, which were an automated dryer, boilers and colour separation machines. When the Agriculture Commissioner brought it to my knowledge, the government immediately approved the purchase of the equipment, and they are on their way.”

According to him, the government trained about 700 youths at the CSS Farms in Nasarawa State, as well as 200 in soilless farming in Abeokuta, Ogun State, noting that they were making an impact in farming and fishing.

He expressed delight that his administration’s effort in the agricultural sector was yielding positive results, as evidenced in the testimonies of the trainees and the reduction of prices of essential commodities such as garri and other staple foods.

“We are happy to hear that prices of essential commodities are dropping. We encourage more people to go into cassava production so that the price of garri will be stable.”

He stated that as part of efforts to encourage farmers, the government was rehabilitating the fish farms at Yenigue and Angalabiri and ensuring that they become functional.

He also said the government had approved the construction of a road from the Glory Drive to link the Yenigue fish farm for easy evacuation of produce.

The governor urged the Ijaw ethnic nationality to go into massive farming as it was a money-spinning business, even as he condemned the use of chemicals in processing and preservation of agricultural produce.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Beke Sese, said another batch of 200 youths was approved for training at the CSS Farms in cassava and fish farming as well as cultivation of vegetables.

According to him, the trainees, in addition to the previous ones, were given starter packs and organised into clusters to position them as a new generation of agric entrepreneurs.

Sese stated that during the 2024 dry farming season, the government supported farmers with rice seedings, irrigation kits and distributed over 20,000 bundles of cassava stems across the eight local government areas, with a projected yield of 6,700 tonnes of cassava tubers.

He also said that over 5,000 bags of fertilisers were distributed to farmers and that the ministry partnered with the Nigerian Institute for Oil Palm Research to support oil palm farmers in order to improve oil palm seedlings, as well as offered funding support to 100 agric entrepreneurs.

In their goodwill messages, Mercy Igbani, Kingdom Obira, Itari Uwotu, Josephine Akari and Victory Ichie, on behalf of the Otuokpoti Rice Cluster, Agripreneurs, CSS Trainees, Cassava Farmers and LIFE-ND/IFAD, respectively, thanked the government for the grant they received to add value to the agric sector.

They appealed to the government to provide a processing hub to be able to package and market their products and make Bayelsa one of the top food producers.

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Thursday condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for attempting to frustrate a legitimate Freedom of Information (FOI) request by demanding an outrageous fee of over N1.5 billion for a copy of the National Register of Voters and list of polling units in Nigeria, describing its demand as a blatant attempt to weaponize cost as a tool for denying access to vital public information.

In a statement issued in Lagos, MRA’s Executive Director, Mr. Edetaen Ojo, noted that “the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units are arguably the most essential public records needed by civil society organizations, political parties, election observers, and the media to effectively monitor the electoral process,” arguing that by “placing such a colossal financial barrier in the way of a requester, INEC is deliberately hindering the public’s right and ability to scrutinize its operations, thereby compromising transparency and avoiding accountability.”

MRA’s statement followed a letter from INEC, dated October 13, 2025, and signed by Ms Rose Oriaran-Anthony, Secretary to the Commission, in response to an October 8, 2025 request filed by the law firm of V-C Ottackpukpu & Associates, in which it demanded the payment of N1,505,901,750.00 as cost of producing the Voters Register and list of all polling units in Nigeria as a condition for releasing the information.

Describing the charge as excessive, prohibitive and a clear violation of the spirit and letter of the FOI Act, Mr. Ojo said: “Section 8(1) of the FOI Act clearly stipulates that fees shall be limited to standard charges for document duplication and transcription, where necessary. The staggering amount of over N1.5 billion cannot be a standard charge for duplication and is a clear and deliberate attempt to make public data inaccessible to the public. This is an affront to transparency and democratic accountability.”

He pointed out that in the exercise of his powers under the FOI Act, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN) issued Guidelines for public institutions on the Implementation of the Act, in which he stipulated the fees chargeable for duplication of records under the Act, limiting photocopy or scanning and printing to a maximum of N10 per page.

Mr. Ojo argued that the list of 93,469,008 registered voters and list of 176,846 polling units in the country could not number up to 150 million pages, for the cost of duplicating those lists to amount to over N1.5 billion at the legally permissible rate of fees.

Besides, he noted, In November 2017, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted the Guidelines on Access to Information and Elections in Africa, as a soft law instrument “to provide guidance to States on the categories of information on the electoral process that must, at the minimum, be proactively disclosed.”

According to him, Paragraph 17(e) of the Guidelines requires any election management body in Africa, during pre-election periods, to proactively disclose “Voters roll containing information allowing the unique identification of each voter, including the full name, identity number, photograph (where it exists), gender and age of each voter, and any subsequent amendments to this information”.

Mr. Ojo stressed that the requested documents, the National Register of Voters and the list of polling units, are public records that are fundamental to electoral transparency and are likely already digitized and centrally stored, which means that the cost of reproducing such electronic data is negligible and would certainly not be in millions of Naira.

He warned even on a charitable interpretation of INEC’s action, with its mandate to conduct free, fair, and credible elections, which hinges on public trust and transparency, the response of the Commission sends a strong signal that it is prioritizing bureaucracy and profit over its constitutional and statutory obligations to the Nigerian people, or that it is deliberately impeding public scrutiny of its operations.

Mr. Ojo said: “The primary objective of the FOI Act is to make public records and information freely available. If allowed to stand, this action by INEC sets a dangerous precedent, which will encourage other government agencies to impose exorbitant fees, effectively nullifying the gains of the FOI Act and rolling back this transparency initiative in Nigeria.”

He therefore called on INEC to immediately and unconditionally withdraw the outrageous fee demand and provide the requested information either completely free of charge, in accordance with the principle established by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, or at a fee that strictly adheres to the provision of Section 8(1) of the FOI Act and the Attorney-General’s FOI Implementation Guidelines.

Digital Encode Limited, Africa’s leading consulting and integration firm renowned for its expertise in cybersecurity and digital transformation, has been announced as the Platinum Sponsor of the fifth edition of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 5.0), one of the continent’s most influential gatherings of technology leaders, innovators, policymakers, and investors.

AfriTECH 5.0 is set to be held on Thursday, November 13th, 2025, at the Oriental Hotel, Lekki, Lagos, and will spotlight the power of homegrown solutions and global partnerships in driving Africa’s technological growth.

Founded in Digital Encode has built a formidable reputation for designing, managing, and securing business-critical networks, telecommunications environments, and other enterprise IT infrastructures.

Over the past two decades, the company has become a trusted partner to governments, financial institutions, and corporations seeking to strengthen their cybersecurity posture and operational resilience.

Speaking on the sponsorship, Obadare, Nigeria’s first Professor of Practice in Cybersecurity, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode Limited, emphasized that as Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to redefine global economies and social systems, Africa must carve its own path toward digital sovereignty, the capacity to build, govern, and secure its digital assets and ecosystems.

“Africa’s digital future cannot depend on imported technologies or external narratives. We must establish our own frameworks for innovation, governance, and security. AfriTECH provides a unique platform to drive this conversation, aligning Africa’s digital ambitions with global best practices,” Prof. Obadare said.

Themed “AI and Sovereign Tech: Building Africa’s Digital Independence,” AfriTECH 5.0 will convene key voices across government, academia, and industry to explore how AI and emerging technologies can be leveraged to power inclusive growth, strengthen data protection, localize innovation, and nurture sustainable digital ecosystems across the continent.

As Platinum Sponsor, Digital Encode’s participation underscores its commitment to advancing Africa’s digital resilience through thought leadership, capacity building, and technology-driven governance.

The company’s involvement is expected to inspire deeper discussions around cybersecurity readiness, AI ethics, data governance, and strategic digital partnerships tailored to Africa’s unique socio-economic realities.

The event will feature keynotes, fireside chats, policy dialogues, and innovation showcases, highlighting transformative ideas shaping Africa’s technology future; and Africa Tech Alliance Excellence (ATAEx) Awards, a prestigious award ceremony that celebrates outstanding innovation, leadership, and contributions to Africa’s digital economy.

Commending Digital Encode for buying into the vision of AfriTECH, Mr. Chike Onwuegbuchi, Co-convener of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum, expressed appreciation to the company’s leadership for its continued support of Africa-driven innovation and technological independence.

“We are deeply grateful to Digital Encode for championing indigenous innovation and demonstrating confidence in AfriTECH’s mission,” Onwuegbuchi said. “Their sponsorship reinforces our shared belief that Africa’s digital transformation must be led by Africans, leveraging homegrown expertise, world-class talent, and a vision anchored on sovereignty and sustainability.”

AfriTECH 5.0 promises to be a landmark convergence of minds shaping the next phase of Africa’s digital journey, and Digital Encode stands proudly at the forefront of this mission.

Nigeria has once again earned international acclaim for its strides in leveraging technology to promote transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement in governance. At the recently concluded 2025 Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit held in Spain, the country emerged as a standout performer, clinching two prestigious international awards that affirm its growing status as a leader in digital governance.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with civil society organisation Dataphyte, led Nigeria’s initiatives that secured the Regional Award for Africa and the Middle East, recognising the nation’s commitment to advancing Open Digital Governance across the region. Nigeria further made history by winning the Thematic Award as the overall global winner in the Digital Governance category, outperforming 160 commitments submitted by 42 participating countries.

The double recognition underscores NITDA’s commitment to building an inclusive and citizen-centered digital ecosystem, while also highlighting the success of Nigeria’s collaborative approach between government and civil society. Through openness, innovation, and data-driven policymaking, Nigeria continues to demonstrate how digital transformation can enhance accountability and public trust in governance.

Nigeria’s winning commitments showcased groundbreaking policies, digital platforms, and strategic partnerships designed to make governance more participatory and technology-driven. Anchored on the principles of transparency, accessibility, and inclusiveness, these initiatives reflect the vision of NITDA under the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

With these achievements, Nigeria has solidified its position as a continental leader and a global voice in shaping the future of open and digital governance. The awards not only validate ongoing efforts but also serve as an inspiration to deepen citizen participation, promote data openness, and strengthen accountability through innovative technology solutions.