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EU, Stakeholders Meet on Cocoa, Others Compliance with Deforestation Regulation

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EU, Stakeholders Meet on Cocoa, Others Compliance with Deforestation Regulation

By: Michael Mike

Stakeholders have received the report of an EU-funded study analysing the preparedness of cocoa and other value chains to comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The EUDR, introduced on 29 June 2023, aims to limit the EU market’s impact on global deforestation, forest degradation, and biodiversity loss, promote deforestation-free supply chains, reduce the EU’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and protect human rights and the rights of indigenous peoples.

Products covered under the EUDR include cocoa as well as palm oil, cattle, soy, coffee, timber, rubber, and their derivatives (beef, furniture, and chocolate are also listed). As the EU attracts 67 percent of cocoa exports from Nigeria, preparedness in this sector is particularly critical.

Speaking at the event in Abuja, Massimo De Luca, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, stated that the EU aims to develop a strategy that both protects the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change.

He said: “In cocoa farming, a lot of virgin land is cleared, and farmers utilise such forested lands to farm. This is why the EUDR is important to discourage deforestation, but also why the EU is here to support the local farmers with improved agro-ecological techniques and improvements in productivity.”

The workshop also presented the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), a new legislative instruments applying to all value chains and requiring that, while conducting economic activities, companies should minimise negative environmental and social impacts.
Explaining the significance of the CS3D, Massimo De Luca added, “From water, to child labour, companies need to assess risks associated with their activities and measures to remedy, including compliance with national and international standards.”

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, represented by the Deputy Director, Cocoa/Member, National Cocoa Management Committee, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ajayi Olutobaba, welcomed the EU’s partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the introduction of the EUDR.

He said: “The EU’s partnership with the Ministry on the critical issue of the EUDR, and the need for due diligence assessments to be conducted in relevant value chains, is a welcome development.”

He added that: “Given the importance of the EUDR and the need to ensure due diligence assessments in Nigeria’s cocoa sector to guarantee deforestation-free supply chains for cocoa and other agricultural products, I recently inaugurated the National Taskforce on EUDR, comprising all relevant stakeholders in the affected value chains.”

He said: “The National Taskforce, chaired by me, aims to develop a unified national approach to meet the EU’s deadlines. We have already begun operations and hope to achieve our objectives as soon as possible.”

In his presentation, the key expert commissioned by the European Commission
Javier Sánchez, noted that while the EUDR presents short-term challenges for producing countries, it offers significant opportunities in the medium term.

“The EUDR should not be seen as a disadvantage for Nigeria. This is an opportunity to enhance environmental sustainability, create sustainable value chains, and strengthen compliance with national regulations across the value chain,” he said.

Sánchez emphasised that compliance with the EUDR strengthens the role of small producers in international value chains by promoting transparency, allowing consumers to know the origins of cocoa, coffee, and other products.

“The private sector, particularly EU-based importers, is the key player responsible for EUDR implementation. They will face significant sanctions for non-compliance. Due to the structure of the value chain, they will then also look to the upstream actors, especially cooperatives and middlemen, who have information about the origin of the products, to ensure EUDR is complied with.”

“While the government cannot replace the private sector’s role, it can facilitate compliance by developing tools and ensuring awareness of the regulations that private sector actors must follow,” he added.

EU, Stakeholders Meet on Cocoa, Others Compliance with Deforestation Regulation

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Two soldiers under probe for alleged collaboration with ISWAP terrorists, leaking troops movement in Yobe

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Two soldiers under probe for alleged collaboration with ISWAP terrorists, leaking troops movement in Yobe

By: Zagazola Makama

Two soldiers of the 135 Special Forces Battalion are currently under investigation for alleged collaboration with ISWAP terrorists, Zagazola Makama has learnt.

Military sources told Zagazola Makama that the soldiers’ telephone communications were tracked by Security Intelligence, linking them to the recent kidnapping of commuters along the Gashua–Azare highway in Yobe State.

The intercepted calls reportedly indicated that the suspects likely leaked the movement of a patrol team along the Buratai–Kamuya–Azare–Gashua route to the insurgents, enabling the ambush.

It was gathered that the suspected leak contributed to the terrorists’ operation, which was later foiled by troops of the 135 SF Battalion during a swift rescue mission on May 9

Two soldiers under probe for alleged collaboration with ISWAP terrorists, leaking troops movement in Yobe

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Troops rescue four kidnapped commuters in Yobe, foil ISWAP terrorist ambush

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Troops rescue four kidnapped commuters in Yobe, foil ISWAP terrorist ambush

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of the 135 Special Forces Battalion under Operation Desert Sanity IV have rescued four kidnapped civilians from ISWAP terrorists following a swift counter-offensive along the Gashua–Azare highway in Yobe State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama on Saturday that the operation was carried out at about 6:10 p.m. on Friday, May 9, after intelligence reports indicated that insurgents had abducted travelers while riding on 15 motorcycles.

Quick Response Forces (QRF) from the battalion, swiftly mobilised to the area and engaged the terrorists in a heavy exchange of gunfire.

“The troops overpowered the terrorists, forcing them to retreat in disarray and abandon one motorcycle,” the source said.

The soldiers pursued the insurgents up to 6 kilometers from the ambush point, leading to the successful rescue of four abducted civilians. Items recovered from the scene included a pumping machine, a motorcycle tube, a plier, and three spanners.

Troops rescue four kidnapped commuters in Yobe, foil ISWAP terrorist ambush

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Zulum orders immediate ban on the sale of fuel in Bama LGA

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Zulum orders immediate ban on the sale of fuel in Bama LGA

By: Our Reporter

Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, has ordered an immediate ban on the sale of fuel (petrol) in filling stations across Bama Local Government Area, including Bama town and Banki.

The ban was issued after due consultations with security agencies in the state and is aimed at addressing the prevailing security challenges in the state.

In a statement on Saturday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media, Dauda Iliya, the measure is part of the state government’s strategic response to counter insurgency operations.

“I have directed the immediate ban on the sale of petrol in Bama town, Banki, and other parts of Bama Local Government Area with immediate effect,” Governor Zulum stated.

He warned that anyone found violating the directive would face the full weight of the law.

“Let me make it clear—there will be no sacred cows in the enforcement of this ban. Security agencies have been given strict orders to clamp down on any filling station or individual contravening this directive. Anyone found culpable will be dealt with accordingly,” he warned.

Governor Zulum reiterated his administration’s commitment to restoring lasting peace in the state and called for the support and cooperation of citizens in the ongoing fight against insurgency.

Zulum orders immediate ban on the sale of fuel in Bama LGA

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