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Livestock Farming can Change Nigeria’s Agricultural Ecosystem for Good – Muyiwa
Folorunso Muyiwa. is the Chief Executive Officer Of Divergent Enterprise, with an objective to create wealth for its financial partners through pig farming. He recently shared his views on livestock farming in the country.
How achievable is the current Federal Government plans to diverse the economy
It is definitely achievable. The diversification of the economy is probably the only option left for development and growth. This is because the economy continues to be over-reliant on oil, the numbers speak for themselves. Oil accounts for 80% of government’s revenue and 90% of foreign exchange earnings. No country can totally depend on only one economic sector. Especially one that is blessed with a lot of natural resources like Nigeria. I believe that there are great opportunities for non-oil sectors to grow and this growth has been visible since 2001. Of course, the changes cannot be that quick and the transformation will not happen overnight. However, the federal government can develop different sectors by taking the important steps necessary for growth to take place. We can no longer be a mono-economic country.
Could that explain why you ventured into pig farming
The idea for Porkmoney grew out of the desire to tap into an over neglected sector of livestock farming (Pigs) that has the potential to create value and change the agricultural ecosystem for good. Long ago before Porkmoney was launched in 2018, I had visited a pig farm in Ogun state. One of the biggest in the country and realised how fast the pigs grew and the viability of the pig farming system in general. I knew this was something I needed to be a part of and I’m glad for the decision that I made. We are currently the leading Pig farming enterprise in West Africa and our results speaks for itself.
Did you derive the idea of establishing PorkMoney from that enterprise
My visit to that farm was definitely a turning point for me. Before then, I was oblivious of the untapped goldmine that is pig farming.
What challenges did you encounter
Every business comes with a few challenges. One of the challenges we constantly face is the need to micro manage casual workers. From farm handlers, managers, production managers other workers. Many of them compromise on set standards by cutting corners especially in meat processing and livestock welfare. Another challenge is the religious sentiments in this part of the world towards pigs and pork products. However, this was a more pronounced problem at inception and it is gradually dissipating with time.
Knowing the religious sensibilities of the country, did aversion to pork cross your mind
Not at all. In as much as there’s a religious proscription to the consumption of pork, we cannot ignore its usefulness and benefits to our health and nourishment and just how lucrative the pig farming industry is. I mean, Nigeria is a major consumer of pork and 80% of it is imported. This means that a lot of people enjoy this animal protein, all we are doing is localising its production.
Is it possible to alter negative public perception about pig farming
Definitely. One of our key responsibilities is to enlighten and educate the general public about the great side to pig farming and inform them of the many benefits of pork consumption. Somehow our environment and the kind of information we were exposed to as a people, has influenced our idea of certain things. There are a lot of things we might need to unlearn as time goes on. So by using all our platforms, from our social media, our website and even our adverts, we have ensured that we always show the good side to pig farming because they’re a lot.
Did you think about the possible health challenges in pork breeding
Of course we do. However, we ensure that we take the appropriate steps to mitigate any possibility. We also take proper hygienic measures like vaccination, quarantine and biosecurity which keeps our weaners very healthy.
Are you saying there are no associated diseases
Livestock farming comes with a risk of outburst of diseases but if managed properly, can be prevented. And the great things about pigs is just how resilient they are as compared to any other livestock for farming. They are simply incredibly disease resilient.
Vaccines and disease surveillance have always been the bane of animal husbandry, how do you react to that observation
Livestock are very prone to diseases, hence the need to constantly take precautionary measures such as the administration of vaccines and disease surveillance activities across the farm to prevent disease outbreaks. Very recently China, witnessed it’s biggest animal disease that claimed the lives of the livestock and cost the country to lose billions of dollars because of its flawed surveillance. So it’s important for other pork producing countries to take adequate disease surveillance and testing programs in order for these diseases can be detected early enough and prevent a fast spread. And so far our farm partners under our management have taken adequate measures that have seen us not witness any outbreak since our launch in 2018, we expect that with our measures this would continue to be the case.
What would you consider as the most limiting factors to entrepreneurship, especially for youths
Lack of capital has to be one of them. Aside from the fact that the Nigerian environment is not too conducive and encouraging for budding entrepreneurs, raising capital and access to funds, has to be one of the biggest challenges for youth in business. Another is the unfavourable tax policies, poor management, corruption, lack of training and experience, poor infrastructure, and a lack of specialised skills to scale one’s enterprise, none of which is insurmountable for the determined person.
How would you rate Nigeria’s scale of Small Medium Enterprises, compared to Malaysia and other countries
The SME sector is the backbone of major developed economies, as well as important contributors to employment, economic and export growth. Malaysia is doing remarkably well when it comes to the business scene. About 98.5% Business establishments In Malaysia are SME’s which contributes to 36.5% of their GDP and 65% of the country’s employment. This is impressive. But despite the significant contribution of SMEs to the Nigerian economy(48%), challenges still persist that hinder the growth and development of the sector. Some of the overriding issues are access to funding, lack of skilled manpower, the multiplicity of taxes, high cost of doing business, among others. This proves that there is still much to be done.
As an entrepreneur, how did you overcome initial apprehensions, especially funding, and what areas have you exerted your ideas so far
When I was starting out in business, I had no capital, training or resources to start my journey. The brilliant ideas were there, all that was needed to execute them was finance. This was lacking but I had start small and grow multiple businesses over the years till I was able to afford the capital needed to start my current pursuit.
Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NSC) has designated Simon Ekpa, 16 other persons and two entities, for their alleged involvement in supporting terrorist activities and terrorism financing.
Simon Ekpa
The committee further directed financial institutions to freeze their assets and report any transactions related to the individuals and entities to the Sanctions Committee and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).
Those named on the list include Simon Ekpa, Godstime Promise Iyare, Francis Mmaduabuchi, John Onwumere, Chikwuka Eze, Edwin Chukwuedo, Chinwendu Owoh, Ginika Orji, Awo Uchechukwu, and Mercy Ebere Ifeoma Ali.
Others are Ohagwu Juliana, Eze Okpoto, Nwaobi Chimezie, Ogomu Kewe, Igwe Ka Ala Enterprises, Seficuvi Global Company, and Lakurawa Group.
According to a document obtained from the committee on Thursday, the list was approved by the President upon the recommendation of the Attorney General of the Federation.
“The Nigeria Sanctions Committee held a meeting on March 6, 2024, where specific individuals and entities were recommended for designation following their involvement with terrorism financing.
“The Attorney General of the Federation, with the approval of the President, has thereupon designated the following individuals and entities to be listed on the Nigeria Sanctions List.
“In accordance with Section 54 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, you are required to:
“(a) Immediately identify and freeze, without prior notice, all funds, assets, and any other economic resources belonging to the designated persons in your possession and report the same to the Sanctions Committee.
“(b) Report to the Sanctions Committee any assets frozen or actions taken in compliance with the prohibition requirements.
“(c) Immediately file a Suspicious Transactions Report (STR) to the NFIU for further analysis of the financial activities of such individuals or entities.
(d) Report as an STR to the NFIU all cases of name matching in financial transactions prior to or after receipt of this list.”
The committee ordered the immediate freezing of bank accounts and financial instruments associated with the listed individuals and entities across multiple banks, payment platforms, and financial institutions.
“Freezing measures should be extended to all accounts associated with the designated subjects. For designated entities, this should include accounts linked to their signatories and directors to ensure comprehensive enforcement of the sanctions regime,” the document added.
The committee also stated that financial institutions and relevant stakeholders have been instructed to enforce the sanctions and submit compliance reports to the Nigeria Sanctions Committee via [email protected] and
See the full list of the frozen accounts below
- Simon Ekpa Njoku 21-03-1985 Guaranty Trust Bank 0118835791, 0115442299, 0115442275
- Godstime Promise Iyare 20-05-1996 Access Bank 0060032439, 1187008630, 1448136683. UBA 2212655102. Moniepoint 8197394552. Kuda 2007096158. Promicool Venture- Moniepoint 8197394576.
- Francis Chukwuedo Mmaduabuchi 27-09-1987 Eco Bank 3941072599, Fidelity 6239280146, Opay 8037688095, Moniepoint 8196060258, 8196028438, 8196028452,5380383959, 5612325508,4730823866, 8037688095
- John Anayo Onwumere 05-03-1987 Sterling 0026224269, Zenith 4230646454
- Chikwuka Godwin Eze 05-05-1975 First Bank 3031299977, Access Bank 0110709618, 0108595489, 1132518632
- Edwin Augustine Chukwuedo 27-05-1983 Union 0010808495, 0110232286, 0069247850, Eco Bank 2321194539, Opay 8169916076, Moniepoint 6786290317, 6786290300
- Chinwendu Joy Owoh 10-02-1982 First Bank 3125731837, GTB 0115848475, Moniepoint 6474876289, Union 0014660761
- Ginika Jane Orji 05-10-1995 Blueridge 8039231985, Opay 7059681248, 8106940744
- Awo Uchechukwu 11-12-1978 First Bank 3060144916
- Mercy Ebere Ifeoma Ali 07-07-1998 Access 1612608952, FCMB 6594319019, First Bank 3147574474
- Ohagwu Nneka Juliana 15-08-1985 UBA 2147559148
- Eze Chibuike Okpoto 12-01-1989 Access 0071127599, 1138098116, FCMB 3723955016, GT Bank 0123014963
- Nwaobi Henry Chimezie 12-06-1991 Access 1113046148, 1113046148, UBA 2115584448, 2117752704, First Bank 3067985749, Moniepoint 8276850931,
- Ogomu Peace Kewe 27-06-1997 Access 1840168323, UBA 2096777826, First Bank 3124937333, 2041450556, (USD) 3180578127, Zenith 2547460190, Opay 9069071154, Kuda 2028607838, Fidelity 6552642526, GT Bank 0258732080, Stanbic 0021280495
- Igwe Ka Ala Enterprises 3750733 Access 1872085373, 0800331795. Fairmoney 2683102063. Fidelity 5090919707, GTB 0206153527, 0044247093, 0044247086, 0044247079, 0044247062, 0044247055, 0044247103, 4020644423. Opay 9023765613, 8035144914, 8126308128. Polaris 3124277058. Carbon 0629821223. Zenith 1226773554
- Seficuvi Global Company 3225098 Access Bank 1436852548, Eco Bank 3831141439
- Lakurawa Group NLLKW
ALX, Africa’s leading tech career accelerator, is celebrating a major win for young African talent as 21 exceptional learners from the ALX Pathway program secure prestigious scholarships from the Mastercard Foundation to pursue further studies at the African Leadership College of Higher Education (ALCHE).
Among them, seven outstanding scholars are from Nigeria, reinforcing the country’s reputation as a hub for ambitious, high-potential talent within ALX’s transformative learning ecosystem.
The programme is a pathway to global universities and scholarships, equipping Africa’s future leaders with cutting-edge skills, career-defining networks, and access to life-changing opportunities in high-growth industries.
Speaking on this remarkable achievement, Oluwapelumi Thomas, Learning Community Experience Specialist at ALX Nigeria, shared, “At ALX, we believe that unlocking Africa’s potential starts with unlocking the potential of its people.
The success of these learners in securing scholarships to ALCHE through the Mastercard Foundation is evidence that talent, when nurtured with the right opportunities, knows no bounds. We couldn’t be prouder.”
Among the Nigerian awardees are: Ayomide Samson Ajayi, Effiong Immaculata Emmanuel, Hanif Olayiwola, Chigozie Emmanuel Ndubuaku, Peace Chidinma Chukwuka, Chibuzor Moses Uzowuru and Chisom Obueze Louisa.
The Mastercard Foundation scholarships will provide recipients with full tuition and stipends to pursue world-class higher education at ALCHE, sharpening their leadership, technical, and entrepreneurial skills to drive impact across the continent. This milestone reinforces ALX’s role as a driving force in shaping Africa’s next generation of changemakers.
With every success story, ALX continues to open doors for Africa’s young professionals, empowering them to take advantage of career support, networking, and transformative scholarship opportunities. The journey doesn’t stop here—Africa’s future innovators are just getting started.
Airtel Mobile Commerce BV, a subsidiary of Airtel Africa PLC, is thrilled to announce the launch of the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card, a new payment solution designed to connect Airtel Money customers across Africa with global online marketplaces.
This collaboration with Mastercard will empower Airtel’s 150 million mobile phone users in 14 African countries with access to Mastercard’s global merchant network, enabling safer and more secure international transactions.
The Airtel Money GlobalPay Card is a virtual (non-plastic) payment solution that links directly to Airtel Money wallets. This card can be used for a wide range of payments across global online merchants, including major platforms such as Facebook, Netflix, Uber, Amazon, Google, AliExpress, and Alibaba.
Users will also have the ability to make payments for travel bookings, utilities, subscriptions, and purchase goods from international suppliers—all from the convenience of their mobile phones.
For Airtel Money customers, activating the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card is simple. Customers simply need opt-in for the card, load it from Airtel Money wallet, and start shopping. No additional documentation, registration, or installations are required.
With this payment solution, Airtel and Mastercard aim to meet the growing demand for digital payments in Africa and support small businesses in cross-border trade. The partnership aligns with Airtel Africa’s goal of enhancing financial inclusion by providing efficient and seamless payment solutions to mobile money users across the continent.
CEO of Airtel Money, Ian Ferrao, commented: “At Airtel, we are continuously innovating to enhance the customer experience. By adding Mastercard’s secure virtual payment solution to Airtel Money, we are making International payments simpler and more accessible for our customers. This collaboration allows us to offer a global e-commerce experience.”
Mastercard’s global network and expertise in payment solutions will play a critical role in supporting financial inclusion efforts in Africa. The initiative aligns with Mastercard’s commitment to bring one billion people, 50 million small businesses, and 25 million women entrepreneurs into the digital economy by 2025.
Senior Vice President for Digital Partnerships at Mastercard Middle East and Africa, Muhammad Nana, stated: “Our digital partnerships strategy focuses on enabling the digital transformation of our partners, helping them provide their customers with access to a seamless global payment ecosystem. With over 150 million Airtel Africa consumers now connected to the global digital economy, we are helping more consumers access the benefits of e-commerce.”
With increasing mobile internet access and the growth of affordable smartphones, African consumers are poised to take full advantage of this new solution. The Airtel Money GlobalPay Card empowers users—both banked and unbanked—to shop globally, connecting them to digital products and services right from their mobile phones.
How to Link Airtel Money GlobalPay Card:
- Download the MyAirtel App from Playstore or App Store
- Select Airtel Money and enter your PIN
- Opt in for the Airtel Money GlobalPay Card powered by Mastercard and accept the terms and conditions
- Top-up your card from your Airtel Money wallet and start shopping
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