Photo: Governor Dapo Abiodun

OGUN State Governor, Dapo Abiodun said today: ” The Federal Government is siting the largest dairy and cattle ranches in Nigeria at Ipokia and Yewa South Local Government Areas, with an initial capacity of 5,000 herds of cattle.”

The governor made the announcement during the All Progressives Congress (APC) Strategic Stakeholders Meeting at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, noting that the initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen food security, boost local agricultural production, and deepen value chains across the state.

“The biggest dairy and cattle ranches will soon be established in Yewa South and Ipokia. This is at the instance of Mr. President. These farms will start with 5,000 herds of cattle, and work will begin very soon,” Abiodun said.

He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his economic reforms, highlighting their role in stabilising the foreign exchange market, eliminating multiple exchange-rate regimes, and boosting Nigeria’s foreign reserves to about $45 billion.

Abiodun also praised the President for consistent support towards Ogun State, including approvals for projects such as the Sagamu–Ijebu Ode Road reconstruction, funding of the Eba oil discovery, and resuscitation of OKLNG.

“Whenever investors express interest in Nigeria, President Tinubu often directs them to Ogun State. His leadership has rekindled hope among Nigerians at home and in the diaspora,” the governor said.

Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, says that twelve states have so far adopted tax reform and harmonised the new acts with their laws.

Oyedele disclosed this during a presentation at the National Economic Council Conference in Abuja, yesterday.

Oyedele said that besides the 12 states, 13 states have the bills in their houses of assembly, while 11 states are in the final stages of presenting the bills.

He said it was important for the states to adopt and harmonise the new tax laws with their state tax laws to avoid multiple taxation.

He advised state governors to grant their internal revenue agencies autonomy.

“Let us stop using consultants to collect taxes. It undermines our ability to do what is right. The new tax law says you cannot use consultants to do the routine work of the tax authority and its autonomy must be guaranteed,” he said.

• Heineken

Global brewer, Heineken, yesterday, said it would retrench 6,000 staff out of its 87,000 global workforce this year as it grapples with weak demand and rising costs.

The second biggest brewer by market value has promised to deliver higher growth with less resources as it looks to assuage investors who said it has fallen behind on efficiency.

This is coming right after the surprise January resignation of its current Chief Executive Officer, Dolf van den Brink, leaving the company scrambling for a new CEO.Also, sales across the sector are faltering ⁠amid strained consumer finances, geopolitical turbulence and bad weather.

The company said this ⁠productivity drive will unlock savings and reduce its global head count by 5,000 to 6,000 positions over the next two years, roughly seven percent of its global workforce of 87,000 people.

The company’s head of finance, Harold van den Broek, added that they are doing this to strengthen operations and to be able to invest in growth.

There are fears that Nigeria would be impacted as the company revealed that the cuts would be focused on non-priority markets offering fewer growth prospects.

He added that further cuts would also result from previously announced initiatives targeting Heineken’s supply network, head office and regional business units.

Outgoing-CEO van den Brink, who steps down in May, said that there was ⁠no update on the brewer’s search for a successor.

Along with weak demand, brewers are facing long-term declines in beer sales in some key markets, dented by issues such concerns over the health impact of alcohol consumption.

Heineken expects slower profit growth for 2026 of between 2 and 6 per cent against the 4 to 8 per cent growth it guided for last year.