By KINGSLEY OKOYE

The Senate has faulted the poor revenue generation profile of some research and training institutions in the agricultural sector in the country.

It also decried the non remmitance of 25 per cent due to the Federal Government by some of the agencies.

Members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture made the reservations at an oversight meeting on Monday in Lagos with some research and training establishments in the agricultural sector.

They said given the revenue generating potentials inherent of the agencies, the Senate was disappointed by their poor revenue profile and their non remittance of 25 per cent due to Federal Government coffers.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agencies that made presentations on their budget implementation for 2019, 2020 and 2021 budget operations included the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR),The Agricultural and Rural Management Agency.

Others are the Institute of Agriculture Research and Training Ibadan, Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Nigeria Institute for Oil Palm Research ((NIFOR), among others.

Chairman of the Committee Sen. Abdulahi Yahaya, said the National Assembly expected the agencies to make major interventions and be more proactive, innovative and productive in their operations.

He urged them to come forward with proposals on how to improve their operations, adding that the National Assembly would support them via relevant legislations.

He urged the heads of the organisations to take responsibility by thinking outside the box on how best to be innovative, to improve their operations and IGR, saying that the questions from Senators were based on the reality of activities of the agencies.

Sen. Adelere Oriolowo said one of the major challenges facing the nation was revenue generation among agencies of government, saying that part of issues of Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was that of revenue.

He urged the agencies to seek technical support on how best to improve their revenue generation as they were required to utilise 75 per cent of the revenue generated and remmit 25 per cent to coffers of government.

Other Senators, who decried the poor revenue generation profile of the agencies and urged them to increase their IGR, included Senators Bima Enagi, Obinna Ogba, Frank Ibezim and Moses Clopas,

Others are Ibrahim Danbaba, Sam Egwu, Bello Mandiya and Ibrahim Hadejia.

The committee consequently mandated the management of the concerned to remit the 25 per cent due to the Federal Government since 2021 and 2022 in two weeks.

Earlier in his presentation, Prof. Sule Abiodun, Executive Director of NIOMR thanked the committee for the support to NIOMR in renovating the building, housing the organisation.

He said NIOMR had procured a BV fishing and research vessel which was helping the Institute to conduct research, trainings and determine the fishes in the territorial waters of Nigeria.

He said NIOMA was partnering with the Nigerian Navy to ensure that fishes in the Nigeria territorial waters were not stolen.

On IGR, he said the agency was careful not to aggressively source for revenue so as not to run foul of its mandate. (NAN)

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